Grade Crossing Clearance Control for Obstacle-Aware Vehicle Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated driving systems fail to consider the internal conditions of grade crossings, such as road width and presence of pedestrians or bicycles, leading to unsafe vehicle passage and anxiety for pedestrians.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that uses sensors to detect obstacles within a grade crossing, calculates clearance based on obstacle position and size, and determines whether the vehicle can safely pass through, optionally adjusting speed and switching to manual control if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automated driving control uses basic obstacle detection to avoid obstacles ahead of the vehicle, then the system can maintain simple operation, but it fails to consider internal conditions of grade crossings such as road width and presence of pedestrians or bicycles, leading to unsafe passage
Solution Approach 1:
The detection area is segmented into multiple regions including the grade crossing area, approach area, and departure area. Sensors detect obstacles in each segment independently, allowing the system to identify specific locations and types of obstacles within the grade crossing without requiring a complete overhaul of the detection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from simple obstacle presence detection to multi-dimensional analysis by calculating clearance distances in multiple directions (lateral clearance from obstacles, longitudinal clearance for safe passage). This dimensional expansion enables safety assessment without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Reliability
If the vehicle control apparatus calculates clearance and determines passage safety based on obstacle position and size, then passage safety is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of obstacles in the approach area before the vehicle reaches the grade crossing. Clearance calculations are initiated in advance based on detected obstacle positions and sizes, allowing processing to occur during the approach phase rather than during critical decision-making at the crossing.
Solution Approach 2:
The control apparatus uses its own sensor data and onboard computational resources to perform clearance calculations and safety determinations autonomously. The system serves itself by integrating detection, calculation, and decision-making functions into a unified self-contained process, reducing external processing delays.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system determines whether the vehicle can pass through the grade crossing based on calculated clearance, then pedestrian and bicycle safety is enhanced, but the ease of operation is reduced due to additional control decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors obstacle positions and reclearance calculations as the vehicle approaches and passes through the grade crossing. Real-time feedback allows the control apparatus to adjust speed or stop commands dynamically, ensuring safety while maintaining intuitive operation through automatic rather than manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The clearance calculation system acts as an intermediary between obstacle detection and vehicle control decisions. Rather than directly controlling the vehicle based on raw sensor data, the system uses clearance metrics as an intermediate parameter to bridge detection and control, simplifying the decision-making process while enhancing safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus is mounted in a vehicle and controls the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus detects an obstacle that is present inside a grade crossing that intersects a traveling course of the vehicle, using a detection result of a sensor that is mounted in the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus identifies a position and size of the obstacle using a detection result of the vehicle control apparatus, and calculates a clearance in a direction that intersects the traveling course when the vehicle crosses the grade crossing, using the identified position and size of the obstacle. The vehicle control apparatus determines whether the vehicle is able to pass through the grade crossing based on the calculated clearance.