Driving Assistance Control for Smooth Following During Lane Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated driving systems face challenges in replicating natural acceleration during lane changes, as they often struggle to seamlessly transition between following the original lane's preceding vehicle and the destination lane's preceding vehicle, resulting in unnatural acceleration patterns.
Innovation Solution
A driving assistance device with processors that perform first following control to follow a preceding vehicle in the same lane and second following control to follow a preceding vehicle in the destination lane during lane changes, while managing acceleration and deceleration to mimic manual driving by adjusting threshold values and target acceleration degrees based on relative positions and speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle follows both the preceding vehicle in the original lane and the preceding vehicle in the destination lane during lane change, then safety is improved by considering both vehicles, but natural acceleration like manual driving deteriorates because the system defaults to following the original lane vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the following control dynamic and adaptive during lane change. The system transitions from static following control (always following original lane vehicle) to dynamic following control where the target vehicle changes based on lane change progress. When lateral position indicates the vehicle has moved sufficiently into the destination lane, the system dynamically switches to following the destination lane vehicle, enabling natural acceleration while maintaining safety through progressive transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by monitoring the lateral position parameter during lane change. When the lateral position parameter reaches a predetermined threshold value, the system changes the following control parameter from following the original lane vehicle to following the destination lane vehicle. This parameter-based switching enables natural acceleration behavior while maintaining safety through controlled transition.
2Productivity
If the target following distance with the preceding vehicle in the original lane is made shorter and acceleration degree is made larger during lane change, then productivity is improved by faster lane change, but natural acceleration deteriorates because the system still follows the original lane vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the target following distance and acceleration degree dynamic during lane change. Instead of using fixed aggressive parameters, the system adjusts these parameters based on the lane change progress. When the lateral position indicates the vehicle has moved into the destination lane, the system dynamically changes to follow the destination lane vehicle with appropriate following distance, enabling both fast lane change and natural acceleration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by switching the target following distance parameter based on lane change progress. When the lateral position parameter reaches the threshold, the system changes from using the original lane vehicle's following distance parameters to using the destination lane vehicle's following distance parameters. This enables productivity improvement through faster lane change while maintaining natural acceleration through appropriate parameter selection.
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle in the destination lane during lane change, then natural acceleration like manual driving is improved, but the risk of collision with the preceding vehicle in the original lane increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by monitoring the lateral position parameter in advance to determine when the vehicle has moved sufficiently into the destination lane. Only after this preliminary condition is met does the system switch to following the destination lane vehicle. This preliminary check ensures that the vehicle has safely transitioned laterally before changing the longitudinal following target, reducing collision risk while enabling natural acceleration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the lateral position parameter as an intermediary condition between following the original lane vehicle and following the destination lane vehicle. This intermediary parameter acts as a safety gate, ensuring that the transition to following the destination lane vehicle only occurs when the lateral position indicates safe transition. This intermediary mechanism reduces collision risk while enabling natural acceleration behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
A driving assistance device includes one or more processors configured to control operation of a host vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to perform first following control controlling acceleration and deceleration of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle follows a first preceding vehicle running in front of the host vehicle in the same lane as the host vehicle, and perform second following control prohibiting the first following control while a lane change is being performed and controlling acceleration and deceleration of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle follows a second preceding vehicle running in front of the host vehicle in a destination lane, if the lane change of the host vehicle is started during the first following control.