Vehicle Speed Control State Switching During Brake Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle speed control systems face challenges in maintaining safety and convenience when transitioning between active and inactive operational states, particularly during braking operations.
Innovation Solution
A traveling control apparatus with a speed control processor, brake command detectors, and an operational state setting unit that maintains the speed control in an active state during certain brake commands and switches to an inactive state when necessary, based on both driver and environmental inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the speed control system maintains the active operational state when a brake command is generated, then driver convenience is improved by reducing manual state switches, but vehicle safety may deteriorate due to potential unintended automatic acceleration after braking
Solution Approach 1:
The brake command detection is segmented into two independent detection paths: a first brake command detector for driver-operated braking and a second brake command detector for system-generated braking. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between voluntary driver braking and automatic system braking, enabling selective maintenance or switching of the speed control operational state based on the braking source, thus resolving the safety-convenience contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The operational state setting unit acts as an intermediary that receives inputs from both brake command detectors and determines the appropriate action (maintain active state or switch to inactive state). This intermediary component mediates between the conflicting requirements by implementing a decision-making layer that balances safety concerns with driver convenience based on the specific braking context.
2Reliability
If the speed control system switches to inactive operational state when a brake command is generated, then vehicle safety is improved by preventing unintended acceleration, but driver convenience deteriorates due to increased manual state switching requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting brake command detection into two separate detection paths, the system can apply different state transition rules for different braking scenarios. When the first brake command (driver-operated) is detected, the system maintains the active state for convenience; when the second brake command (system-generated) is detected, the system switches to inactive state for safety. This segmented approach resolves the contradiction by making the state transition behavior context-dependent.
Solution Approach 2:
The operational state transition rule is made dynamic rather than static. Instead of always switching to inactive state upon any brake command, the system dynamically adjusts its response based on which brake command detector triggered the braking. This dynamic behavior allows the system to optimize for convenience in driver-initiated braking while maintaining safety in system-initiated braking scenarios.
3Reliability
If dual brake command detectors are implemented to differentiate between driver and system braking, then vehicle safety is improved by preventing unintended acceleration, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dual brake command detectors share a common operational state setting unit that processes inputs from both detectors using a unified decision-making logic. This multi-functional design allows the same hardware or software module to handle both driver-operated and system-generated braking scenarios, reducing the need for completely separate control paths and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining the safety benefits of differentiated brake detection.
Data Source
AI summary
A traveling control apparatus includes a speed control processor, first and second brake command detectors, a brake control processor, and an operational state setting unit. The speed control processor controls a vehicle speed to cause a vehicle to travel at a target speed, and is switchable between an active operational state and an inactive operational state. The first brake command detector detects a first brake command based on a driver's operation. The brake control processor generates a second brake command based on an environment outside the vehicle. The second brake command detector detects the second brake command. The operational state setting unit maintains the speed control processor in the active operational state when the first brake command is generated while the speed control processor is in the active operational state, and switches the speed control processor to the inactive operational state when the second brake command is generated.