Vehicle-to-Vehicle Space Cushion Control via Navigation Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current driver assistance systems lack efficient automatic following capabilities of leading vehicles, particularly in conditions like no-pass zones, where communication and adaptive control are crucial for enhancing safety and reducing driver fatigue.
Innovation Solution
An in-vehicle computing system that enables vehicle-to-vehicle communication to determine and maintain a safe space cushion between vehicles, allowing automatic control of the trailing vehicle to follow the leading vehicle based on user inputs, environmental conditions, and vehicle data, including adaptive adjustments for speed and distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic following control is implemented, then driver fatigue is reduced and safety is improved, but system complexity increases due to communication and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the leading vehicle's navigation system as an intermediary to communicate separation distance preferences to the trailing vehicle. This mediator approach allows automatic following control without requiring complex direct coordination systems between vehicles, as the navigation system translates driver preferences into actionable control parameters that the trailing vehicle can automatically execute.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailing vehicle's navigation system autonomously determines and maintains the space cushion based on received separation distance information, without requiring continuous manual input or complex real-time coordination. The system serves itself by automatically adjusting following distance based on leading vehicle conditions, reducing the need for complex inter-vehicle communication protocols.
2Adaptability or versatility
If communication between vehicles is established to negotiate space cushion, then adaptive control is improved, but loss of time occurs during negotiation and coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes communication channels and negotiates space cushion parameters in advance, before critical driving situations arise. The trailing vehicle navigation system proactively requests and receives separation distance information from the leading vehicle, allowing the system to be pre-configured with appropriate following distances before needing to execute automatic following control during time-critical maneuvers.
3Adaptability or versatility
If space cushion is dynamically adjusted based on user input and vehicle conditions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple input sources and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the navigation system universal by enabling it to perform multiple functions: traditional navigation guidance, space cushion determination, and automatic following control coordination. By making the navigation system multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining adaptability across different driving scenarios.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments are disclosed for an example vehicle-to-vehicle communication system. The example vehicle-to-vehicle communication system includes a user input interface (218) configured to receive a user input (306), an inter-vehicle communication system (312) capable of communicating with a navigation system (318) of a second vehicle (704), a processor (302), and a storage device (310) storing instructions executable by the processor (302) to receive a first separation from the user of the first vehicle, the first separation being input via the user input interface. Responsive to receiving a first separation from the user of the first vehicle, instructions are further executable to determine a space cushion between the second and first vehicles, the space cushion being determined based on one more of the first separation and a second separation communicated from the second vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication system, and adjust a distance between the first and second vehicles based on the space cushion.