Gap Selection Method for Vehicle Lane Change Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gap selection systems for vehicles do not effectively evaluate gaps for lane changes, particularly in multi-lane scenarios, lacking detailed methods to determine the appropriateness of gaps for safe and efficient lane changes.
Innovation Solution
A gap selection method that determines minimum and maximum safety margins based on dynamic vehicle limitations and predicted positions of surrounding vehicles, evaluating gaps to assess their appropriateness for lane changes by calculating a time-position area, which indicates the ease of reaching the gap with required control signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gap selection system evaluates multiple gaps in multi-lane scenarios, then the reliability of lane change maneuver is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple surrounding vehicles and gaps to evaluate
Solution Approach 1:
The gap evaluation process is segmented into distinct steps: determining minimum safety margins for each surrounding vehicle, calculating minimum and maximum longitudinal position limits, and evaluating each gap independently. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple gaps systematically without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic limitations of the vehicle and predicted positions of surrounding vehicles to determine time-position areas. This dynamic approach allows the evaluation to adapt to changing traffic conditions while maintaining a structured methodology for assessing multiple gaps.
2Measurement precision
If the system determines minimum and maximum limits for longitudinal position using dynamic limitations and predicted positions, then the measurement precision of gap appropriateness is improved, but the loss of time increases due to multiple calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations of minimum safety margins for each surrounding vehicle before evaluating gaps. These pre-calculated safety margins are then used in the gap evaluation process, avoiding redundant calculations and reducing overall computation time while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by using predicted positions of surrounding vehicles and dynamic limitations to define time-position areas. This parameter transformation allows the system to evaluate gap appropriateness efficiently by working with pre-determined boundaries rather than performing continuous complex calculations.
Data Source
AI summary
A gap selection method performed by a gap selection system for a vehicle. The vehicle travels on a road having a first lane and a second lane adjacent to the first. The vehicle travels in the first lane, a first surrounding vehicle travels in the second lane, a second surrounding vehicle travels in the second lane ahead of the first surrounding vehicle with a first gap between the first and second surrounding vehicles. The method includes determining a first minimum safety margin between the first surrounding vehicle and the vehicle, determining a second minimum safety margin between the second surrounding vehicle and the vehicle, evaluating the first gap by determining a minimum limit for a longitudinal position of the vehicle, determining a maximum limit for a longitudinal position of the vehicle, and determining a lane change appropriateness value of the first gap utilizing the minimum limit and the maximum limit.