Predictive Acceleration System for Trailing Vehicle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicles often operate suboptimally due to reactive control systems that respond to driver inputs, leading to reduced fuel economy, degraded safety, and performance issues.
Innovation Solution
A predictive acceleration system that uses sensors and computing systems to anticipate driver inputs by analyzing environmental contexts and adjusting vehicle parameters proactively, optimizing vehicle operations before actual acceleration inputs are received.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle operates with reactive control systems that respond to driver inputs, then the vehicle can maintain generalized operation across various conditions, but fuel economy deteriorates and performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting contextual cues (lane clearing, vehicle following) and preemptively modifying vehicle parameters before the driver actually inputs acceleration. This includes adjusting transmission shift points, engine RPM, and other operating parameters in advance, allowing the vehicle to be optimized for the specific situation rather than operating in a generalized reactive mode, thereby improving fuel economy while maintaining adaptability
2Device complexity
If the vehicle operates with reactive control systems, then the system complexity remains manageable, but performance and safety are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The system preemptively optimizes vehicle parameters based on detected contextual situations before acceleration inputs are given, improving safety and performance without requiring complex real-time control algorithms. By preparing the vehicle systems in advance based on simple contextual detection (lane clearing, following distance), the system achieves enhanced reliability while maintaining manageable complexity
3Ease of operation
If the vehicle uses reactive control responding to driver inputs, then the ease of operation is maintained, but productivity and fuel efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system performs self-service by automatically detecting contextual cues and preemptively adjusting its own operating parameters without requiring additional driver input or complex driver-vehicle interaction. The system monitors environmental context (lane clearing, vehicle following) and autonomously optimizes transmission, engine, and other vehicle systems, improving fuel efficiency while maintaining simple driver operation
Data Source
AI summary
System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to preemptively modifying operation of a trailing vehicle according to predicted acceleration inputs. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to identifying that a lane ahead of the trailing vehicle has cleared of a leading vehicle, determining an acceleration profile for the trailing vehicle that indicates a predicted acceleration that is anticipated to be provided by a driver as a function of an environmental context. The environmental context characterizes at least current surroundings of the trailing vehicle. The method includes adjusting operating parameters of the trailing vehicle according to the acceleration profile to preemptively optimize the trailing vehicle in anticipation of an acceleration input from the driver that correlates with the predicted acceleration. The method includes controlling the trailing vehicle to accelerate based, at least in part, on the operating parameters upon receiving the acceleration input.