Automated Vehicle Guidance Using Machine-Readable Traffic Rules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fully automated vehicle guidance systems require constant driver monitoring and face a high implementation effort due to varying traffic rules across regions, making it challenging to ensure compliance with traffic laws.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a traffic rule database in a machine-readable formal language that allows a control device to determine the current geographic region and driving situation class, retrieve relevant traffic rules, verify trajectory compliance, and adjust the trajectory as needed, using a central server for updates and access by multiple vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traffic rules are manually implemented in vehicle guidance algorithms, then compliance with traffic rules is achieved, but implementation effort and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a machine-readable copy of traffic rules in formal language that can be automatically processed by the control device. Instead of manually implementing complex rule logic, the system uses a standardized formal representation that can be retrieved and executed automatically, reducing implementation effort while maintaining compliance reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a formal language as an intermediary between human-readable traffic rules and machine-executable algorithms. This formal language serves as a bridge that enables automatic translation and verification, reducing the complexity of direct manual implementation while ensuring reliable compliance
2Reliability
If traffic rules are manually updated in vehicle guidance algorithms, then compliance with new rules is achieved, but software revision effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent stores traffic rules in a machine-readable database in advance, organized by geographic regions. When the vehicle enters a new region, the control device automatically retrieves the applicable rules without requiring software revisions. This preliminary preparation eliminates time-consuming manual updates while maintaining compliance reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic rule retrieval system where traffic rules are loaded from a database based on the vehicle's current geographic location. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different regional rules automatically, eliminating the need for manual software revisions when entering new regions with different traffic regulations
3Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle guidance systems are designed for multiple geographic regions, then versatility is improved, but implementation complexity and verification effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal formal language framework that can represent traffic rules from any geographic region in a standardized format. The control device uses a single verification mechanism that works across all regions, eliminating the need for separate verification processes for each region while maintaining multi-region versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent represents different regional traffic rules as parameter variations within a unified formal language structure. Instead of implementing separate rule sets for each region, the system changes parameters (such as speed limits, right-of-way rules) within the same formal framework, simplifying verification while maintaining adaptability across regions
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for the fully automated guidance of a motor vehicle by a vehicle system in a driving situation of at least one driving situation class, wherein the vehicle system has a control device and accesses position data of a position sensor. The method starts with providing a traffic rule database in which traffic rule sets for a plurality of geographic regions are stored in a machine-readable formal language and which can be accessed by the control device, and determining a geographical region currently traveled by the motor vehicle based on the current position data and retrieving a traffic rule set for the currently traveled geographical region from the traffic rule database via the control device. After or upon determination of a trajectory currently to be traveled by the control device, the vehicle system will verify the trajectory for compliance with traffic rules using the retrieved traffic rule set for the geographic region currently traveled by the control device, wherein the trajectory currently to be traveled is adjusted in the event of non-compliance, and guide the motor vehicle based on the trajectory currently to be traveled.