Course Estimation Using Adjacent Vehicle Path Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to predict the curve shape of a host vehicle's lane from the traveling path of a surrounding vehicle in a lane other than the host vehicle's lane.

Innovation Solution

A course prediction method and device that utilize a position detection sensor and microcomputer to acquire and process the position of surrounding vehicles, calculate their traveling paths, and adjust the path size based on turning direction and lateral position to predict the host vehicle's course.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the traveling path of a surrounding vehicle in a lane other than the host vehicle lane is used for prediction, then the course prediction can be performed even when the preceding vehicle is not detectable, but the prediction accuracy deteriorates due to lane position differences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecourse prediction availabilityVSAvoidcurve shape prediction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the size of the traveling path based on the lateral position of the surrounding vehicle. Specifically, the traveling path size is increased or decreased according to the distance between the surrounding vehicle's lane and the host vehicle's lane, transforming the raw traveling path data into an adjusted path that accurately represents the host vehicle's expected course despite lane differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the traveling path size is increased or decreased based on turning direction and lateral position, then the course prediction accuracy is improved, but the calculation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecourse prediction accuracyVSAvoidpath adjustment calculation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adjusting the traveling path size locally based on the specific turning direction and lateral position conditions. The adjustment is not uniform but is applied selectively according to the geometric relationship between the surrounding vehicle's path and the host vehicle's expected path, making the calculation more targeted and efficient.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses inversion by determining the size adjustment based on the lateral position and turning direction relationship. Instead of directly calculating the host vehicle's path from first principles, the method inverts the approach by taking the surrounding vehicle's path and transforming it through size adjustment based on the relative geometric configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3434545B1Course estimation method and course estimation device

Publication Date: 2021.03.10 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD

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AI summary

One aspect of the present invention is a course prediction method using a position acquisition circuit configured to acquire a position of a surrounding vehicle and a course prediction circuit configured to predict a course of a host vehicle based on a traveling path of the surrounding vehicle obtained from a history of the position of the surrounding vehicle. In the course prediction method, the course of the host vehicle is predicted by increasing or reducing the size of the traveling path of the surrounding vehicle, based on a turning direction and a lateral position of the surrounding vehicle.