Dual-Zone Mobile Body Control for Road Type Misrecognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile objects that can move on both sidewalks and roadways face challenges in maintaining appropriate travel states due to misrecognition of road types, leading to inappropriate traveling control.

Innovation Solution

A device and method that utilize a road type recognizer and object recognizer to determine the current travel state, allowing for switching between different speed modes based on road type recognition, with an option for forced switching by the occupant to ensure appropriate control, and notification systems to inform the user and surroundings of the travel state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the system automatically determines travel state based on road type recognition, then traveling control accuracy is improved, but reliability deteriorates when misrecognition occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad type recognition accuracyVSAvoidtraveling control reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the actual travel state and road type recognition results, and when misrecognition is detected (e.g., when the recognized road type contradicts the actual location or when confidence level is low), it provides feedback to switch to manual control mode or correct the recognition, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving automatic control accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the system allows manual switching of travel state, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to inappropriate manual switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual travel state switchingVSAvoidtraveling control reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by providing notifications and warnings to the occupant before allowing manual switching, and in some cases requires confirmation or provides guidance on appropriate travel states based on current road conditions, thereby ensuring that manual switching is both easy to perform and reliable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If the system provides detailed notifications about travel state changes, then information completeness is improved, but device complexity worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification information completenessVSAvoidnotification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The notification system provides different levels and types of information based on the specific situation and context - for example, providing detailed road type recognition information when switching between automatic and manual control, but simpler notifications for routine travel state changes, thereby maintaining information completeness while reducing unnecessary complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4502977B1Apparatus for controlling mobile body, method for controlling mobile body, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4502977B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4502977B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4502977B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided a device for controlling a mobile object which one or more occupants are on board and which is movable both on a roadway and in a predetermined region different from the roadway, the device including: a road type recognizer configured to recognize which type of road the mobile object is moving on, out of the roadway and the predetermined region, on the basis of an output of an external detection device; and a controller configured to move the mobile object in either a first travel state in which a speed of the mobile object is limited to a first speed or a second travel state in which the speed of the mobile object is limited to a second speed lower than the first speed on the basis of the recognized road type, wherein the controller moves the mobile object in the first travel state in a case where it is recognized that the mobile object is moving on the roadway, moves the mobile object in the second travel state in a case where it is recognized that the mobile object is moving in the predetermined region, and forcibly switches the travel state under control even in a case where it is recognized that the mobile object is moving on the roadway or in the predetermined region when an operation for switching the travel state is performed by a switching operation unit that accepts a switching operation of the travel state performed by the occupant.