Lane Change Control Using Speed-Adaptive Lane Recognition

Solution Overview

Problem

In automated driving technology, external sensors may fail to accurately recognize the position of other vehicles due to recognition errors, leading to incorrect lane identification and inappropriate lane change control.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control system that adjusts the recognition range of adjacent lanes based on the relative speed between the host vehicle and other vehicles, extending the lane width and adjusting the recognition region to include areas beyond the actual lane boundaries to account for potential recognition errors, thereby enabling more accurate lane change control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the recognition range is strictly limited to actual lane boundaries, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to sensor recognition errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelane position recognition accuracyVSAvoidlane change control safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary expansion of the recognition range beyond actual lane boundaries before lane change execution. By pre-defining an extended recognition area that includes adjacent regions, the system prepares for potential sensor errors in advance, ensuring that vehicles in neighboring lanes are detected even if boundary recognition fails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a buffer zone by extending the recognition range beyond strict lane boundaries. This cushioning area acts as a safety margin that compensates for sensor recognition errors, preventing harmful effects from measurement inaccuracies during lane change operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If the recognition range is extended beyond actual lane boundaries, then reliability is improved by accounting for sensor errors, but measurement precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelane change control safetyVSAvoidlane position recognition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary expansion of the recognition range beyond actual lane boundaries before lane change execution. By pre-defining an extended recognition area that includes adjacent regions, the system prepares for potential sensor errors in advance, ensuring that vehicles in neighboring lanes are detected even if boundary recognition fails.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a buffer zone by extending the recognition range beyond strict lane boundaries. This cushioning area acts as a safety margin that compensates for sensor recognition errors, preventing harmful effects from measurement inaccuracies during lane change operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If the lane width is extended to account for recognition errors, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelane change control safetyVSAvoidrecognition range adjustment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the recognition range parameter based on relative speed between vehicles. By changing the spatial extent of the recognition area according to speed conditions, the system maintains reliability without requiring complex structural modifications. The adjustment is achieved through parameter modification rather than hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12459514B2Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2025.11.04 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle control device of an embodiment includes a recognizer that recognizes a peripheral situation of a host vehicle and a driving controller that controls one or both of steering and speed of the host vehicle on the basis of a result of recognition performed by the recognizer. In a case where the host vehicle traveling in a first lane performs a lane change to a second lane adjacent to the first lane and a case where it is recognized by the recognizer that there is another vehicle in the vicinity of the host vehicle, the driving controller specifies a position of the other vehicle by changing a range to be recognized as the second lane on the basis of a relative speed between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, and executes control related to the lane change on the basis of the specified position.