Controllable Vehicle Speed Control for Traffic Oscillation Mitigation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for mitigating traffic oscillations on roadways are inefficient, particularly when vehicles cannot block all lanes, and often require a significant number of remotely navigable vehicles, making them impractical for contexts with insufficient vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method determines a controllable vehicle and applies a target mitigation speed based on traffic state to adjust traffic flow through adjacent lanes, allowing for efficient mitigation of traffic congestion and oscillations even with limited controllable vehicles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If controllable vehicles block all lanes to prevent passing, then traffic oscillation is mitigated, but the system requires a significant number of controllable vehicles which is impractical when vehicles are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic oscillation mitigation effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of controllable vehicles required

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the roadway into multiple segments and identifies specific mitigation road segments where traffic oscillation occurs. Instead of requiring controllable vehicles to block all lanes across the entire roadway, the system focuses control efforts on specific segments, reducing the number of controllable vehicles needed while maintaining effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different control strategies to different lanes within the mitigation road segment. The control lane receives speed adjustments from the controllable vehicle, while open lanes allow free flow. This localized differentiation enables effective traffic oscillation mitigation using fewer controllable vehicles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Stability of the object's composition

If controllable vehicles block all lanes, then traffic flow is smoothed, but other vehicles cannot perform lane change maneuvers to pass, reducing overall traffic efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic flow smoothnessVSAvoidtraffic flow rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lanes into control lanes and open lanes within the mitigation road segment. This segmentation allows the system to maintain traffic flow smoothness in control lanes while preserving lane change maneuvers and passing opportunities in open lanes, thereby maintaining overall traffic efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of blocking all lanes completely, the system applies partial control only to specific control lanes where controllable vehicles are present. This partial action approach maintains sufficient traffic flow smoothness while allowing vehicles to use open lanes for passing and lane changes, preserving productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Quantity of substance

If a single controllable vehicle adjusts speed in one lane, then traffic stream through adjacent open lanes is adjusted, but the vehicle must precisely control speed to effectively mitigate downstream congestion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of controllable vehiclesVSAvoidspeed control precision requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system determines target mitigation speeds for controllable vehicles based on real-time traffic states in adjacent open lanes and downstream congestion conditions. This feedback mechanism enables a single controllable vehicle to effectively mitigate traffic oscillation without requiring excessive precision, as the target speed is dynamically adjusted based on actual traffic conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the speed parameter of the controllable vehicle to a target mitigation speed that is specifically calculated to create a traffic wave effect in adjacent open lanes. This parameter change approach allows effective traffic oscillation mitigation with minimal vehicles, as the speed adjustment propagates through the traffic stream to reduce downstream congestion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11694548B2Mitigation of traffic oscillation on roadway

Publication Date: 2023.07.04 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

In an example, a method determines a first controllable vehicle traveling along a mitigation road segment of a roadway and determines a control lane in the mitigation road segment. The control lane includes the first controllable vehicle and is impedible by the first controllable vehicle. The method determines a first open lane in the mitigation road segment and applies a target mitigation speed to the first controllable vehicle in the control lane. The first open lane is adjacent to the control lane in the mitigation road segment and the target mitigation speed is based on a traffic state of the first open lane. The target mitigation speed adjusts a traffic stream that flows through the first open lane to mitigate traffic congestion located downstream of the mitigation road segment.