Automated Vehicle Driving Rule Adaptation via Observed Deviation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automated vehicles' strict adherence to driving rules can inhibit traffic flow, as they may maintain overly cautious distances or follow rules that do not align with local driving habits, leading to inefficiencies in traffic movement.

Innovation Solution

A driving-rule system equipped with a vehicle detector and controller that monitors the behavior of nearby vehicles and adjusts its own driving rules to match local habits, such as adjusting following distance, passing rules, acceleration rates, and waiting times based on observed deviations from typical driving behaviors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If automated vehicles strictly adhere to driving rules, then safety and predictability are improved, but traffic flow efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety and predictabilityVSAvoidtraffic flow efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts driving rules based on real-time observations of other vehicles' behaviors. The controller modifies following distances, lane-changing rules, and acceleration patterns adaptively, transforming static driving rules into dynamic parameters that respond to environmental conditions and local driving habits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key driving parameters such as following distance, acceleration rate, and lane-changing frequency based on observed deviations from typical driving behaviors. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system maintains safety while adapting to local traffic patterns and improving overall flow efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If automated vehicles maintain cautious following distances, then collision risk is reduced, but traffic flow speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision risk reductionVSAvoidtraffic flow speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The following distance is transformed from a static safety parameter to a dynamic variable that adjusts based on observed behaviors of surrounding vehicles. The system maintains larger distances when observing aggressive or unsafe behaviors, and reduces distances when local habits demonstrate safety, thereby optimizing both safety and speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors and observes the driving behaviors of other vehicles, using this feedback to adjust its own following distance in real-time. This closed-loop approach allows the automated vehicle to learn from environmental cues and optimize its safety margins dynamically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If automated vehicles follow standard driving guidelines, then predictable behavior is achieved, but adaptability to local driving habits deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebehavior predictabilityVSAvoidadaptability to local driving habits
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static, predetermined driving rules to dynamic, adaptive behavior patterns. By continuously observing local driving habits and adjusting its parameters accordingly, the system maintains a degree of predictability while becoming adaptable to diverse local conditions and cultural driving norms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different driving strategies tailored to local conditions and observed behaviors. Instead of using a uniform driving approach everywhere, it adapts its parameters to match local driving habits, making its behavior contextually appropriate while maintaining overall system stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3452351B1Automated vehicle operating system with driving-rule modification based on observation of another vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 MOTIONAL AD LLC
  • EP3452351B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3452351B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3452351B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A driving-rule system (10) suitable to operate an automated includes a vehicle- detector (16) and a controller (20). The vehicle-detector (16) is suitable for use on a host- vehicle (12). The vehicle-detector (16) is used to detect movement of an other-vehicle (14) proximate to the host-vehicle (12). The controller (20) is in communication with the vehicle-detector (16). The controller (20) is configured to operate the host-vehicle (12) in accordance with a driving-rule (22), detect an observed-deviation (24) of the driving-rule (22) by the other-vehicle (14), and modify the driving-rule (22) based on the observed- deviation (24).