Roadside Sensing Infrastructure for Autonomous Vehicle Blind Spots

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous vehicle technologies rely heavily on expensive, complex, and energy-inefficient on-board systems, limiting their commercial viability and effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A roadside infrastructure sensing system that includes multiple sensors and data fusion capabilities, providing proactive sensing support to connected and automated vehicle highway systems, with resource allocation based on traffic conditions and sensor priorities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If on-board sensing systems are used in autonomous vehicles, then vehicle control and navigation can be achieved, but the system becomes expensive, complicated, and energy inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle control capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces roadside infrastructure sensing systems as intermediaries between the environment and autonomous vehicles. These fixed sensors capture environmental data and transmit it to vehicles, replacing the need for complex on-board sensing systems while maintaining vehicle control capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces mechanical on-board sensing systems with a combination of roadside optical/electromagnetic sensors and wireless communication systems. This substitution reduces vehicle complexity by externalizing the sensing function to infrastructure-based systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If multiple sensing systems are deployed on vehicles, then sensing coverage is improved, but cost and energy consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensing coverageVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple sensing functions into a single roadside infrastructure system. Instead of deploying multiple sensors on each vehicle, the system combines environmental sensing, object detection, and data processing into fixed roadside units that serve multiple vehicles simultaneously, reducing overall energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The roadside sensing systems perform multiple functions including environmental mapping, object detection, vehicle tracking, and data transmission, replacing the need for multiple specialized on-board sensing systems while maintaining comprehensive sensing coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If comprehensive on-board sensing systems are implemented, then autonomous navigation is achieved, but commercial viability is limited due to high costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous navigation capabilityVSAvoidcommercial viability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses roadside infrastructure as an intermediary to provide navigation support, reducing the need for expensive on-board systems. The infrastructure performs complex sensing and processing tasks, making autonomous navigation more commercially viable by shifting costs from individual vehicles to shared infrastructure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Extent of automation

If vehicle-based sensors are used for control, then autonomous operation is achieved, but the system lacks robustness under varying traffic conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous operationVSAvoidsystem robustness

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local roadside sensing units that provide specialized environmental data for specific locations. This local quality approach enhances system robustness by providing location-specific information that complements vehicle-based sensors, creating a more reliable autonomous operation system under varying traffic conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250225871A1Proactive sensing systems for automated driving systems

Publication Date: 2025.07.10 CAVH LLC

AI summary

This application describes a proactive sensing system for an autonomous vehicle. This system fuses vehicle sensing data and sensing data from a roadside unit, a Traffic Control Unit, and/or a cloud to provide full 360-degree coverage and birds-eye view of the driving environment. This proactive sensing system cooperatively uses vehicle-based sensor data and sensor data from external sources to provide better and more efficient sensing of longtail or corner cases, such as blind spots and blockage by surrounding objects. Specifically, this proactive sensing system effectively identifies major sensing points where vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicycles, are major challenges for autonomous vehicles at intersections, roundabouts, or work zones. Accordingly, the technology significantly improves the safety of autonomous vehicles.