Driveway Departure Path Control for Drivable Surface Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Departing an unfamiliar driveway can be challenging for both human drivers and autonomous vehicle systems due to the difficulty in determining the drivable surface, which existing technologies have not effectively addressed.
Innovation Solution
A driveway departure system that includes a processing device to define and maintain a path on the drivable surface, utilizing a sensor array to detect the surface and generate a map of surrounding objects and surfaces, and providing feedback to the driver or autonomously controlling the vehicle to stay on the path, with features like haptic steering wheel feedback and path projection on a display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor array is used to detect the drivable surface, then the ability to determine the drivable surface is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array is integrated into the existing autonomous vehicle system, allowing the same sensors to serve multiple functions including driveway detection, obstacle detection, and navigation, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced detection capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The drivable surface detection is divided into discrete detectable features such as edges, textures, and surface patterns, allowing the sensor array to process information in manageable segments rather than as a continuous complex surface
2Ease of operation
If the system autonomously controls the vehicle to back out of the driveway, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle system performs the backing maneuver independently using its own sensors and processing capabilities, with the driver simply needing to initiate the maneuver rather than manually control the vehicle, thereby improving ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes the drivable surface information and pre-calculates the backing path before the vehicle begins to move, allowing the autonomous control to execute smoothly without real-time complex decision-making during the actual backing maneuver
3Measurement precision
If the processing device generates a map of objects and surfaces, then the measurement precision is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing device generates the initial map of objects and surfaces while the vehicle is still parked in the driveway before the backing maneuver begins, so that the mapping work is completed in advance rather than during the critical backing operation
Solution Approach 2:
The map generation and updating process continues dynamically as the vehicle moves along the defined path, with the processing device continuously refining the map based on new sensor data rather than creating a static map before movement begins
Data Source
AI summary
A driveway departure system for a vehicle is disclosed and includes a processing device configured to define a path for backing the vehicle along a drivable surface of the driveway that maintains the vehicle on the drivable surface of the driveway and to operate a vehicle system to back the vehicle along the defined path and on the detected drivable surface.