Friction Coefficient Map Updates Using Surrounding Vehicle Sensors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining road friction coefficients are inefficient, as they primarily focus on individual vehicle movements and do not effectively utilize surrounding vehicle data to rapidly update friction coefficient databases.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing surroundings sensor systems, such as radar or video sensors, to ascertain movement variables of adjacent vehicles, calculate their friction coefficients, and store spatial positions in a database, enabling faster generation and updating of friction coefficient maps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If only individual vehicle movement data is used to determine friction coefficients, then the measurement process is simple, but the database update frequency is low and efficiency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple vehicles (host vehicle and surrounding vehicles detected via radar/video sensors) into a unified friction coefficient database. By merging measurements from multiple sources simultaneously, the system achieves frequent database updates without proportionally increasing individual vehicle sensor complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The surroundings sensor system serves multiple functions: it detects surrounding vehicles, determines their movement variables, and enables friction coefficient calculations for multiple vehicles. This multi-functionality allows the same sensor infrastructure to support both safety functions and road condition monitoring, improving productivity without proportional complexity increase.
2Productivity
If surrounding vehicle data is collected and processed, then friction coefficient database updates are faster, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surroundings sensor system, already present for safety functions, is repurposed to also detect surrounding vehicles for friction coefficient measurements. This multi-functional use of existing sensors enables frequent friction coefficient assessments without adding dedicated sensor infrastructure, thus avoiding proportional complexity increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own surroundings sensor system to automatically detect and track surrounding vehicles, extract movement variables, and calculate friction coefficients. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate measurement systems on each vehicle, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high assessment frequency.
3Quantity of substance
If movement variables of multiple vehicles are evaluated, then more friction coefficient data is obtained, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges friction coefficient measurements from multiple vehicles into a single database. By combining data from the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles simultaneously, the system obtains multiple friction coefficient measurements without requiring separate processing systems for each vehicle, thus managing data processing complexity efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for ascertaining a minimum value for the friction coefficient of a road segment, in which at least one movement variable of a second vehicle, which characterizes the vehicle movement, is ascertained with the aid of a surroundings sensor system contained in a first vehicle; a minimum value for the friction coefficient of the road segment traveled by the second vehicle is ascertained on the basis of the at least one movement variable of the second vehicle; the spatial position of the first vehicle is ascertained; the relative position of the second vehicle with respect to the first vehicle is ascertained with the aid of the surroundings sensor system; the spatial position of the second vehicle is ascertained with the aid of the spatial position and the relative position of the first vehicle; the spatial position of the second vehicle and the minimum value are stored in a database.