Autonomous Vehicle Countermeasures Using Roadside Signal Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating through environments where sensor inputs are obscured by weather conditions, foliage, or other vehicles, making it difficult to accurately determine the status of roadside infrastructure such as traffic signals, construction zones, and other critical elements.
Innovation Solution
The method involves receiving electronic messages from roadside infrastructure or other vehicles via wireless transmitters, which are processed by a computer system to provide instructions to vehicle systems like braking, steering, and powertrain to implement necessary countermeasures, such as adjusting speed or path, even when sensor inputs are limited.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous vehicles rely solely on onboard sensors to detect roadside infrastructure, then the vehicle maintains operational independence, but the detection reliability deteriorates when sensors are obscured by weather, foliage, or other vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces roadside infrastructure transmitters as intermediary devices that actively broadcast their status information (traffic signal states, construction zone warnings, speed limits) to autonomous vehicles. This mediator approach allows vehicles to obtain reliable infrastructure status information without relying on direct sensor detection, thereby resolving the contradiction between detection reliability and system complexity.
2Reliability
If autonomous vehicles use multiple redundant sensing methods to overcome obscuration, then detection reliability improves, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding more complex sensing equipment to vehicles, the patent places transmitters at the roadside infrastructure that actively communicate their status. This shifts the complexity from the vehicle sensing system to the infrastructure, allowing vehicles to maintain simpler sensor configurations while achieving high detection reliability through direct communication with infrastructure elements.
3Measurement precision
If autonomous vehicles increase sensor coverage and sensitivity to detect obscured infrastructure, then measurement precision improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs roadside transmitters that actively broadcast their status information using wireless communication protocols. This allows autonomous vehicles to receive precise infrastructure status data (traffic signal phases, construction zone conditions, speed limit changes) without increasing onboard sensor energy consumption, as the information is pushed to vehicles rather than requiring continuous high-power sensor scanning.
4Speed
If autonomous vehicles rely on direct sensor detection of traffic signals and infrastructure, then the system remains simple, but the response time deteriorates when signals are obscured or difficult to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements transmitters at roadside infrastructure that continuously broadcast their status information before vehicles need to react. Traffic signal transmitters communicate phase and timing information in advance, construction zone transmitters warn of upcoming hazards, and speed limit transmitters provide advance notice of changes. This preliminary information provision allows autonomous vehicles to prepare appropriate responses earlier, improving response speed without sacrificing detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, includes the steps of receiving a message from roadside infrastructure via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system. Additionally or alternatively, the method may include the steps of receiving a message from another vehicle via an electronic receiver and providing, by a computer system in communication with said electronic receiver, instructions based on the message to automatically implement countermeasure behavior by a vehicle system.