Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication for Safe Lane Change Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic driving technologies face challenges in safely and smoothly changing lanes or joining/dividing lanes due to the complexity of real traffic environments, which is difficult to manage with on-vehicle sensors alone, and lack sufficient mutual recognition techniques between vehicles during lane changes, turns, or merges.
Innovation Solution
A driving control device and method that utilize vehicle-to-vehicle communication to transmit and receive information about surrounding vehicles, including position and identification data, to verify the presence of following vehicles on the destination lane and request lane changes only when it is safe, ensuring smooth and safe lane changes through bidirectional communication and control signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If on-vehicle sensors (camera, radar) are used for lane change control, then the system can detect surrounding vehicles, but it is very difficult to decide the timing to change lanes due to unpredictable traveling behavior of vehicles around
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces vehicle-to-vehicle communication as an intermediary between the own-vehicle and surrounding vehicles. This communication system transmits travel control modes and intended actions (lane changes, turns) from surrounding vehicles, allowing the own-vehicle to predict their future positions and behaviors. This mediator bridges the gap between limited sensor detection and reliable lane change timing decisions by providing intent information that sensors alone cannot capture.
2Measurement precision
If vehicle-to-vehicle communication is used to collect information around the vehicle, then the detecting function is improved, but specific safety check technique as mutual recognition between vehicles during lane changes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the own-vehicle transmit a lane change request signal to the target lane before actually executing the lane change. This allows the target lane vehicle to receive advance notice and respond appropriately (e.g., by not accelerating or by yielding). The safety check is performed in advance through this communication protocol, ensuring mutual recognition before the physical maneuver occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having surrounding vehicles respond to lane change requests with acknowledgment signals. When the own-vehicle sends a lane change request, the target lane vehicle can respond with information about its current state and intended actions. This feedback loop allows the own-vehicle to verify safety before proceeding with the lane change, creating a reliable mutual recognition mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If drivers use visual contact and blinker to recognize each other during lane changes, then the timing can be adjusted smoothly, but automatic driving systems lack this mutual recognition capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual recognition system (drivers using visual contact and blinkers) with an electronic communication system. Instead of relying on visual detection of blinkers and manual timing adjustments, the automatic driving system uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication to exchange digital signals about intended actions and current states. This substitution enables automated mutual recognition while maintaining smooth timing adjustment capability.
Data Source
AI summary
By performing an actual traveling operation after vehicles communicate with each other regarding a safety check by vehicle-to-vehicle communication in advance, the present invention makes it possible to smoothly and safely change lanes or merge when a vehicle is changing lanes or merging by automatic driving. A driving control device that controls the driving of a vehicle is provided with: a sensor unit that detects vehicles present around a vehicle A vehicle-mounted communication device that transmits and receives information including position information to/from vehicle-mounted communication devices that are mounted to vehicles around the vehicle And maintains said information as a surrounding communication device table; a travel determination unit for determining travel control for the vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the sensor unit and the surrounding communication device table of the vehicle-mounted communication device; and a travel control unit that controls the travel of the vehicle on the basis of the result determined by the travel determination unit. When the vehicle is changing lanes, the sensor unit verifies whether a following linearly traveling vehicle is present in the lane that is the lane change destination. When a following linearly traveling vehicle is present in the lane that is the lane change destination, the vehicle-mounted communication device transmits information requesting a lane change to the following linearly traveling vehicle.