Mine Vehicle V2V Coordination for Collision Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles on mine sites face challenges in collision avoidance due to the lack of consideration for other vehicles in trajectory planning, relying on centralized platforms that are prone to latency, outages, and blind spots.

Innovation Solution

Implementing Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication to enhance obstacle detection and classification, allowing autonomous vehicles to exchange localization and mission information to improve collision prediction and path planning, even during network outages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If centralized platforms are used for collision prevention, then autonomous vehicles can receive mission control and trajectory planning, but the system becomes prone to latency, outages and blind spots

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidance reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork infrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces V2V communication as an intermediary layer between autonomous vehicles and the centralized platform. This mediator enables direct peer-to-peer information exchange about vehicle positions, trajectories, and intentions, reducing dependency on the centralized network infrastructure and mitigating latency and outage issues while maintaining system coordination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If sensor perception is used for obstacle detection, then autonomous vehicles can detect other vehicles, but the system lacks knowledge of vehicle positions for trajectory planning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle position informationVSAvoidvehicle detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges sensor-based perception data with V2V communication data to create a comprehensive view of the operating environment. By combining direct sensing with information exchanged between vehicles about their positions and trajectories, the system overcomes the limitations of either approach alone, achieving both complete position information and accurate detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If V2V communication is implemented for obstacle detection, then collision avoidance capabilities are improved, but the system requires additional communication interfaces and data processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidance capabilityVSAvoidcommunication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The V2V communication interface is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it enables direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication for collision avoidance, exchanges classification information for obstacle identification, and shares trajectory data for path planning. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, mitigating the increase in overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3761682B1A system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site
Publication Date: 2024.03.06 LIEBHERR MINING EQUIP NEWPORT NEWS CO
  • EP3761682B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3761682B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3761682B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present application provides a system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site, the system comprising: - a centralized platform configured to store an inventory list of vehicles travelling on the mine site and configured to determine and communicate missions to the vehicles; - a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the autonomous vehicles comprising: -an interface configured to communicate with the centralized platform for receiving a predetermined mission, - a trajectory control system configured to autonomously control the autonomous vehicle according to the predetermined mission, - a detection system configured to detect other vehicles by evaluating sensor information received from at least one sensor of the vehicle, - a collision prediction system configured to predict collisions with the other vehicles detected by the detection system; - a V2V communication interface for directly communicating with a V2V communication interface of at least one of the other vehicles on the mine site for exchanging information between the vehicles.