Autonomous Vehicle Pedestrian Guidance via Light Irradiation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in safely interacting with pedestrians, including accidents and user convenience issues due to difficulty in recognizing the vehicle and navigating road conditions.

Innovation Solution

A control system for autonomous vehicles that includes a camera unit for image capture, a measurement unit for position and distance measurement, an image irradiation unit for guiding pedestrians, and a control unit to manage interactions, using light and image displays to create hot spots, guide lines, and warning images to ensure pedestrian safety and convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If autonomous vehicles operate without driver intervention, then automation level increases, but safety incidents with pedestrians occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous driving capabilityVSAvoidpedestrian safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of pedestrians using the camera unit before the vehicle reaches them. The control unit processes this data in advance to determine appropriate responses (stopping, slowing down, or maintaining speed), allowing the vehicle to prepare safety actions before critical moments arise, thereby preventing accidents while maintaining autonomous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors pedestrian positions and distances using the camera unit, creating a closed-loop feedback system. The control unit receives real-time data about pedestrians in the path, processes this information, and adjusts vehicle speed or stopping decisions dynamically based on the current situation, ensuring safety while maintaining autonomous driving functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the vehicle approaches pedestrians to communicate intent, then user convenience improves, but collision risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the camera unit to identify pedestrians at a distance before the vehicle reaches them. The control unit processes this data in advance to determine appropriate responses (stopping, slowing down, or maintaining speed), allowing the vehicle to prepare safety actions before critical moments arise, thereby preventing accidents while maintaining autonomous operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit calculates safe stopping distances and timing based on camera data about pedestrian positions. By preparing to stop or slow down in advance when pedestrians are detected, the system creates a safety buffer that prevents collisions while still allowing the vehicle to approach close enough to communicate its presence and intent to pedestrians

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP3653440B1Control method of an autonomous vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.05.26 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD
  • EP3653440B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3653440B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3653440B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A control system (1) of an autonomous vehicle may include: a camera unit (10) installed on a vehicle body (92), and configured to take an image of a pedestrian (M1); a measurement unit (20) installed on the vehicle body (92), and configured to measure a position of the pedestrian (M1) and a distance to the pedestrian (M1); a control unit (30) configured to receive data of the camera unit(10) and the measurement unit (20); and an image irradiation unit (40) configured to operate according to a control signal of the control unit (30), and irradiate light to one or more of the pedestrian (M1) and a road (L).