Tele-Operated Driving Route Control for QoS Drop Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tele-operated driving sessions for vehicles with automated driving functions are often interrupted due to drops in communication quality of service, which can lead to inefficient interruptions and disruptions in autonomous navigation.

Innovation Solution

A method that analyzes predictive quality of service for communication between a vehicle and a control center to determine sections of a route where indirect control is necessary, allowing for proactive switching from direct control to indirect control and back, using control data such as waypoints or trajectories, and trigger/stop times/positions to maintain continuous operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If direct control is used for tele-operated driving, then real-time control precision is improved, but communication reliability deteriorates when quality of service drops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol precisionVSAvoidcommunication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between direct control mode and indirect control mode based on real-time communication quality assessment. When communication quality is good, direct control is used for precise real-time control. When communication quality deteriorates, the system transitions to indirect control to maintain operational reliability, thus adapting control strategy to changing communication conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the control parameter state by switching between two distinct control modes: direct control (with continuous real-time commands) and indirect control (with pre-planned trajectories and waypoints). This parameter change allows the system to optimize for either control precision or communication reliability depending on current communication conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If indirect control is used for tele-operated driving, then communication reliability is improved, but control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between indirect control mode and direct control mode based on real-time communication quality assessment. When communication quality is poor, indirect control is used to maintain operational reliability. When communication quality improves, the system transitions to direct control to regain precise real-time control capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the control parameter state by switching between indirect control (with pre-planned trajectories) and direct control (with continuous real-time commands). This parameter change allows the system to optimize for either communication reliability or control precision depending on current communication conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If tele-operated driving session is interrupted due to communication quality drops, then communication reliability is maintained, but operational continuity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidoperational continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of communication quality along the planned route before executing the tele-operated driving session. It identifies sections with potentially poor communication quality in advance and prepares appropriate control strategies (indirect control with pre-planned trajectories) for those sections, preventing interruptions before they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts the control mode along different sections of the route based on predicted communication quality. For sections with good communication quality, direct control is used. For sections with poor communication quality, indirect control is used. This dynamic adaptation ensures continuous operation without interruptions while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Measurement precision

If direct control is used throughout the route, then control precision is maintained, but operational efficiency deteriorates due to interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol precisionVSAvoidoperational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The route is segmented into multiple sections based on predicted communication quality. Each section is assigned an appropriate control mode: direct control for sections with good communication quality and indirect control for sections with poor communication quality. This segmentation allows the system to maintain control precision where possible while avoiding interruptions in challenging sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically selects the appropriate control mode for each route section based on communication quality assessment. This dynamic selection optimizes the balance between control precision and operational efficiency, maintaining high productivity by avoiding unnecessary interruptions while preserving control precision in suitable sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4050450B1Methods, computer programs and apparatus for performing a tele-operated driving session
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP4050450B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4050450B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4050450B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention is related to methods, computer programs, and apparatus for performing a tele-operated driving session for a vehicle equipped with an automated driving function. The invention is further related to a vehicle equipped with an automated driving function, which makes use of such a method or apparatus. In a first step, a predictive quality of service for a communication between the vehicle and a control center for a route driven in a tele-operated driving session is analyzed (10). Bases on this analysis, a section of the route for which an indirect control shall be used is determined (11). Furthermore, control data to be used by the vehicle in the determined section of the route are determined (12). At least the control data are then sent (13) to the vehicle before or after initiating a tele-operated driving session with direct control of the vehicle.