Predictive Following Control for Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle control devices face challenges in maintaining fuel economy while ensuring performance in following a preceding vehicle, particularly when adverse changes in the surrounding environment, such as sudden deceleration or lane changes, occur, leading to energy loss and decreased engine efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device equipped with an environment prediction unit and an acceleration control unit that limits the vehicle's acceleration in anticipation of adverse changes, using data from sensors and predictive models to manage acceleration and deceleration strategies, thereby minimizing energy loss and improving fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the vehicle accelerates rapidly to maintain following performance, then the response to preceding vehicle is improved, but fuel economy deteriorates due to energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The environment prediction unit predicts adverse changes before they occur, and the acceleration control unit proactively limits acceleration in anticipation of these changes. This preliminary action prevents excessive energy consumption by avoiding unnecessary rapid acceleration, while still maintaining adequate following performance through controlled acceleration limits.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the vehicle limits acceleration to improve fuel economy, then energy loss is reduced, but following performance deteriorates when adverse changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
By predicting adverse environmental changes before they occur, the system prepares appropriate acceleration limits in advance. This ensures that when adverse changes actually occur, the vehicle can respond reliably while having already optimized energy consumption during the prediction period, balancing fuel economy with following performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration limit is not fixed but dynamically adjusted based on predicted environmental conditions. When adverse changes are predicted, the acceleration limit is reduced to save energy; when no adverse changes are predicted, the acceleration limit is relaxed to maintain following performance. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between fuel economy and reliability.
3Reliability
If the vehicle decelerates quickly to maintain safe distance, then safety is improved, but energy loss increases due to braking
Solution Approach 1:
The environment prediction unit predicts adverse changes before they occur, allowing the acceleration control unit to proactively limit acceleration and potentially avoid the need for紧急 braking. This preliminary action reduces energy loss during deceleration while maintaining safety through controlled distance management.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control device executes a traveling control that controls traveling of an own vehicle to enable the own vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle. The vehicle control device includes: an environment prediction unit that predicts whether an adverse-effect change has occurred in a surrounding environment around the own vehicle, the adverse-effect change being likely to have an adverse effect on a fuel economy of the own vehicle; and an acceleration control unit configured to execute a prediction control that enables an acceleration of the own vehicle to be limited when the environment prediction unit predicts that the adverse-effect change has occurred in the surrounding environment.