Vehicle Coast Control for Adaptive Following Distance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous vehicle navigation systems face challenges in safely and efficiently navigating roadways while adhering to liability constraints, maintaining vehicle comfort, and preventing unnecessary wear and tear.
Innovation Solution
The system uses cameras to monitor the environment and provide navigational responses based on image analysis, combining this data with GPS, sensor data, and map data to determine separation distances and adjust throttle and braking systems accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the autonomous vehicle maintains a larger separation distance from the target vehicle to ensure safety, then the safety margin is improved, but the vehicle's productivity and navigation efficiency deteriorate due to reduced speed and increased travel time
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the separation distance based on real-time conditions. When the target vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, a larger distance is maintained. When the target vehicle is moving at high speed, the system reduces the separation distance to improve navigation efficiency while still maintaining safety through active monitoring and readiness to brake.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the separation distance parameter adaptively rather than maintaining a fixed distance. The comfort distance threshold and safe distance threshold are used as dynamic parameters that adjust based on the relative velocity and behavior of the target vehicle, allowing the system to optimize both safety and efficiency.
2Reliability
If the autonomous vehicle frequently activates the braking system to maintain safe distance, then the safety is improved, but the vehicle comfort and component durability worsen due to increased wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies beforehand cushioning by reducing the throttle level before the separation distance becomes critically small. This preventive action allows the vehicle to slow down gradually using engine braking rather than requiring sudden mechanical brake activation, thus maintaining safety while reducing wear on the braking system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of excessive braking into a benefit by using throttle reduction as a primary control mechanism. The throttle system, which is already in use for acceleration, is repurposed to provide deceleration, transforming a potentially harmful frequent braking pattern into a beneficial wear-reducing operation while maintaining safety.
3Ease of operation
If the autonomous vehicle reduces throttle level gradually without braking when separation distance is below comfort threshold, then the vehicle comfort is improved, but the ability to maintain safe distance deteriorates if the target vehicle is stationary
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between throttle reduction and braking based on the target vehicle's motion state. When the target vehicle is moving, throttle reduction is applied for comfort. When the target vehicle is stationary or the distance is critically small, the system transitions to braking to ensure safe distance maintenance, making the control strategy adaptive to environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the separation distance measurement and target vehicle motion detection to determine the appropriate control action. The feedback loop continuously monitors whether the separation distance is decreasing and adjusts the control strategy (throttle reduction vs. braking) based on this feedback, ensuring both comfort and safety are maintained appropriately.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods are disclosed for navigating a host vehicle. In one implementation, at least one processing device may be programmed to receive a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle, identify, in at least one of the plurality of images a representation of, a target vehicle, determine a separation distance between the host vehicle and the target vehicle, if the separation distance is less than a comfort distance threshold, cause a reduction in a throttle level associated with a throttle system of the host vehicle without activating a braking system associated with the host vehicle, and if the separation distance is determined to be greater than but trending toward a safe distance threshold, which is less than the comfort distance threshold, cause activation of the braking system associated with the host vehicle.