RSU Maneuver Scheduling for Reliable Intersection Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles face challenges in determining safe maneuvers, especially at intersections, due to incomplete traffic information detection by local sensors and varying vehicle communication capabilities, leading to potential unstable driving states and the need for costly and complex hardware for sensor sharing.

Innovation Solution

A centralized scheduler-based maneuver coordination system where vehicles communicate with a maneuver coordinator, such as a Road Side Unit (RSU), to receive coordinated maneuver instructions, reducing the need for advanced sensors and complex hardware on individual vehicles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If vehicles use local sensors to detect traffic information, then vehicles can autonomously determine maneuvers, but detection completeness is insufficient leading to unstable driving states

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous maneuver determinationVSAvoiddetection completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a centralized scheduler as an intermediary component that coordinates vehicle maneuvers. Instead of relying solely on individual vehicle sensors, the scheduler receives sensor data from multiple vehicles and uses this aggregated information to make centralized maneuver decisions, thereby improving detection completeness and reliability while maintaining autonomous operation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges sensor data from multiple vehicles into a unified information pool managed by the centralized scheduler. By combining detection results from multiple sources, the system achieves more complete traffic information detection than any single vehicle could obtain alone, resolving the reliability issue

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If vehicles implement sensor sharing for complete traffic information, then detection reliability improves, but hardware complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidhardware complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized scheduler acts as an intermediary that consolidates the information aggregation function. Individual vehicles only need basic sensing capabilities and communication interfaces, while the scheduler handles the complex task of merging and processing data from multiple sources, thereby improving reliability without requiring each vehicle to have complex sensor sharing hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The centralized scheduler serves multiple functions: it aggregates sensor data from multiple vehicles, processes this information centrally, and generates coordinated maneuver decisions. This multi-functional approach achieves reliable detection without requiring complex hardware modifications at the vehicle level

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Extent of automation

If vehicles use autonomous logic for maneuver determination, then vehicles can operate independently, but logic conflicts arise leading to unstable driving states

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent operation capabilityVSAvoiddriving state stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of each vehicle independently determining maneuvers (decentralized autonomous logic), the patent inverts the approach by having a centralized scheduler determine maneuvers based on aggregated information. This inversion eliminates logic conflicts between independent vehicles while maintaining automated operation through the centralized decision-making entity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where vehicles report their sensor observations and intended maneuvers to the centralized scheduler, which then coordinates decisions and provides feedback to vehicles. This feedback loop ensures coordinated action among vehicles, preventing unstable driving states while maintaining automated operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Measurement precision

If advanced sensors and complex hardware are deployed on individual vehicles, then detection capability improves, but system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoidsystem cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized scheduler serves as an intermediary that aggregates detection capabilities across multiple vehicles. Instead of each vehicle needing advanced sensors, the scheduler combines data from standard sensors on multiple vehicles to achieve superior detection capability, thereby improving measurement precision without increasing individual vehicle hardware costs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses information copying and sharing among vehicles through the centralized scheduler. Each vehicle contributes sensor data that is copied and distributed to the scheduler, which then processes this replicated information to achieve comprehensive detection capability without requiring expensive duplicate hardware at each vehicle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3892017B1RSU based vehicle maneuver scheduling
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3892017B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3892017B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3892017B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides for centralized, scheduler-based handling for UEs which transmit data to and receive data from a maneuver coordinator based on V2X communication. Once a UE is aware of the maneuver coordinator, the UE may send a request to the maneuver coordinator for maneuver operation scheduling. The maneuver coordinator then schedules and coordinates the UE's operation.