Platooning Last Vehicle Turn Signal Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle platooning scenarios where vehicles can freely join or leave at branching points, existing systems fail to inform subsequent vehicles about deceleration intentions of intermediate vehicles, leading to uncertainty for the last vehicle in the group, especially when the turn signal of the last vehicle is not activated due to intermediate vehicles turning.
Innovation Solution
A travel assistance device that processes information on right-or-left turning vehicles and deceleration timing from front vehicles, activating the last vehicle's direction indicator at the deceleration timing of the forefront turning vehicle to inform subsequent vehicles of impending deceleration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the turn signal controller activates the last vehicle's turn signal based on the leading vehicle's turn signal, then the subsequent vehicle can predict the last vehicle's deceleration, but this fails when intermediate vehicles turn right or left without the leading vehicle's turn signal activation
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the vehicle group into multiple independent monitoring units, each vehicle (leading vehicle, intermediate vehicles, and last vehicle) independently detects and transmits its own turning intention. This allows the subsequent vehicle to receive turning information from any vehicle in the group, not just the leading vehicle, thereby maintaining prediction accuracy even when intermediate vehicles turn.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information transmission mechanism where each vehicle's turning intention is independently communicated to the subsequent vehicle through dedicated signal transmission. This intermediary system ensures that turning information from intermediate vehicles reaches the subsequent vehicle directly, bypassing the limitation of relying solely on the leading vehicle's turn signal.
2Ease of operation
If vehicles in the platoon can freely turn right or left at intersections, then each vehicle has operational independence, but the subsequent vehicle cannot predict deceleration when intermediate vehicles turn
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where each vehicle in the platoon continuously transmits its turning intention and status to the subsequent vehicle. This real-time feedback loop ensures that the subsequent vehicle receives updated information about any vehicle's planned maneuvers, maintaining reliable deceleration prediction while allowing operational independence for each vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
Each vehicle in the platoon performs preliminary action by activating its turn signal or transmitting turning intention information before actually executing the turn. This advance notification allows the subsequent vehicle to predict deceleration in advance, maintaining reliability even when intermediate vehicles independently decide to turn at intersections.
Data Source
AI summary
A travel assistance device for assisting traveling of a subsequent vehicle following a vehicle group in the form of vehicle platooning, the travel assistance device being located in a last vehicle of a plurality of vehicles included in the vehicle group, the travel assistance device including: an information acquiring unit for acquiring information indicating right/left turning vehicles that turn right or left at an intersection among the vehicles and information indicating deceleration timing of a first vehicle from front among the right/left turning vehicles; and a direction indicator controlling unit for turning on a direction indicator of the last vehicle at the deceleration timing of the foremost right/left turning vehicle.