Dynamic Controller Profiles for Smooth Autonomous Vehicle Path Planning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating accurately and efficiently under altered or degraded roadway conditions, and their movements can feel unnatural to passengers and observers due to jerky maneuvers.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a dynamic controller profile that adjusts parameters such as maximum acceleration, jerk, and gain to smooth vehicle movements, combined with a tree search technique to determine optimal actions considering safety, comfort, and environmental factors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the autonomous vehicle uses a controller to navigate accurately and respond quickly to environmental changes, then the vehicle's responsiveness and safety are improved, but the vehicle movements become jerky and unnatural

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresponsivenessVSAvoidsmoothness of movement

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic controller profiles that adjust control parameters in real-time based on the situation. The system transitions between different controller profiles (e.g., from aggressive to smooth) depending on environmental conditions, vehicle state, and mission requirements, allowing the vehicle to be responsive when needed while maintaining smooth operation during normal conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes controller parameters such as maximum acceleration, maximum jerk, and gain values based on the operating context. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system can optimize between responsiveness and smoothness - using higher parameters for safety-critical situations and lower parameters for comfortable operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the autonomous vehicle uses a fixed controller profile, then the control system is simple and reliable, but the vehicle cannot adapt to different driving conditions and passenger comfort requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol system reliabilityVSAvoidadaptability to conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses multiple pre-defined controller profiles that can be dynamically selected based on environmental conditions, vehicle state, and mission type. This allows the system to adapt to different situations (urban driving, highway driving, emergency situations) while maintaining the reliability of proven controller designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal control system that can handle multiple driving scenarios and passenger comfort requirements through a single multi-profile controller architecture. The same controller hardware and software framework supports different profiles for different conditions, eliminating the need for separate control systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12534105B1Tree search integrated dynamic vehicle controller profile for vehicle path planning

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 ZOOX INC

AI summary

A tree search may comprise a cost function that may be used to determine, from multiple controller profiles, a controller profile to implement a transition between vehicle actions. A controller profile may limit the controls output by a controller sufficient to track from a first vehicle action to a second vehicle action. The controller controls may result in a trajectory achieved by the vehicle and the controller profile may limit the controls of the controller such that the trajectory is limited by a maximum jerk and/or maximum acceleration.