Curve Speed Recommendation from Obscured-Road Vehicle Behavior

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle speed control systems fail to adapt driving speed effectively in situations where visibility is obstructed by objects next to the road, leading to potential critical situations due to unseen obstacles like pedestrians or vehicles emerging from hidden areas.

Innovation Solution

A method that uses environmental sensor data to detect obstructing objects and transmit recorded speed behavior of other vehicles to a central computer unit, determining a causal relationship and recommending an average driving speed for vehicles to follow, which is then stored in a digital map and communicated via vehicle-to-vehicle communication for optimized traffic flow and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If vehicles maintain high speed through curves with obscured visibility, then productivity is improved, but safety deteriorates due to inability to detect emerging obstacles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle speedVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of obscuring objects before the vehicle reaches the curve. By identifying the obscuring object in advance and determining its position and extent, the system prepares speed recommendations that balance productivity and safety before the critical situation arises, allowing the vehicle to maintain appropriate speed while being prepared to react to emerging obstacles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system collects speed behavior data from multiple vehicles navigating the same curve with obscured visibility. This feedback from actual driving behavior is used to determine and update speed recommendations in the digital map, creating a continuous improvement loop that enhances both productivity and safety based on real-world performance data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If vehicles reduce speed through obscured curves to ensure safety, then reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to reduced traffic flow efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidvehicle speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the speed recommendation parameter based on multiple factors including the position and size of the obscuring object, the radius of the curve, and the aggregated speed behavior data from other vehicles. This optimized parameter adjustment ensures the highest possible speed that maintains safety, rather than applying uniform speed reduction to all obscured curves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical reaction of individual drivers manually slowing down with an automated information system that provides optimized speed recommendations. By substituting human judgment with data-driven recommendations from the digital map, the system achieves better coordination and maintains higher speeds while ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If the system collects and processes speed behavior data from multiple vehicles, then the accuracy of speed recommendations is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed recommendation accuracyVSAvoiddata processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the existing digital map infrastructure to store and distribute speed recommendation data, leveraging an already-established platform. The digital map serves multiple functions including navigation, route planning, and now speed recommendation distribution, reducing the need for dedicated complex infrastructure while improving recommendation accuracy through aggregated vehicle data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4301644B1Method for determining and outputting a travel speed adapted to a driving situation
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 MERCEDES BENZ GROUP AG
  • EP4301644B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining and outputting a travel speed of vehicles (1) which is adapted to a driving situation, in which method an object (2), which is located adjacent to a road (F) being travelled by a vehicle (1) and obscures at least part of a curve (K) ahead of the vehicle (1), is detected by means of captured signals from a surroundings sensor system. According to the invention- captured speed behaviours of further vehicles (3) in the region of the curve (K), in which a travel speed of each of the further vehicles (3) is below a predetermined locally permissible maximum speed for driving through the curve (K), are transmitted to a computer unit outside the vehicle which is coupled to the vehicle (1) by a data link, - a position of the obscuring object (2) is transmitted to the computer unit, - a causal relationship between the captured speed behaviours of the further vehicles (3) and the obscuring object (2) is checked by means of the computer unit, and- in the event that a causal relationship exists between the speed behaviours of the further vehicle (3) and the obscuring object (2), an average travel speed for driving through the curve (K) determined from the travel speeds of the further vehicles (3) is stored as a speed recommendation in a digital map and is provided at least to vehicles (1) coupled to the computer unit by a data link.