Autonomous Vehicle Risk Mitigation for Turning Objects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in safely navigating around turning objects, as existing systems struggle to effectively predict and respond to potential collisions, leading to risks in maneuvering and collision avoidance.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize sensors and processors to detect turning objects, assess their trajectory, and determine appropriate driving maneuvers to avoid collisions, including altering the vehicle's path or stopping, even if it means temporarily violating traffic rules safely.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the autonomous vehicle maintains strict adherence to traffic rules, then legal compliance is improved, but safety response flexibility deteriorates when facing unpredictable turning objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelegal complianceVSAvoidsafety response flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on real-time risk assessment. When a turning object is detected as a potential hazard, the system temporarily suspends strict traffic rule adherence and activates evasive maneuvers. This dynamic switching between rule-following and rule-bending modes allows the vehicle to maintain both legal compliance under normal conditions and safety flexibility when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the vehicle based on detected conditions. Under normal conditions, the vehicle operates with strict traffic rule constraints. When a turning object is detected, the system changes parameters by activating alternative maneuvers that temporarily violate traffic rules, such as crossing into adjacent lanes or making unexpected stops, thereby adapting to the hazardous situation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the autonomous vehicle implements aggressive collision avoidance maneuvers, then safety is improved, but traffic rule compliance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidtraffic rule violations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system converts the potential harm of traffic rule violations into a beneficial safety outcome. By allowing controlled violations of traffic rules (such as crossing lane markings or making unexpected maneuvers), the system prevents more serious harm from collisions with turning objects. The harmful act of rule-breaking is transformed into a protective measure that saves the vehicle and its occupants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The system takes preliminary action to counteract the potential harm from turning objects before they can cause collisions. By detecting turning objects early and pre-positioning the vehicle in safe states or preparing evasive maneuvers, the system prevents the harmful interaction between the vehicle and turning objects, thereby avoiding collisions even if it requires violating traffic rules.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Measurement precision

If the autonomous vehicle uses comprehensive sensor detection and trajectory prediction, then collision prediction accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision prediction accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection and prediction actions on turning objects before they become immediate threats. By using sensors to detect turning vehicles early and predicting their trajectories in advance, the system prepares collision avoidance strategies proactively. This preliminary action allows the system to respond more effectively to potential collisions while managing complexity through structured prediction algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9701306B2Risk mitigation for autonomous vehicles relative to turning objects

Publication Date: 2017.07.11 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

Arrangements related to the mitigation of risk for an autonomous vehicle relative to turning objects are presented. An object in an external environment of the autonomous vehicle that is turning toward the autonomous vehicle can be detected. It can be determined whether the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle. Responsive to determining that the detected object will impinge upon the autonomous vehicle, a driving maneuver for the autonomous vehicle can be determined to avoid being impinged upon by the detected object. The autonomous vehicle can be caused to implement the determined driving maneuver.