Autonomous Lane Change Control to Maintain Vehicle Assist Level
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing travel control methods for vehicles face a reduction in assist level during autonomous lane changes, leading to increased driver burden and a sense of incongruity due to the need for manual interventions, as the conditions for maintaining assist levels are not met after lane changes.
Innovation Solution
The travel control method sets assist levels for autonomous travel control, detecting preceding vehicles in adjacent lanes and prohibiting lane changes if no vehicle is detected, ensuring that the assist level remains consistent by only allowing lane changes when following vehicles are present and their speeds are compatible with the subject vehicle's speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous lane change control is executed using map information and vehicle position, then lane change capability is improved, but assist level decreases after lane change
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting the presence of a preceding vehicle in the adjacent lane before executing the autonomous lane change. This pre-check prevents the lane change from occurring when it would result in assist level degradation, thereby counteracting the potential harm before it occurs. The control unit prohibits the autonomous lane change when no preceding vehicle is detected, ensuring assist level maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by conducting a detection step before the lane change execution. The control unit checks whether a preceding vehicle is present in the adjacent lane using sensor data and map information prior to initiating the autonomous lane change maneuver. This preliminary detection ensures that the lane change will not cause assist level reduction, allowing the system to proceed with automation only when conditions are favorable.
2Speed
If lane change is autonomously executed without detecting preceding vehicles, then lane change speed is improved, but driver burden increases due to assist level reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by autonomously performing the detection and decision-making process regarding preceding vehicles. The control unit automatically checks for the presence of preceding vehicles using onboard sensors and map information, and autonomously determines whether to permit or prohibit the lane change. This self-service capability maintains high automation levels while preventing assist level degradation, thereby avoiding increased driver burden.
3Device complexity
If assist level conditions are not verified before lane change, then control simplicity is improved, but conditions for maintaining assist level are not satisfied after lane change
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification of assist level conditions before executing the autonomous lane change. The control unit checks whether a preceding vehicle is present in the adjacent lane using sensor data and map information prior to initiating the lane change maneuver. This preliminary check ensures that the lane change will not cause assist level reduction, allowing the system to maintain reliability without significantly increasing control complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A travel control method includes, in an assist level indicating a level of intervention of autonomous travel control in a traveling motion of a vehicle, setting at least a first assist level and a second assist level, which is lower than the first assist level in the level of intervention of the autonomous travel control. Where the assist level does not decrease from the first assist level to the second assist level while a subject vehicle is autonomously following a preceding vehicle under the autonomous travel control, when the subject vehicle makes a lane change from a subject vehicle lane in which the subject vehicle travels to an adjacent lane of the subject vehicle lane, the method includes detecting the preceding vehicle travelling in the adjacent lane, and prohibiting autonomously controlling the lane change of the subject vehicle when no preceding vehicle travelling in the adjacent lane is detected.