Autonomous Vehicle Obstacle Avoidance Using Space-Time Safety Fields
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional obstacle and collision avoidance systems for autonomous vehicles analyze sensor information separately along longitudinal and lateral axes, restricting natural vehicle maneuvers and failing to account for unforeseen circumstances, often requiring unnecessary safety procedures that may not be the safest option.
Innovation Solution
A system that calculates safety potential for a safety procedure and determines alternative actions to adjust this potential, using a 'safety force field' to proactively avoid collisions by analyzing vehicle and object trajectories in space-time, allowing for natural vehicle maneuvers and reducing collision likelihood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional systems analyze longitudinal and lateral axes separately, then the analysis is simpler and more manageable, but the vehicle maneuvers are restricted and natural maneuvers cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate longitudinal and lateral axis analyses into a unified safety procedure analysis system. The system integrates sensor information from both axes and evaluates them together to determine safe vehicle maneuvers, allowing natural lane changes and other maneuvers that were previously restricted by separate axis analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of analysis by evaluating safety procedures in both longitudinal and lateral directions simultaneously rather than separately. This multi-dimensional approach enables the system to assess complex maneuvers like lane changes that involve both longitudinal speed adjustments and lateral position changes, resolving the contradiction between analysis simplicity and maneuver versatility.
2Reliability
If conventional systems rely on predetermined exceptions for safety procedures, then specific scenarios can be handled, but unforeseen circumstances cannot be addressed and safety procedures may be implemented unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic safety evaluation system that continuously assesses whether safety procedures are actually needed based on real-time analysis of longitudinal and lateral sensor data. Rather than relying on static predetermined exceptions, the system adaptively determines the necessity of safety procedures, allowing it to handle unforeseen circumstances while avoiding unnecessary interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the results of unified longitudinal and lateral analysis inform whether safety procedures should be implemented. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from and adapt to various scenarios, improving its ability to handle unforeseen circumstances while maintaining reliability by only implementing safety procedures when truly necessary.
3Reliability
If safety procedures are implemented in all detected situations, then collision avoidance is maximized, but natural vehicle maneuvers are restricted and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing safety procedures only when the unified longitudinal and lateral analysis indicates they are truly necessary for collision avoidance. Rather than excessively applying safety procedures in all detected situations, the system selectively intervenes only when needed, thereby maintaining collision avoidance reliability while preserving driving efficiency and allowing natural maneuvers to proceed uninterrupted.
Data Source
AI summary
In various examples, a current claimed set of points representative of a volume in an environment occupied by a vehicle at a time may be determined. A vehicle-occupied trajectory and at least one object-occupied trajectory may be generated at the time. An intersection between the vehicle-occupied trajectory and an object-occupied trajectory may be determined based at least in part on comparing the vehicle-occupied trajectory to the object-occupied trajectory. Based on the intersection, the vehicle may then execute the first safety procedure or an alternative procedure that, when implemented by the vehicle when the object implements the second safety procedure, is determined to have a lesser likelihood of incurring a collision between the vehicle and the object than the first safety procedure.