Autonomous Vehicle Control Modules for Scenario-Specific Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous vehicle systems lack effective methods for managing operational scenarios in complex transportation networks, particularly in navigating through diverse environmental conditions and interactions with external objects, leading to inefficiencies and safety concerns.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module that models distinct vehicle operational scenarios, including sensor uncertainty and external object interactions, to generate candidate vehicle control actions for safe and efficient navigation within the transportation network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module is implemented to model distinct vehicle operational scenarios, then the autonomous vehicle's ability to navigate complex scenarios and handle sensor uncertainty is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafe and efficient navigationVSAvoidoperational control evaluation module
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The operational control evaluation module is segmented into multiple scenario-specific instances, each dedicated to modeling a distinct vehicle operational scenario. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex navigation challenges by dividing the overall control evaluation function into specialized sub-functions, improving reliability for specific scenarios while managing overall system complexity through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If multiple scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instances are operated simultaneously, then the autonomous vehicle's response time and control action generation is improved, but the computational resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time control action generationVSAvoidcomputational resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system operates multiple scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instances simultaneously, each performing partial control evaluation for its specific scenario. This partial action approach allows the system to generate comprehensive control actions through parallel processing of multiple scenarios, improving real-time response speed while the modular nature of partial evaluations helps manage computational resource consumption compared to a single monolithic evaluation system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3580621B1Autonomous vehicle operational management
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3580621B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3580621B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3580621B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Autonomous vehicle operational management may include traversing, by an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle transportation network. Traversing the vehicle transportation network may include generating an autonomous vehicle operational control environment for operating scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instances. A scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance may be an instance of a respective scenario-specific operational control evaluation module. A scenario-specific operational control evaluation module may model a respective distinct vehicle operational scenario. A scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance may generate a respective candidate vehicle control action responsive to the respective corresponding distinct vehicle operational scenario. Traversing the vehicle transportation network may include operating a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance, receiving a first candidate vehicle control action from the first scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance, and traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network based on the first candidate vehicle control action.