V2V Intersection Navigation Control via Priority Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating intersections due to inaccurate sensor data and the difficulty of interpreting other vehicles' behavior, and centralized controllers are expensive and hard to implement.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-to-vehicle communication system that determines priority of right of way by using a computer in a host vehicle to receive and process arrival data from secondary vehicles, assigning priority, and actuating the powertrain to proceed through the intersection after receiving a ready signal clearance from the immediately preceding vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized controller is used to control vehicles at intersections, then traffic flow can be managed, but the system becomes expensive and difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control function from a centralized controller and distributes it to individual autonomous vehicles. Each vehicle independently determines its priority and navigates the intersection by exchanging messages with other vehicles, eliminating the need for expensive centralized infrastructure while maintaining reliable traffic flow management.
Solution Approach 2:
Each autonomous vehicle serves itself by independently determining its priority based on arrival time and autonomously navigating the intersection. The vehicles self-organize through message exchange without requiring external centralized control, reducing system complexity and implementation costs.
2Loss of information
If sensor data is used to detect other vehicles, then vehicle presence can be detected, but the data is inaccurate and difficult to interpret for predicting vehicle behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system where vehicles exchange structured messages about their arrival times and intentions. This intermediary layer translates unreliable sensor data into precise, interpretable information that accurately conveys vehicle behavior and priority, solving the measurement precision problem.
Solution Approach 2:
Vehicles communicate their arrival time and navigation intent in advance before reaching the intersection. This preliminary action allows other vehicles to predict behavior accurately without relying on imprecise real-time sensor data, enabling reliable priority determination.
Data Source
AI summary
A host vehicle computer is programmed to receive intersection arrival data via vehicle-to-vehicle communications from one or more secondary vehicles. The computer assigns priority to each of the secondary vehicles based on the intersection arrival data and identifies one of the secondary vehicles as an immediately preceding vehicle. Upon receiving a ready signal clearance from the immediately preceding vehicle, the computer actuates a powertrain of the host vehicle, causing the host vehicle to proceed into, and through, the intersection.