Lane Change Control Under In-Vehicle System Abnormalities

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous driving vehicles face safety issues when abnormalities occur in the in-vehicle system during lane changes, leading to unsuitable travel outcomes.

Innovation Solution

An electronic control device with an abnormality detection unit, vehicle operation detection unit, travel plan storage, information acquisition, purpose identification, lane change control, and autonomous/manual instruction units, which detect and manage lane changes to ensure safety by completing or canceling lane changes based on the vehicle's operation phase and intended purpose.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a fail operation is performed to return to the original traveling lane when an abnormality occurs during autonomous driving, then the vehicle safety is improved, but the travel purpose may be compromised when the abnormality occurs during lane changes such as overtaking or obstacle avoidance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoidtravel purpose achievement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the fail operation behavior adaptive rather than fixed. The lane change completion determination unit dynamically decides whether to complete or cancel the lane change based on real-time analysis of the vehicle's operation phase and purpose. This dynamic decision-making allows the system to adjust the fail operation behavior according to the specific situation, resolving the contradiction between safety and travel purpose achievement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of lane change execution status from a fixed fail operation mode to a variable state that can be either completed or canceled. By introducing the lane change completion determination unit that analyzes operation phase and purpose parameters, the system transforms the binary fail operation approach into a multi-state response system, allowing optimal decisions based on the specific abnormality context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle completes a lane change when an abnormality occurs, then the travel purpose is maintained, but the vehicle safety may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetravel purpose achievementVSAvoidvehicle safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically evaluates whether completing the lane change is safe by analyzing the current operation phase and purpose. The lane change completion determination unit continuously monitors system state and adjusts the lane change execution decision based on real-time conditions, allowing the vehicle to maintain travel purpose while adapting to safety constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by having the lane change completion determination unit continuously monitor the vehicle's operation phase and purpose, then use this information to determine the appropriate fail operation. The system feeds back the decision (complete or cancel lane change) based on the analyzed parameters, creating a closed-loop control that balances safety and travel purpose achievement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the vehicle cancels a lane change when an abnormality occurs, then the vehicle safety is improved, but the travel purpose may not be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoidtravel purpose achievement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the lane change execution parameter from automatic cancellation to conditional decision-making. By introducing the lane change completion determination unit that analyzes operation phase and purpose parameters, the system transforms the default cancel behavior into a selective response, canceling only when necessary for safety while completing when it serves the travel purpose.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Device complexity

If a fixed fail operation is implemented, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to handle diverse abnormality situations is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidabnormality situation handling
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the fail operation control into distinct functional units: the abnormality detection unit, the lane change completion determination unit, and the execution unit. This segmentation allows each unit to perform a specific function (detection, decision-making, execution), reducing overall system complexity while improving adaptability through specialized processing at each stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces dynamic decision-making capability through the lane change completion determination unit, which adapts the fail operation based on the analyzed operation phase and purpose. This dynamic approach enhances the system's ability to handle diverse abnormality situations without requiring a completely complex restructured system, as the adaptation is achieved through a dedicated determination layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3632761B1Electronic control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 DENSO CORP
  • EP3632761B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3632761B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3632761B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic control device provided in a vehicle mounting an in-vehicle system is provided. The electronic control device includes an abnormality detection unit (101) detecting an abnormality in the in-vehicle system, a vehicle operation detection unit (102) detecting an operation related to a lane change, a vehicle operation identification unit (103) identifying the operation related to the lane change, a travel plan storage unit (104) storing a travel plan for performing an autonomous driving, an information acquisition unit (105) acquiring a subject vehicle information, a surrounding information, or a driver information, a purpose identification unit (106) identifying a purpose of the lane change based on the travel plan, the subject vehicle information, the surrounding information, or the driver information, and a lane change control unit (107) determining and issuing an instruction whether to complete or cancel the lane change based on the operation and the purpose of the lane change.