Autonomous Vehicle Lane Keeping via Adjacent Marker Transposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles face challenges in maintaining lane position when boundary lane indicators are unsatisfactory, not detectable, or laterally offset, leading to potential loss of control.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle uses sensors to detect boundary lane indicators of adjacent lanes, transposing these indicators onto the current lane to define edges and centerlines, allowing the computing device to maneuver the vehicle and maintain position within the lane, even if the primary lane indicators are unsatisfactory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle relies on boundary lane indicators of the current traffic lane to maintain lane position, then the vehicle can accurately identify lane boundaries when indicators are clear and satisfactory, but the vehicle loses control capability when indicators are unsatisfactory, not detectable, or laterally offset
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses boundary lane indicators from adjacent traffic lanes as intermediary references when current lane indicators are unsatisfactory. The computing device transposes these adjacent lane indicators onto the current traffic lane to create virtual boundary definitions, enabling the vehicle to maintain lane position indirectly through adjacent lane information rather than direct observation of compromised indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of boundary lane indicator quality before relying on them for lane keeping. The computing device assesses whether indicators are satisfactory, detectable, and properly positioned, and pre-prepared alternative strategies using adjacent lane indicators are activated when compromise is detected, ensuring continuous lane maintenance capability.
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle uses sensors to detect and follow current lane boundary indicators, then lane keeping is straightforward when indicators are present and accurate, but the system becomes overly dependent on indicator quality and fails when indicators are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between different lane keeping strategies based on real-time assessment of boundary lane indicator quality. The system transitions from simple following of current lane indicators to more complex transposition methods using adjacent lane indicators, adjusting the operational approach dynamically according to environmental conditions and indicator reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device continuously monitors the quality and detectability of boundary lane indicators, providing feedback on indicator satisfaction. This feedback loop enables the system to detect when current lane indicators become unsatisfactory and automatically activate alternative lane keeping methods using adjacent lane indicators, maintaining reliable operation through continuous assessment and adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling a vehicle includes sensing a first boundary lane indicator and a second boundary lane indicator of an adjacent traffic lane, which is laterally offset from a current traffic lane of the vehicle. The first boundary lane indicator, the second boundary lane indicator, and/or a centerline of the adjacent traffic lane, may be transposed onto the current traffic lane of the vehicle, and used to maneuver the vehicle in order to maintain a position of the vehicle within the current traffic lane, when a left boundary lane indicator and/or a right boundary lane indicator of the current traffic lane is determined to be an unsatisfactory delineator of the current traffic lane.