Adaptive Pulse-and-Glide Vehicle Control Under Reduced Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems that implement pulse and glide driving may unduly restrict this mode of operation when a vehicle or pedestrian is detected nearby, potentially disturbing drivers of adjacent vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller that adjusts the vehicle speed range, target acceleration, and distance from the vehicle ahead based on visibility conditions to allow pulse and glide driving without disturbing adjacent drivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If pulse and glide driving control is executed to reduce fuel consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but disturbance to drivers of adjacent vehicles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts pulse and glide driving parameters (acceleration magnitude, coasting duration, speed range) based on detected visibility conditions and distance to adjacent vehicles. When adjacent vehicles are detected within a predetermined distance, the controller modifies these parameters to reduce the intensity and frequency of acceleration-coasting cycles, thereby minimizing disturbance while maintaining fuel efficiency benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from fixed pulse and glide driving patterns to dynamic, adaptive control that responds to real-time environmental conditions. The controller continuously monitors distance to adjacent vehicles and visibility conditions, adjusting the pulse and glide driving execution accordingly - executing full-intensity cycles when safe and modified cycles when adjacent vehicles are present.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the speed range for pulse and glide driving is reduced to minimize disturbance, then disturbance to adjacent drivers is reduced, but fuel savings from pulse and glide driving decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements conditional parameter modification, adjusting only specific parameters (such as acceleration magnitude or coasting duration) based on the detected presence and distance of adjacent vehicles, while maintaining other parameters at optimal values for fuel efficiency. This selective adjustment preserves maximum fuel savings while minimizing disturbance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial modification to pulse and glide driving parameters - executing full pulse and glide cycles when no adjacent vehicles are present, and applying only necessary minimal adjustments when adjacent vehicles are detected. This approach avoids excessive restriction of driving patterns, maintaining fuel efficiency while providing sufficient disturbance reduction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If minimum distance to vehicle ahead is increased to prevent disturbance, then disturbance to adjacent drivers is reduced, but pulse and glide driving execution is unduly restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The minimum distance threshold for pulse and glide driving execution is made dynamic rather than fixed. The controller adjusts this threshold based on detected visibility conditions and the actual behavior patterns of adjacent vehicles. When visibility is poor or adjacent vehicles show signs of being easily disturbed, the threshold increases; otherwise, it maintains lower values to maximize pulse and glide driving opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system modifies the minimum distance parameter conditionally based on environmental factors. Rather than applying a constant conservative distance threshold that would unnecessarily restrict pulse and glide driving, the controller adjusts this parameter in real-time based on visibility conditions and detected adjacent vehicle responses, optimizing both disturbance reduction and driving execution.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to: determine whether visibility around a host vehicle or rear visibility of a vehicle ahead of the host vehicle is at a level satisfying a predetermined reduction condition, execute pulse and glide driving control of the host vehicle so as to repeat accelerating and coasting within a predetermined vehicle speed range or a range of a distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle ahead, and set at least one of the vehicle speed range, target acceleration at the accelerating, the range of the distance, and a minimum distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle ahead at a switch from the accelerating to the coasting, so as to modify at least one of them, depending on whether the reduction condition is satisfied.