Traffic Guidance Nodes for Automated Vehicle Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Land-based vehicle automation systems have limited adoption due to the lack of infrastructure for guiding automated vehicles along roadways.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising stationary traffic guidance nodes (TGNs) and mobile traffic navigating entities (TNEs) that communicate traffic information through sensors, processing modules, and transmitters, enabling real-time traffic updates and guidance across a network, allowing vehicles to navigate and respond to traffic conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If land-based vehicle automation systems are implemented, then traffic safety and navigation capability are improved, but the lack of infrastructure prevents widespread adoption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic safetyVSAvoidinfrastructure availability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces Traffic Guidance Nodes (TGNs) as intermediary infrastructure elements that mediate between automated vehicles and the environment. These nodes provide reference information, detect traffic conditions, and communicate with both vehicles and other TGNs, enabling vehicle automation systems to function reliably without requiring extensive existing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-deploying TGNs along roadways before vehicles need them. These nodes continuously collect and broadcast traffic information, detect obstacles and conditions in advance, and maintain ready-state communication networks, so that when automated vehicles enter the system, the infrastructure is already prepared to guide them safely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If stationary traffic guidance nodes and mobile traffic navigating entities communicate real-time traffic information, then traffic efficiency and safety are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the traffic guidance system into independent, modular components: stationary TGNs that provide fixed reference points and detect local conditions, and mobile TNEs that navigate and communicate with multiple TGNs. Each node operates semi-autonomously with standardized communication protocols, allowing the system to scale without proportionally increasing overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Both TGNs and TNEs are designed as multi-functional units. TGNs simultaneously provide reference positioning, detect traffic conditions, broadcast information to multiple vehicles, and communicate with other TGNs. TNEs perform navigation, receive guidance from multiple TGNs, detect local traffic activity, and relay information to both TGNs and other TNEs. This universality reduces the number of specialized components needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9478130B2Systems and methods for traffic guidance nodes and traffic navigating entities

Publication Date: 2016.10.25 MAXWELL CONSULTING LLC

AI summary

A system includes one or more traffic guidance nodes (TGNs) and one or more mobile traffic navigating entities (TNEs). The traffic guidance nodes transmit updated information about the local traffic to the one or more mobile traffic navigating entities when the one or more mobile traffic navigating entities are within a range of the one or more traffic guidance nodes.