Autonomous Lane Control for Mode Switching and Vehicle Merging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing road designs and traffic control systems are inadequate for managing a mixture of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and human-driven vehicles, particularly in controlling mode switching, vehicle merging, diverging, and overtaking on automated lanes, and providing emergency management and roadside assistance.

Innovation Solution

A road design and traffic control system for connected and automated vehicle highways (CAVH) that includes a vehicle mode control subsystem for mode switching, a merging, diverging, and overtaking subsystem, an emergency management subsystem, and a lane management subsystem, utilizing buffer zones, mode switching zones, and dynamic lane markings, along with RSUs for bidirectional communication and control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If dedicated automated lanes are implemented for AVs, then traffic flow efficiency and safety are improved, but road infrastructure complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic flow efficiencyVSAvoidroad infrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The roadway is segmented into dedicated automated lanes and conventional lanes, with automated lanes specifically designated for AVs. This segmentation allows optimized traffic flow for automated vehicles while maintaining separate infrastructure for human-driven vehicles, resolving the contradiction by organizing complexity into manageable functional segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds a temporal dimension to lane management through dynamic lane access control, where lanes can switch between automated and conventional modes at different times. This allows the same physical infrastructure to serve multiple purposes at different times, reducing overall infrastructure complexity while maintaining productivity benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If mode switching zones and buffer zones are established, then safety of mode transitions is improved, but road space requirements and infrastructure length increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety of mode transitionsVSAvoidroad segment length

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Vehicles are required to perform preliminary actions before entering automated lanes, including advance mode switching requests and pre-clearance checks by the traffic control system. This preliminary validation ensures safety requirements are met before transition, reducing the need for excessively long buffer zones while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The traffic control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates mode transitions, validating vehicle readiness and controlling access to automated lanes. This centralized mediation ensures safe transitions without requiring disproportionately long transition zones, as the control system can manage transitions more efficiently than purely physical infrastructure could

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If dynamic lane access control and vehicle clearance procedures are implemented, then traffic safety and orderly flow are improved, but system complexity and control infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic safetyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The traffic control system implements continuous feedback loops, monitoring vehicle status, lane occupancy, and transition progress in real-time. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust control decisions, ensuring safety while managing complexity through adaptive rather than purely predetermined control logic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The traffic control system performs multiple functions including mode switching authorization, lane access control, vehicle clearance validation, and emergency management. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional system rather than separate dedicated systems for each function, the overall infrastructure complexity is reduced while maintaining comprehensive safety controls

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20260018061A1Mode switching and merging operations and control for autonomous vehicles

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 CAVH LLC

AI summary

Provided herein is technology relating to roadway design and traffic control systems and methods for connected and automated vehicle and highway (CAVH) systems, and particularly, but not exclusively, to systems and methods for controlling switching of vehicles between automated mode and human-driven mode, systems and methods for vehicle merging, diverging, and overtaking on automated lanes of multiple lane highways, systems and methods for emergency management and roadside assistance on automated lanes, and/or systems and methods for managing automated vehicle lanes on urban major and minor expressways.