Autonomous Shoulder Stop Control With Low-Speed Pull-Over

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous vehicle systems discomfort occupants when stopping at a road shoulder due to abrupt deceleration and motion changes, as they fail to maintain a constant velocity during the transition from travel to stop.

Innovation Solution

The vehicle is decelerated to a constant low speed before moving to the shoulder, using a control plan that includes deceleration, direction indication, and stop controls to minimize occupant discomfort, with the autonomous stop control unit managing these processes individually and sequentially.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the vehicle is controlled to approach the shoulder of the road with high speed, then the stopping time is reduced, but the occupant experiences strong discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestopping timeVSAvoidoccupant discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous stop control is divided into three distinct phases: deceleration control (reducing speed from current speed to low speed), pulling over control (moving to shoulder at constant low speed), and stop control (stopping at shoulder). This segmentation allows the vehicle to minimize occupant discomfort by maintaining constant low speed during the pulling over phase while still achieving timely stopping through efficient deceleration first.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary deceleration control before pulling over to the shoulder. By reducing the vehicle speed to a low speed in advance and maintaining it constant during the pulling over phase, the system prepares the vehicle in a state that minimizes occupant discomfort while ensuring the stopping operation can be completed efficiently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the vehicle simultaneously performs deceleration and moving to the shoulder, then the stopping process is faster, but the occupant experiences strong discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestopping efficiencyVSAvoidoccupant discomfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control system separates the stopping process into sequential phases rather than simultaneous operations. The deceleration control phase reduces speed first, then the pulling over control phase moves the vehicle to the shoulder at constant low speed. This sequential segmentation eliminates the harmful combined effects of simultaneous deceleration and lateral movement, reducing occupant discomfort while maintaining stopping efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs deceleration control as a preliminary action before initiating the pulling over maneuver. By completing the speed reduction to constant low speed in advance, the system ensures that when the vehicle moves to the shoulder, the occupant is not subjected to combined deceleration and lateral acceleration, thereby reducing discomfort while preserving overall stopping efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the vehicle maintains constant low speed during pulling over, then occupant discomfort is reduced, but the stopping distance increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupant discomfortVSAvoidstopping distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The control system segments the stopping process into deceleration control (where speed is reduced and stopping distance is utilized), pulling over control (where constant low speed is maintained and lateral movement occurs), and stop control (where final stopping happens). This segmentation allows the vehicle to use deceleration distance efficiently while maintaining constant low speed during the pulling over phase, minimizing occupant discomfort without excessive total stopping distance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary deceleration to reduce speed to a constant low speed before initiating the pulling over maneuver. This preliminary action utilizes the available stopping distance efficiently during the deceleration phase, so that when constant low speed is maintained during pulling over, the total stopping distance remains acceptable while occupant discomfort is minimized.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3919336B1Travel control method and travel control device for vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3919336B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3919336B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3919336B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When a subject vehicle (Vo) arrives at a destination while the subject vehicle (Vo) travels, or when a driver of the subject vehicle (Vo) becomes unable to drive during travel of the subject vehicle (Vo) or when a failure occurs that interferes with the travel of the subject vehicle (Vo) during the travel of the subject vehicle (Vo), a control plan for autonomous stop control is generated, the control plan comprising deceleration control (C2) for decreasing a speed of the subject vehicle (Vo); pulling over control (C3) for moving the subject vehicle (Vo) from a lane (LI) in which the subject vehicle (Vo) travels to the shoulder of the road (Ls); and stop control (C4) for stopping the subject vehicle (Vo) at the shoulder of the road (Ls), and on a basis of this control plan, the autonomous stop control is performed to decelerate the subject vehicle (Vo) and then move it to the shoulder of the road (Ls) by individually and sequentially performing each of the deceleration control (C2), the pulling over control (C3), and the stop control (C4).