Dynamic Sensor Repositioning for Lane Change Blind Spots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle sensors have limited sensing ranges and can be obstructed by surrounding objects, creating blind spots that hinder the ability of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles to safely change lanes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle computer system that determines blocked sightlines and controls the vehicle to move laterally to obtain a clear line of sight into an adjacent lane, using sensors like radar to assess ambient conditions and predicted deceleration of other vehicles to ensure safe lane changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the vehicle uses sensors with fixed mounting positions to detect the environment, then the device structure is simple, but the sensing range is limited and blind spots are created by surrounding objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sensor mounting position variable rather than fixed. The sensor is mounted on a movable platform that can laterally shift its position to overcome blind spots caused by surrounding objects. This dynamic repositioning allows the sensor to maintain an unobstructed line of sight to the target lane while keeping the overall system structure relatively simple.
2Reliability
If the sensor is mounted at a fixed position on the vehicle, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to detect objects in adjacent lanes is reduced due to blocked sightlines
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mounting position is made dynamic, allowing lateral movement to maintain unobstructed detection paths. This resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable detection of objects in adjacent lanes through positional adjustment rather than requiring complex multi-sensor arrays or advanced signal processing systems.
3Speed
If the vehicle immediately attempts to change lanes when a lane change request is received, then the responsiveness is high, but the safety is compromised due to blocked sensor sightlines
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by laterally repositioning the sensor before executing the lane change maneuver. This ensures that the sensor has an unobstructed view of the target lane and can detect any objects that may pose a safety risk. The sensor repositioning occurs in advance of the actual lane change, maintaining both responsiveness and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic repositioning of the sensor allows the system to quickly adjust its detection capabilities in response to lane change requests, maintaining high responsiveness while ensuring safety through improved detection coverage of the target lane.
Data Source
AI summary
Upon receiving a request to change lanes in a vehicle, a computer can determine that a first sightline toward a target lane is blocked, and can control the vehicle to move laterally in a current lane to obtain a second sightline toward the target lane.