Lane Change Control Using Predictive Range Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional travel control systems for vehicles are unable to perform smooth lane changes due to the requirement that another vehicle in the adjacent lane must physically move away before allowing a lane change, leading to delayed or obstructed lane changes.
Innovation Solution
A travel control method and apparatus that uses sensors to detect an obstacle-free range in an adjacent lane and estimates the movement of another vehicle, allowing the vehicle to change lanes when the range is clear, even if the other vehicle has not yet moved, by adjusting the required range based on the vehicle's travel state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system waits for another vehicle to physically move away before permitting lane change, then safety is improved, but lane change smoothness and speed are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary estimation of whether another vehicle will move away in the future, and permits lane change in advance before the vehicle actually moves away. This allows the lane change to be executed earlier, improving smoothness and speed while maintaining safety through predictive judgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the lane change permission timing based on the estimated future movement state of another vehicle. By making the lane change decision conditional on predicted vehicle behavior rather than current static conditions, the system optimizes both safety and lane change performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system requires another vehicle to actually move away before permitting lane change, then collision risk is reduced, but lane change delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system estimates whether another vehicle will move away and permits lane change before the actual movement occurs. This preliminary action reduces the time delay for lane change while maintaining safety by base the decision on predictive estimation of collision risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system permits lane change under partial safety conditions by using estimation rather than requiring complete certainty that another vehicle has moved away. This approach reduces unnecessary delays while maintaining adequate safety margins.
3Reliability
If the system waits for clear space detection in adjacent lane, then safety is improved, but lane change smoothness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system permits lane change based on preliminary estimation that another vehicle will move away, rather than waiting for the space to be completely clear. This enables smoother lane changes by reducing waiting time while maintaining safety through predictive judgment.
Data Source
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AI summary
A travel control method executed by a travel control apparatus is provided. The travel control apparatus comprises a first detector (110) configured to detect an obstacle around a subject vehicle traveling in a first lane and a second detector (110) configured to detect a second lane adjacent to the first lane. The travel control apparatus sets a first range at a target position for lane change in the second lane. The first range has a size equal to or larger than a size which the subject vehicle occupies on a road surface. The travel control apparatus detects a range in the second lane as a second range. The range in the second lane is located at a side of the subject vehicle, and the obstacle is absent in the range in the second lane. The travel control apparatus permits the subject vehicle to change lanes when the second range includes the first range. The travel control method comprises estimating whether or not another vehicle traveling in the second lane comes away from the subject vehicle on the basis of a travel state of the other vehicle and performing correction to reduce the first range or increase the second range when the other vehicle is estimated to come away from the subject vehicle.