Automatic Driving Assist Branch Path Following Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic driving assist systems face challenges in maintaining traveling stability and reducing driver discomfort when following a preceding vehicle that is traveling in the direction of a branch path, especially when the preceding vehicle's speed is lower than the set vehicle speed, leading to potential lane changes and steering instability.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a map information acquirer, own vehicle position estimator, route information input unit, traveling environment information acquirer, and automatic driving controller, which determine if the preceding vehicle's route is set in a branch path and adjust the own vehicle's target travel path to follow without passing, ensuring stability and reducing unnecessary lane changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the own vehicle automatically passes the preceding vehicle when the speed difference exceeds a threshold, then the traveling time is reduced, but the traveling stability deteriorates when the preceding vehicle travels in the direction of a branch path
Solution Approach 1:
The system acquires the traveling route information of the preceding vehicle in advance and determines whether it is set in the direction of a branch path before executing passing control. This preliminary check prevents unstable lane changes by anticipating the preceding vehicle's intended direction, thereby maintaining traveling stability while still enabling time-efficient passing when appropriate.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle with a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, then the traveling stability is maintained, but the productivity decreases when the preceding vehicle's speed is much slower than the set vehicle speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the following behavior based on the determined traveling route of the preceding vehicle. When the preceding vehicle's route is not in the branch path direction, the system executes passing control to improve traveling efficiency. When the route is in the branch path direction, the system maintains following control to ensure stability. This dynamic adjustment optimizes both productivity and traveling stability based on real-time conditions.
3Loss of time
If the own vehicle executes Auto Lane Changing (ALC) control to change lane automatically, then the lane change timing is optimized, but the device complexity increases due to additional control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the traveling route information of the preceding vehicle as an intermediary to determine the appropriate control strategy. By acquiring and analyzing the preceding vehicle's route data, the system can make informed decisions about whether to execute passing control or maintain following control, optimizing lane change timing without requiring complex additional control systems beyond the existing communication and processing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic driving assist apparatus includes a map information acquirer; an own vehicle position estimator; a route information input unit; a traveling environment information acquirer, a traveling route setting unit, an other-vehicle traveling route acquirer, and an automatic driving controller. The automatic driving controller further includes a target travel path generator, an other-vehicle detection determiner, and a relative vehicle speed determiner, an other-vehicle traveling route determiner, and an automatic traveling controller. The automatic traveling controller causes the own vehicle to travel following another vehicle along a target travel path generated by the target travel path generator in a case where the other-vehicle traveling route determiner determines that a traveling route of the other vehicle is set in a direction of a branch path.