Vehicle Turn Notification Timing for Oncoming Collision Risk

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle collision avoidance systems fail to accurately determine collision possibilities during right turns, leading to inappropriate execution of notification controls and unnecessary operations, especially when the predicted trajectories of vehicles do not intersect, resulting in missed warnings for oncoming vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A notification control apparatus that uses a combination of surrounding information acquisition, direction indicator detection, vehicle speed, steering input, and brake operation to determine the presence of an oncoming vehicle and assess crossing conditions, allowing for early notification without unnecessary operations by setting appropriate reference periods and distance thresholds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the related-art apparatus determines collision possibility based on predicted trajectories assuming current moving states are maintained, then the collision avoidance control can be executed during straight movement, but the notification control is not appropriately executed during right turns when the predicted trajectory extends to the rear region of the oncoming vehicle and does not intersect with the oncoming vehicle's trajectory

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidance control executionVSAvoidcollision possibility determination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The notification control is executed at a timing earlier than the autonomous brake control, specifically when the virtual passing period is within the reference period, to provide advance warning to the driver during the first period of the right turn when the predicted trajectory has not yet intersected with the oncoming vehicle's trajectory

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a virtual passing period parameter and compares it with a reference period to determine when to execute notification control, changing from the traditional TTC-based parameter to a new parameter that accounts for the specific dynamics of right turn scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If the notification control is executed at a timing earlier than autonomous brake control during right turns, then the driver can be notified of the oncoming vehicle in time, but unnecessary notification operations occur when the oncoming vehicle is at a relatively far position or will pass without collision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification timingVSAvoidunnecessary notification operations

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces a virtual passing period parameter and compares it with a reference period to determine when to execute notification control, changing from the traditional TTC-based parameter to a new parameter that accounts for the specific dynamics of right turn scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the virtual passing period and compares it with the reference period, adjusting the notification control execution timing based on this feedback to avoid both premature and unnecessary notifications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If the predicted trajectory is calculated based on current speed and yaw rate during the first period of right turn, then the trajectory can be computed, but the turning radius becomes larger and the predicted trajectory has smaller curvature compared with the actual trajectory

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrajectory calculationVSAvoidpredicted trajectory accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The notification control is executed at a timing earlier than the autonomous brake control, specifically when the virtual passing period is within the reference period, to provide advance warning to the driver during the first period of the right turn when the predicted trajectory has not yet intersected with the oncoming vehicle's trajectory

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a virtual passing period parameter and compares it with a reference period to determine when to execute notification control, changing from the traditional TTC-based parameter to a new parameter that accounts for the specific dynamics of right turn scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11745656B2Notification control apparatus for vehicle

Publication Date: 2023.09.05 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

Provided is a notification control apparatus for a vehicle configured to determine, based on surrounding information and an operation state of an operation unit, whether there exists a possibility that an own vehicle turns toward a specific direction while an oncoming vehicle is approaching, to determine, when affirmative determination is made, based on vehicle information including at least one of a steering input value or presence/absence of a brake operation and a vehicle speed, whether a possibility that the own vehicle completes crossing of an opposing lane or an intersection after elapse of a reference period is high, and when affirmative determination is made, to execute the notification control when a virtual passing period required for the own vehicle to virtually pass the oncoming vehicle is a lower limit period or longer and an upper limit period or shorter, the upper limit period being the reference period or shorter.