Lane Change Gap Detection Using V2V and On-Board Sensors

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining traffic gaps between vehicles for lane changes are limited by the reliance on vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems, which may not account for vehicles without such systems or obstacles, leading to inefficiencies in cooperative driving and potential safety issues.

Innovation Solution

A method that combines vehicle-to-vehicle messages with on-board sensor data to identify traffic gaps, including both equipped and unequipped vehicles and obstacles, and sends driving intention messages to facilitate lane changes, enabling cooperation between vehicles to create or utilize gaps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems are used to determine traffic gaps, then cooperative driving efficiency is improved, but vehicles without such systems or obstacles cannot be detected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooperative driving efficiencyVSAvoiddetection completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines vehicle-to-vehicle communication data with on-board sensor data to determine traffic gaps. This merging of multiple information sources allows the system to detect both vehicles equipped with communication systems (via V2V messages) and vehicles without such systems or obstacles (via on-board sensors), thereby resolving the contradiction between cooperative driving efficiency and detection completeness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a universal detection approach that works with both equipped and unequipped vehicles. By making the detection system multi-functional (capable of processing both V2V messages and sensor data), it achieves reliability across heterogeneous traffic situations while maintaining cooperative driving efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If only on-board sensors are used to detect traffic gaps, then all vehicles and obstacles can be detected, but cooperative driving coordination is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection completenessVSAvoidcooperative driving coordination
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges on-board sensor data with vehicle-to-vehicle communication data to achieve both complete detection and cooperative driving coordination. The on-board sensors ensure all vehicles and obstacles are detected, while the integration of V2V messages enables cooperative driving functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses V2V communication to exchange traffic gap information and driving intentions between vehicles. This feedback mechanism enables coordinated cooperative driving maneuvers while maintaining complete detection capabilities through on-board sensors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If driving intention messages are sent to all surrounding vehicles, then lane change cooperation is improved, but communication overhead and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelane change cooperationVSAvoidcommunication processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by sending driving intention messages selectively to vehicles in the specific local area relevant to the lane change maneuver. Rather than broadcasting to all surrounding vehicles, the communication is targeted to those vehicles that can actually influence or be influenced by the lane change, reducing communication overhead while maintaining cooperation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3371022B1Method and automatic control systems for determining a gap in traffic between two vehicles for a lane change of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3371022B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1b
  • EP3371022B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3371022B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

The invention relates to methods and vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems for determining a gap in traffic between two vehicles for a lane change of a vehicle. A method comprises the identification (110) of the gap in traffic on the basis of a first detection step and on the basis of a second detection step. The first detection step is based on at least one vehicle-to-vehicle status message of at least one other vehicle (200). The second detection step is based on an on-board sensor system of the vehicle (100).