Autonomous Bus Stop Control Using Passenger Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous driving buses stop unnecessarily at stations even when there are no passengers, degrading vehicle operating services and causing discomfort due to unpredictable stops.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for controlling autonomous vehicles, utilizing sensors and processors to detect potential passengers within specific radii, determine optimal stop points, and control vehicle speed to maintain a low velocity in stop zones, allowing for efficient passenger pickup and drop-off without driver intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the autonomous vehicle stops at all stations to consider unspecified passengers, then the vehicle can potentially pick up any passenger, but the vehicle operates inefficiently by stopping unnecessarily when no passengers are present

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassenger pickup capabilityVSAvoidvehicle operating efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of passengers at stop points before the vehicle arrives. Sensors detect potential passengers in advance, and the vehicle only stops when passengers are actually present, avoiding unnecessary stops and improving operational efficiency while maintaining pickup capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses sensor feedback to detect passenger presence at stop points. Based on this feedback information, the vehicle intelligently decides whether to stop or pass through, adapting its behavior to actual conditions rather than following a fixed stop-at-all-stations rule

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the autonomous vehicle stops unexpectedly after passing a stop point, then the vehicle can pick up unexpected passengers, but passengers inside the vehicle may feel uncomfortable due to unpredictable stops

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunexpected passenger pickup capabilityVSAvoidpassenger discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of potential passengers approaching the vehicle using sensors. When passengers are detected within a reference radius, the vehicle prepares to stop in advance, ensuring smooth and comfortable stopping rather than sudden unexpected stops

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts vehicle behavior based on real-time passenger detection. The vehicle can adaptively stop at points after the original stop point if passengers are detected, while maintaining smooth deceleration to minimize passenger discomfort

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20240199081A1Apparatus and method for controlling vehicle

Publication Date: 2024.06.20 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

Provided are an apparatus and a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle. The apparatus for controlling the autonomous vehicle includes a sensor that acquires sensed data on a vehicle surrounding, a driving device that drives the vehicle, and a processor that detects a passenger based on the sensed data, determines a stop point for stopping the vehicle in a stop zone, determines a decelerating section till a specific distance from the stop point, and controls the driving device so that a speed of the vehicle at an end point of decelerating section is lower than a speed of the vehicle at the starting point of the decelerating section.