Remote Vehicle Guidance for Complex Autonomous Driving Scenarios

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous driving systems face challenges in navigating complex situations such as intersections, hilltops, and crowded areas due to limitations in sensor detection, leading to potential errors and accidents.

Innovation Solution

A method for at least partially automated driving that involves receiving request signals to remotely control a motor vehicle, checking the feasibility of remote control, and generating signals for lateral and longitudinal guidance to manage difficult situations, with the option to hand back control to the vehicle or driver when conditions permit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If autonomous driving systems use sensor detection to navigate, then they can operate independently, but they fail in complex situations such as intersections, hilltops, and crowded areas due to sensor detection limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous driving capabilityVSAvoidsafety in complex situations
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a remote operator as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle and the control center. When the autonomous system encounters complex situations beyond its sensor detection capabilities, control is transferred to a human operator who can perceive and respond to these challenging scenarios, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation extent and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the level of automation based on situational complexity. The autonomous vehicle operates independently in normal conditions but seamlessly transitions to remote human control when encountering intersections, hilltops, or crowded areas, optimizing both automation benefits and safety requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If remote control is implemented to handle complex situations, then reliability improves, but system complexity and response time increase due to communication delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety in complex situationsVSAvoidremote control system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of situational complexity using the autonomous vehicle's sensors. When complex situations are detected, the system proactively initiates the handover process to remote control before the situation becomes critical, allowing time for communication and reducing the impact of delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors situational parameters and provides feedback to determine when remote control intervention is needed. This feedback mechanism enables the system to activate remote control only when necessary, managing complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If control is continuously monitored and handed back to the vehicle or driver, then operational efficiency improves, but the system may miss critical situations during transition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidsafety during control transition
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements overlapping monitoring during control transitions. Both the autonomous system and the remote operator simultaneously monitor the situation during the handover period, creating a safety buffer that prevents missed critical situations while enabling efficient control transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP3903160B1Method for the at least partly automated guidance of a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.03.15 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3903160B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3903160B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3903160B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the at least partially automated guidance of a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps: - receiving request signals which represent a request of the motor vehicle that the motor vehicle is to be remote-controlled in order to guide the motor vehicle remotely in an at least partially automated fashion, - checking, in response to the reception of the request signals, whether the request can be met, - if this is the case, generating remote-control signals for the at least partially automated remote control of the lateral guidance and longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle, and - outputting the generated remote-control signals in order to guide the motor vehicle in an at least partially automated fashion on the basis of the generated remote-control signals.