Lane Change Support Control in Lane-Increase Start Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems struggle to provide convenient lane change support, especially in areas where the number of lanes increases, as they rely on vehicle speed thresholds and may not execute lane change support when the vehicle is traveling at speeds below a predetermined threshold, even if it is safe to do so.
Innovation Solution
A driving support device that includes a speed detector and a controller, which allows lane change support to be executed when the vehicle's speed is equal to or greater than a threshold, and also permits lane change support at lower speeds if specific conditions are met, such as being in a start area of a new lane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lane change support is restricted based on vehicle speed threshold, then safety is improved, but convenience deteriorates in areas where lane changes are safe
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating lane change support execution based on location. In start areas where lanes increase, the system allows lane change support even at low speeds because the risk is locally reduced. This resolves the contradiction by making the safety constraint location-dependent rather than uniformly applied across all areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the lane change support execution condition flexible rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts whether to execute lane change support based on real-time location information (start area detection) and vehicle speed, transitioning from a static speed-threshold-only approach to a dynamic multi-factor decision system.
2Ease of operation
If lane change support is executed at low speeds, then convenience is improved, but safety deteriorates due to speed difference with following vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively identifying start areas where lanes increase and pre-determining that lane change support should be permitted there. By detecting the start area condition in advance, the system prepares to override the normal low-speed restriction, preventing the safety issue from arising in the first place by selecting locations where following vehicles are unlikely to exist.
3Reliability
If speed threshold restriction is applied universally, then safety is maintained, but adaptability deteriorates to specific road conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the safety constraint location-dependent. Instead of universally applying the speed threshold restriction, the system locally adapts by permitting lane change support at low speeds specifically in start areas where the road geometry (lane increase) creates a safe environment for such maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by transitioning from a static, universal speed threshold policy to a dynamic, location-aware decision system. The controller continuously monitors vehicle position relative to start areas and adjusts the lane change support execution criteria accordingly, enabling the system to adapt to specific road conditions rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a driving support device that performs driving support of a vehicle, comprising: a speed detector configured to detect a speed of the vehicle; and a controller configured to control lane change support from a traveling lane in which the vehicle travels to an adjacent lane, in a case where the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detector is equal to or greater than a threshold, wherein the controller is configured to execute the lane change support even when the speed of the vehicle detected by the speed detector is lower than the threshold, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the predetermined condition includes a condition that the lane change support is executed in a start area of a new lane adjacent to the traveling lane that increases the number of lanes.