Roadway Support Point Selection for Faster Vehicle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for autonomously and semi-autonomously driving vehicles face high computational complexity in determining control parameters for open-loop control due to the need for detailed modeling of road sections ahead, which increases with the number of discrete steps, leading to inefficiencies in processing and decision-making time.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that reduce computational complexity by setting a lower number of support points in a discrete representation of a road section based on sensor data, allowing for efficient detection and processing of relevant properties, and outputting these points to an optimizer for determining control parameters, thereby improving the accuracy and speed of open-loop vehicle control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the number of discrete steps in modeling the road section increases, then the time horizon for future control parameter determination is extended, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential support points from the complete discrete representation of the road section. Instead of processing all discrete steps, the system identifies and retains only those support points where control parameter changes occur, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining the necessary time horizon for control decisions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the road section model by representing it with a reduced set of support points rather than the complete discrete representation. This copied model contains only the critical information needed for control parameter determination, enabling efficient processing while preserving the essential temporal characteristics of the road section
2Length of stationary object
If the number of discrete steps in modeling the road section increases, then the length of road section that can be modeled is extended, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant support points from the complete discrete representation of the road section. By identifying and retaining only those support points where control parameter changes occur, the system can model extended road sections without proportionally increasing computational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the continuous road section into discrete support points, where each support point represents a location where control parameters may change. This segmentation allows the system to model long road sections by processing only the critical segments rather than the entire continuous path
3Measurement precision
If a detailed discrete representation with many support points is used, then the accuracy of control parameter determination is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential support points that are necessary for accurate control parameter determination. By removing redundant support points where no control parameter changes occur, the system maintains measurement precision while significantly reducing processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation by using a variable number of support points based on the actual control requirements. Instead of using a fixed high-resolution representation, the system adapts the number of support points to match the actual changes in control parameters, thereby optimizing the balance between accuracy and processing speed
Data Source
AI summary
A device (16) for determining a discrete representation (30) of a road section ahead of a vehicle (12) includes an input interface (22) for receiving sensor data (20) of a sensor (14) with information about the road section ahead of the vehicle, a setting unit (24) for ascertaining a control distance at which a property of the road section ahead of the vehicle that is relevant for an open-loop control of the vehicle changes based on the sensor data and for setting a support point in a discrete representation of the road section corresponding to the control distance. The setting unit is configured for setting a lower predefined second number (n2) of support points based on a predefined first number (n1) of support points. The device also includes an output interface (26) for outputting the lower predefined second number of support points to an optimizer (52) in order to determine a profile of at least one control parameter for the open-loop control of an open-loop system, a vehicle function based on the second number (n2) of support points.