Remote Assist Traffic Light Recognition for Automated Drive Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated driving systems face challenges in accurately recognizing provisional traffic lights, leading to potential communication delays and unsafe vehicle operations due to low recognition accuracy, especially in construction zones or private properties.
Innovation Solution
A remote assist system that includes a vehicle controller and a remote facility, where the vehicle temporarily stops and transmits image information to the remote facility for operator-assisted recognition of traffic lights, providing positional information of the traffic light pixels to improve recognition accuracy and ensure safe passage based on real-time traffic light instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the vehicle requests recognition assist to a remote facility when traffic light recognition accuracy is low, then the recognition accuracy of traffic light instructions is improved, but communication delay occurs between the vehicle and remote facility
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle controller executes a determination process to judge whether passage is permitted based on traffic light information received before the actual passage timing. This preliminary determination allows the vehicle to prepare for passage in advance, compensating for the communication delay by ensuring the traffic light state is assessed prior to the critical passage moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors traffic light information and compares it with the determined passage permission status. The controller receives updated traffic light information and re-evaluates passage permission based on current conditions, creating a feedback loop that adapts to changing traffic light states and ensures safe passage timing.
2Measurement precision
If the vehicle waits for passage permitting signal from remote facility before proceeding, then recognition accuracy of traffic light instructions is improved, but the vehicle may miss the optimal passage timing due to communication delay
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle controller performs preliminary determination of passage permission using traffic light information received in advance. This allows the vehicle to identify suitable passage timing opportunities before the actual passage occurs, eliminating the need to wait for remote facility confirmation at the last moment and preventing missed passage opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the passage determination process by continuously receiving traffic light information and re-evaluating passage permission. The controller can adapt its passage timing decisions based on real-time traffic light state changes, allowing flexible response to dynamic traffic conditions while maintaining accurate recognition.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle uses camera images to recognize traffic lights in construction zones or private properties, then the vehicle can navigate these areas, but recognition accuracy is low due to difficulty in grasping traffic light location on map
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle controller acts as an intermediary that receives traffic light information through communication means and processes it locally. This intermediary processing allows the vehicle to accurately interpret traffic light instructions even when the physical location of traffic lights in construction zones or private properties is not clearly marked on maps, bridging the gap between ambiguous visual information and reliable navigation decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller executes preliminary determination of passage permission using received traffic light information before the vehicle reaches the traffic light. This advance processing compensates for the lack of precise location data by ensuring the traffic light state is evaluated and passage permission is determined in advance, improving recognition accuracy in areas with unclear traffic light positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle determines whether or not a passage permit condition of the vehicle according to an instruction content of a traffic light in front of the vehicle is satisfied. If it is determined that the passage permit condition is not satisfied, the vehicle temporally stops in front of the traffic light and transmits an assist requiring signal to a remote facility. A display device of the remote facility displays reference image information indicating shot image information of the vehicle that temporally stops in front of the traffic light. An operator of the remote facility inputs positional information of pixels that make up the traffic light contained in the reference image information. The remote facility transmits assist information including the positional information to the vehicle. Based on the positional information, the vehicle determines again whether or not the passage permit condition is satisfied.