Vehicle Control Using Smart Road Cells for Surface-Adaptive Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-road interaction systems lack standardized and accurate road surface data exchange, leading to non-comparable and potentially inaccurate vehicle operating parameter adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system utilizing smart cells embedded in the road surface to transmit standardized road surface data, such as CTF, IRI, and IFI, to a control module that adjusts vehicle operating parameters based on real-time road conditions, enabling interconnected local area networks and predictive algorithms for enhanced safety and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vehicle manufacturers increase active and passive safety of vehicles, then vehicle safety is improved, but there is no interaction between vehicle and road leading to limited effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces road surface sensors as an intermediary element that mediates between the vehicle and the road. These sensors detect road conditions (friction coefficient, slip ratio) and transmit this information to vehicles, enabling indirect interaction. This resolves the contradiction by providing a communication bridge that enhances vehicle safety through road condition awareness without requiring direct vehicle-road coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring road conditions through sensors and using this information to adjust vehicle operations. The detected road surface parameters (friction coefficient, slip ratio) are fed back to vehicles to enable real-time adaptation of driving parameters, thereby enhancing safety while maintaining adaptability to varying road conditions.
2Loss of information
If sensors in vehicles estimate road surface conditions, then road condition information is available, but estimates are non-standardized and non-comparable across different vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by standardizing road condition measurements across all vehicles. All vehicles use the same sensor types and measurement protocols to detect road surface parameters (friction coefficient, slip ratio), ensuring that data from different vehicles is homogeneous and directly comparable. This enables networked vehicles to share and utilize road condition information effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements universality by creating a standardized road condition measurement framework that serves all vehicles equally. The same sensors and measurement methods are universally applied across the vehicle fleet, allowing any vehicle to benefit from road condition data collected by any other vehicle through the network, thereby maximizing information utility.
3Loss of information
If vehicles share road condition data through networks, then information availability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the information sharing system into modular components: road surface sensors, communication modules, and data processing units. Each vehicle independently detects and transmits road condition data, and the network processes this segmented information in a distributed manner. This modular approach reduces overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive information sharing.
Data Source
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AI summary
Vehicle control system comprising: - a smart cell that is capable of storing and transmitting information on the state of the road surface - a control module comprised in a vehicle and the control module of the vehicle modifying the operating parameters of said vehicle based on the information transmitted by the smart cell.