Dynamic Route Finding System for Automatic Vehicle Following
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for following another vehicle are either manual, require constant human attention, or are not effective in heavy traffic or off-road conditions, where drivers may have multiple tasks and lack awareness of the lead vehicle's route or position.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic route finding system that uses satellite navigation, optical sensors, and a user interface to automatically update the destination of a follower vehicle based on the position of a lead vehicle, allowing for continuous tracking and navigation without constant line of sight, utilizing either cameras or mobile phone communication for position updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual image-following systems are used, then the driver can track the lead vehicle, but the driver must continuously adjust and monitor the system, increasing operational complexity and reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects and tracks the lead vehicle without requiring manual intervention. The computer vision system continuously monitors the environment, automatically identifies the lead vehicle, and adjusts tracking parameters without driver input, making the system serve itself rather than requiring constant human adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical adjustment of image-following gates is replaced with an automated optical detection system using cameras and computer vision algorithms. The system substitutes human visual tracking and manual control with automated image processing and electronic control mechanisms
2Reliability
If continuous visual monitoring is required, then the follower can maintain awareness of the lead vehicle, but the system fails when the lead vehicle is out of sight, reducing reliability in heavy traffic conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures and stores image data of the lead vehicle in advance before it goes out of sight. By pre-capturing vehicle characteristics and position information, the system maintains tracking continuity even when the lead vehicle temporarily disappears from the camera view, such as during heavy traffic or when obscured by other vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses mobile phone communication as an intermediary to maintain contact with the lead vehicle when visual contact is lost. GPS and communication technologies serve as mediators to transmit position and status information, allowing the follower vehicle to maintain awareness of the lead vehicle's location even when out of visual range
3Extent of automation
If automated frequency emitters and detectors are used, then automatic following can be achieved without human operators, but both vehicles must be specially adapted with additional equipment, increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses standard equipment already present in modern vehicles, such as cameras for emergency braking systems and mobile phones for communication, rather than requiring specialized automated following equipment. By making existing multi-functional devices serve the additional function of lead vehicle tracking, the system achieves automatic following without adding dedicated specialized components to both vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex frequency-based identification systems, the patent uses visual copying of the lead vehicle's image and characteristics through camera systems. The follower vehicle creates a digital copy of the lead vehicle's visual appearance and position, which is simpler to implement than electromagnetic frequency identification systems
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic route finding system for a follower vehicle comprises a display, for disposition inside the vehicle, a navigation system, employing satellite position sensing for the vehicle, a storage device, including map data of a given territory, and an input system for the navigation system to input the location of a potentially dynamic destination of a subject (vehicle), wherein the navigation system is arranged to permit dynamic updating of the destination through said input system whilst guiding the user towards the subject from its current position. The input system may comprise an optical sensor, for front-facing disposition in the vehicle; a computer, to display on the display images captured by the optical sensor; and a user interface, enabling user commands to be input to the computer, the computer being arranged dynamically to calculate the position of a subject that is captured as an image by the optical sensing means, that has been displayed on the display, and that has been selected by the user, and to input said position as the dynamic destination of the navigation system. The input system may also comprise a telephone transceiver capable of wireless communication with another telephone, whereby the navigation system and a subject telephone may be interconnected and through which the subject telephone, when provided with a requisite application and a GPS position sensor, transmits the position of the subject telephone to the navigation system for use as the destination of the navigation system of said follower vehicle. The input system may also comprise a network of communication modules in multiple vehicles.