Lateral Collision Avoidance Using Dwell-Time Trigger Zones

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current lateral collision avoidance systems are prone to incorrect object attribute recognition, leading to premature or late interventions, reducing their effectiveness and maturity.

Innovation Solution

A method that divides the monitored area into a pre-warning and trigger area, with specific time requirements for target vehicle presence, to control the ego vehicle and prevent premature interventions, using sensors like cameras and radar to detect movement parameters and intentions, and adaptively adjust these areas based on vehicle speed and lane conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the monitored area is divided into pre-warning and trigger areas with temporal requirements, then the reliability of collision avoidance is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidance reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitored area is divided into at least two sub-areas (pre-warning area and trigger area), each with specific spatial and temporal characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between early detection phases and critical intervention phases, improving reliability by reducing false positives while maintaining manageable complexity through modular area evaluation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection in the pre-warning area before triggering actual collision avoidance measures. By identifying potential hazards early in the pre-warning zone and monitoring their progression, the system prepares for intervention only when necessary, improving reliability without requiring complex real-time decision-making throughout the entire monitoring process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Area of stationary object

If the system monitors both adjacent lane and adjacent-to-adjacent lane, then the coverage area increases, but the measurement precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitored area coverageVSAvoidtarget vehicle detection precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different sub-areas are assigned different levels of monitoring significance. The pre-warning area in the adjacent lane receives higher monitoring priority with more stringent detection criteria, while the adjacent-to-adjacent lane receives extended coverage but with adjusted detection thresholds. This local quality differentiation allows comprehensive coverage while maintaining appropriate precision requirements for each zone

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system extends monitoring from a single lateral dimension (adjacent lane only) to multiple lateral dimensions by including the adjacent-to-adjacent lane. This dimensional expansion increases coverage area while the layered sub-area structure within each lane maintains manageable precision requirements through hierarchical evaluation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If control intervention is triggered based on target vehicle dwell time in sub-areas, then the false alarm rate decreases, but the response time may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse alarm reductionVSAvoidintervention response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system accumulates temporal information about target vehicle presence in the pre-warning area before triggering intervention. By monitoring dwell time and trajectory progression through sub-areas in advance, the system distinguishes between transient detections (false alarms) and genuine collision risks, reducing false alarms while maintaining rapid response through pre-computed intervention parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the temporal thresholds and spatial criteria for triggering intervention based on real-time evaluation of target vehicle behavior. By continuously assessing dwell time, lateral velocity, and trajectory consistency across the layered sub-areas, the system optimizes the balance between false alarm reduction and response time, intervening only when patterns confirm genuine risk

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3727973B1Method and system for avoiding lateral collisions
Publication Date: 2024.01.10 CONTINENTAL AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY GERMANY GMBH
  • EP3727973B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3727973B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for avoiding a lateral collision of an ego vehicle (1), comprising the steps: monitoring a lateral area of the ego vehicle (1), wherein the monitored area is subdivided into a least two sub areas and the sub areas are at least one pre-warning area (V1-V3) and a trigger area (T), detecting a target vehicle (2) in the pre-warning (V1-V3) and trigger area (T), determining movement parameters of the ego vehicle (1) and of the target vehicle (2), controlling the ego vehicle (1) in such a way that the distance to the target vehicle (2) is increased, characterised in that the ego vehicle (1) is controlled as a function of a residence time (t1-t3) of the target vehicle (2) in the pre-warning area (V1-V3) and in the trigger area (T), wherein the monitored sub areas are located on the lane (F2) adjacent to the lane (F1) traversed by the ego vehicle (1) and/or a lane (F3) adjacent to the adjacent lane (F2).