Electric Vehicle Passage Mode Control for Narrow Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control methods for electric vehicles, such as those described in PTL 1, fail to allow easy navigation through narrow passages as intended by the occupant, particularly when the vehicle lacks an operation component like a joystick and relies solely on autonomous travel.
Innovation Solution
A control method that switches between manual and autonomous modes, allowing the vehicle to travel along a narrow passage based on an occupant's operation, using an operation component like a joystick to set a detection range and switch to autonomous navigation when a suitable passage is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the electric vehicle uses autonomous travel without manual operation components, then the vehicle can navigate automatically, but the occupant cannot easily control the vehicle to travel along narrow passages as intended
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between manual and autonomous modes based on the detected passage width. When a narrow passage is detected, the system transitions from manual mode to autonomous mode, allowing the vehicle to automatically navigate the narrow passage while maintaining ease of operation for the occupant.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric vehicle autonomously detects narrow passages and navigates through them without requiring manual operation by the occupant. The vehicle serves itself by automatically controlling the steering based on passage width detection, freeing the occupant from complex manual control tasks.
2Reliability
If the electric vehicle requires precise manual operation to navigate narrow passages, then the vehicle can follow occupant intent, but the operation becomes difficult for less skilled users
Solution Approach 1:
The passage width detection system acts as an intermediary between the occupant's intent and the vehicle's navigation. Instead of requiring direct manual control, the system detects the narrow passage and automatically executes the navigation, mediating between simple occupant input and precise navigation execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical steering operations with an automated detection and control system. The passage width detector and autonomous control mechanism substitute for the occupant's manual steering actions, eliminating the need for skilled manual operation while maintaining navigation accuracy.
3Device complexity
If the electric vehicle uses only two distance sensors for detection, then the device complexity is low, but the detection range and accuracy for narrow passages are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The two distance sensors perform multiple functions: they detect both the presence of narrow passages and provide data for autonomous navigation control. By utilizing the sensors for both detection and control purposes, the system achieves passage width detection capability without adding more sensors, maintaining low device complexity while improving measurement precision through sophisticated processing of sensor data.
Data Source
AI summary
A control method, which is to be performed by a computer to control an electric vehicle that includes an operation component, includes: setting a traveling mode of the electric vehicle to a manual mode in which the electric vehicle travels in a direction and at a speed that are based on an operation performed on the operation component by an occupant of the electric vehicle; determining whether a passage having a width that satisfies a predetermined condition is present within a detection range, the detection range being set in a vicinity of the electric vehicle and being based on the operation; and when the passage is determined to be present, switching the traveling mode of the electric vehicle from the manual mode to a passage mode in which the electric vehicle autonomously travels along the passage.