Autonomous Vehicle Lane Guidance Speed Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous motor vehicles in urban areas face challenges in ensuring road safety and legal clarity due to unclear behavior outside designated lanes, where they interact with pedestrians and cyclists, and there is a lack of defined guilt in critical situations.

Innovation Solution

The method involves specifying lane markings in urban areas where autonomous vehicles can operate at a predetermined speed, using sensors to determine vehicle position and speed, and limiting speed to a safety value if outside these markings to ensure immediate stopping, thereby defining predictable behavior and reducing critical situations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the autonomous motor vehicle drives outside the specified lane markings at higher speeds, then productivity and travel time are improved, but traffic safety and predictability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle speedVSAvoidtraffic safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The road space is segmented into specified lane markings (where higher speeds are permitted) and non-specified areas (where speed is limited). This spatial segmentation allows the vehicle to operate at different speed levels in different zones, maintaining productivity on designated routes while ensuring safety in shared spaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different speed regimes are applied to different spatial locations. The vehicle is permitted to travel at higher speeds locally within specified lane markings, while maintaining lower speeds in non-specified areas. This local differentiation of operational parameters resolves the contradiction between speed and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the autonomous motor vehicle is limited to low speeds outside specified lane markings, then traffic safety is improved, but productivity and travel efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic safetyVSAvoidvehicle speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The solution segments the operational space into two distinct zones: specified lane markings where high-speed operation is permitted, and non-specified areas where speed limitation applies. This allows the vehicle to maintain high productivity on designated routes while ensuring safety in shared spaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The speed limit is not a fixed parameter but dynamically adjusts based on the vehicle's location relative to specified lane markings. The control system continuously monitors position and adapts the speed parameter accordingly, allowing high speeds when on marked lanes and low speeds when off them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If structurally separate lanes are provided for autonomous vehicles, then traffic safety is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic safetyVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The specified lane markings serve multiple functions: they define the vehicle's operational corridor, indicate permitted higher speeds, and serve as reference for position detection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized infrastructure while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating entirely new physical infrastructure, the solution uses visual copies or representations (lane markings) that convey the necessary information to the vehicle's sensor systems. The markings are a simplified representation that the autonomous vehicle can detect and follow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Measurement precision

If the autonomous motor vehicle uses sensor devices to detect lane markings, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The solution replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with optical/electromagnetic sensor devices that detect visual lane markings. This substitution uses light-based detection rather than mechanical measurement, simplifying the overall system while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The physical lane markings create an optical copy or visual representation of the designated path. Sensor devices detect this visual information rather than requiring direct mechanical contact or complex physical measurement systems, reducing device complexity while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3807138B1Method and track guidance system for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle in an urban area

Publication Date: 2021.08.25 AUDI AG

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and a track guidance system for controlling an autonomous motor vehicle (12) in an urban area. For this purpose, it is determined (S10) whether the autonomous motor vehicle (12) is located on a specified lane marking (20); if not, the vehicle speed is limited to a specified safe value (S12). If the autonomous motor vehicle (12) is located on the specified lane marking (20), the autonomous motor vehicle is controlled (S14) on the specified lane marking (20), wherein the vehicle speed is limited to a specified speed value.