Collision Avoidance Steering Timing Based on Turn Signal Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional collision avoidance support systems may cause unnecessary steering maneuvers or increased risk of collision when a frontward vehicle's turn indicators indicate a different direction than the planned collision avoidance path, leading to driver discomfort and potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A collision avoidance support apparatus that uses a surroundings monitoring sensor and control unit to determine the intended direction of a frontward vehicle based on its turn indicators, adjusting the collision avoidance steering control start conditions to prevent excessive lateral movement and potential collisions by delaying the steering control when the indicated direction matches the planned collision avoidance direction, and initiating it earlier when the directions differ.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the collision avoidance steering control is started early, then the host vehicle can avoid collision with the frontward vehicle, but the lateral movement amount becomes too large causing driver discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the collision avoidance steering control start conditions based on the frontward vehicle's indicated direction. When the indicated direction differs from the planned collision avoidance direction, the system allows earlier control initiation with larger lateral movement. When the directions match, the system delays control initiation to minimize lateral movement. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the control timing and magnitude context-dependent.
2Ease of operation
If the collision avoidance steering control is delayed, then driver discomfort is reduced, but the host vehicle may collide with the frontward vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the control parameters (specifically the collision avoidance steering control start conditions) based on the frontward vehicle's indicated direction. By adjusting the timing threshold for initiating control based on the turn indicator status and direction mismatch, the system optimizes both driver comfort and collision avoidance effectiveness for different traffic scenarios.
3Reliability
If the collision avoidance steering control is executed when the frontward vehicle's indicated direction matches the planned collision avoidance direction, then the host vehicle can avoid collision, but the frontward vehicle may come excessively closer causing potential collision
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of the frontward vehicle's indicated direction before initiating collision avoidance steering control. By detecting turn indicators and predicting the frontward vehicle's future position, the system prevents harmful actions (excessive lateral movement) before they occur, thereby avoiding the risk of the frontward vehicle coming too close or causing a collision.
4Ease of operation
If the system monitors turn indicators and adjusts control timing, then driver comfort and collision avoidance are optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit leverages existing surroundings monitoring sensor data (camera images) to detect turn indicators, making the existing multi-functional sensor system work for multiple purposes: obstacle detection, turn indicator recognition, and collision avoidance control timing adjustment. This approach minimizes additional hardware complexity while achieving optimized control.
Data Source
AI summary
When a collision avoidance steering control start condition becomes satisfied, a driving support ECU starts a steering control to avoid a collision with a frontward vehicle. The ECU prohibits the steering control when an indicated direction by turn indications of the frontward vehicle is the same as a planned direction of the steering control. The ECU sets the start condition to a first start condition, when the turn indicators of the frontward vehicle are not indicating a turning direction. The ECU sets the start condition to a second start condition, when the indicated direction is different from the planned direction. The first and second start conditions have been set such that an inter-vehicular distance between the host vehicle and the frontward vehicle of when the second start condition can be satisfied is shorter than one of when the first start condition can be satisfied.