Intelligent Roadside Unit Network for Automated Driving Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for controlling autonomous vehicles require complex and expensive on-board systems, making widespread implementation of autonomous driving challenging, especially for connected and automated vehicle highway systems.
Innovation Solution
The Intelligent Road Infrastructure System (IRIS) provides customized, real-time control instructions and traffic information to vehicles through a network of roadside units, traffic control units, vehicle onboard units, and cloud services, managing sensing, transportation behavior prediction, planning, and vehicle control across freeways and urban arterials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex on-board systems are used for autonomous vehicle control, then vehicle control capability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces roadside units (RSUs) as intermediary components that perform sensing, prediction, planning, and control function computations externally. These RSUs act as mediators between the vehicle and the control system, transferring computational tasks from the vehicle's on-board systems to the roadside infrastructure, thereby reducing on-board system complexity while maintaining control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts complex computational functions (sensing, transportation behavior prediction, planning, and decision making) from the vehicle's on-board systems and relocates them to roadside units. This extraction reduces the complexity and cost of on-board systems while preserving the autonomous vehicle control capability through external computation
2Reliability
If comprehensive sensing and control functions are implemented, then vehicle operation safety is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Roadside units serve as intermediary infrastructure that provides comprehensive sensing and control functions at the road level rather than requiring each vehicle to have expensive onboard sensing and computation systems. This distributes the cost across infrastructure rather than individual vehicles
Solution Approach 2:
The roadside units provide multi-functional capabilities (sensing, prediction, planning, control) that serve multiple vehicles simultaneously. This universal infrastructure approach reduces per-vehicle costs compared to equipping each vehicle with independent comprehensive systems
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides systems and methods for an Intelligent Road Infrastructure System (IRIS), which facilitates vehicle operations and control for connected automated vehicle highway (CAVH) systems. IRIS systems and methods provide vehicles with individually customized information and real-time control instructions for vehicle to fulfill the driving tasks such as car following, lane changing, and route guidance. IRIS systems and methods also manage transportation operations and management services for both freeways and urban arterials. In some embodiments, the IRIS comprises or consists of one of more of the following physical subsystems: (1) Roadside unit (RSU) network, (2) Traffic Control Unit (TCU) and Traffic Control Center (TCC) network, (3) vehicle onboard unit (OBU), (4) traffic operations centers (TOCs), and (5) cloud information and computing services. The IRIS manages one or more of the following function categories: sensing, transportation behavior prediction and management, planning and decision making, and vehicle control. IRIS is supported by real-time wired and/or wireless communication, power supply networks, and cyber safety and security services.