Pedestrian Collision Avoidance Control With Adaptive Track Width

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing collision avoidance support devices in vehicles often execute unnecessary automatic brake and steering controls when pedestrians are positioned outside the travel lane, as they do not accurately differentiate between the risk of collision based on the pedestrian's lane position, leading to inefficient and potentially uncomfortable control activations for occupants.

Innovation Solution

A collision avoidance support device that adjusts its operation conditions based on the relative position of pedestrians to the travel lane, enlarging the vehicle's predicted track when a pedestrian is on the lane to prioritize necessary collision avoidance controls and reducing unnecessary interventions when pedestrians are outside the lane.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the variable width of the vehicle predicted track is enlarged to detect pedestrians outside the travel lane, then the detection capability of pedestrians is improved, but unnecessary automatic brake control and automatic steering control are executed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepedestrian detection capabilityVSAvoidcontrol activation frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by setting different variable widths for the vehicle predicted track based on the pedestrian's position. When a pedestrian is detected outside the travel lane, a first (larger) variable width is used to ensure detection. When the pedestrian is on the travel lane, a second (smaller) variable width is used to avoid unnecessary controls. This spatially differentiated approach resolves the contradiction between detection reliability and control frequency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the variable width of the vehicle predicted track adjustable based on detected conditions. The control unit dynamically changes the variable width between a first value (when pedestrian is outside lane) and a second value (when pedestrian is on lane), allowing the system to adapt to different scenarios and avoid unnecessary activations while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the variable width of the vehicle predicted track is reduced to avoid unnecessary controls, then the number of unnecessary automatic brake control and automatic steering control executions is reduced, but the detection capability of pedestrians outside the travel lane is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol activation frequencyVSAvoidpedestrian detection capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by setting different variable widths for the vehicle predicted track based on the pedestrian's position. When a pedestrian is detected outside the travel lane, a first (larger) variable width is used to ensure detection. When the pedestrian is on the travel lane, a second (smaller) variable width is used to avoid unnecessary controls. This spatially differentiated approach resolves the contradiction between detection reliability and control frequency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the variable width of the vehicle predicted track adjustable based on detected conditions. The control unit dynamically changes the variable width between a first value (when pedestrian is outside lane) and a second value (when pedestrian is on lane), allowing the system to adapt to different scenarios and avoid unnecessary activations while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If automatic brake control and automatic steering control are executed frequently to ensure safety, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but occupant comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidance capabilityVSAvoidoccupant comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by setting different variable widths for the vehicle predicted track based on the pedestrian's position. When a pedestrian is detected outside the travel lane, a first (larger) variable width is used to ensure detection. When the pedestrian is on the travel lane, a second (smaller) variable width is used to avoid unnecessary controls. This spatially differentiated approach resolves the contradiction between detection reliability and control frequency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the variable width of the vehicle predicted track adjustable based on detected conditions. The control unit dynamically changes the variable width between a first value (when pedestrian is outside lane) and a second value (when pedestrian is on lane), allowing the system to adapt to different scenarios and avoid unnecessary activations while maintaining detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11787401B2Collision avoidance support device

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A collision avoidance support device comprises target detection unit, target type determination unit, relative position determination unit, target track prediction unit, and vehicle track prediction unit, obstacle determination unit. The vehicle track prediction unit is configured to enlarge the width of a vehicle predicted track compared with a case where an enlargement condition is not satisfied when the enlargement condition is satisfied. The enlargement condition is satisfied when the relative position determination unit detects that a target determined to be a pedestrian by the target type determination unit is positioned on a travel lane at least once.