Automated Driving Controller ETC Gate Routing Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems fail to adapt vehicle routing through electronic toll collection (ETC) gates based on the mounting state of an ETC card, leading to potential disruptions in automated driving when the card is mounted or removed.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device equipped with a mounting unit, detector, and automated driving controller that detects the ETC card's mounting state and adjusts the target gate and route accordingly, determining whether to change the gate based on the time and distance differences between the card's state change and the vehicle's arrival at the gate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the gate is fixed when ETC card mounting state changes, then the system structure is simple, but the vehicle cannot pass through the correct gate when ETC card is mounted or removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the target gate changeable rather than fixed. The automated driving controller dynamically adjusts the target gate based on ETC card mounting state detection, allowing the system to adapt its configuration in response to changing conditions (card mounted/not mounted) without requiring a completely new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through the detector that continuously monitors the ETC card mounting state and provides this information to the automated driving controller. The controller then uses this feedback to determine whether to change the target gate, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically responds to mounting state changes.
2Reliability
If the target gate is changed whenever ETC card mounting state changes, then the vehicle can always pass through the correct gate, but the automated driving may be disrupted when changing gate is not feasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the automated driving controller evaluate feasibility conditions before changing the target gate. The controller checks whether the vehicle can successfully change to the new target gate based on current position, speed, and road conditions, and only proceeds with the gate change if the evaluation is positive, preventing disruptions to automated driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical constraint of fixed gate assignment with an information-based control system. Instead of relying on rigid pre-assigned gates, the system uses detector feedback and controller logic to dynamically select appropriate gates, substituting inflexible mechanical routing with flexible electronic control based on real-time mounting state information.
3Reliability
If the vehicle stops to wait for gate change, then the correct gate can be reached, but the travel time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by evaluating gate change feasibility before the vehicle reaches the toll gate, using current position, speed, and road condition data. This advance evaluation allows the system to proactively adjust the target gate while the vehicle is still approaching, avoiding last-minute changes that would require stopping and wasting time.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control device includes a mounting unit on which a medium storing authentication information for passing through a toll road is mountable, a detector which is configured to detect a state where the medium is mounted on the mounting unit or a state where the medium is not mounted on the mounting unit, and an automated driving controller which is configured to perform automated driving and change control details of the automated driving on the basis of detection results obtained by the detector, wherein the automated driving controller configured to determine whether to change a target gate or not on the basis of a relationship between a time when the mounting state detected by the detector is changed and a time when the vehicle is expected to arrive at the target gate or a relationship between a position of the vehicle at the time when the mounting state detected by the detector is changed and a position of the target gate.