Autonomous Vehicle Coasting Trajectory Planning for Speed and Fuel Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous vehicle systems fail to adequately incorporate vehicle coasting into their planning functionality, missing out on the advantages of speed moderation, fuel efficiency, and human-like driving behavior that coasting provides.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous system that estimates coasting behavior based on parameters like rolling resistance, road grade, and wind force, identifies suitable coasting scenarios, and generates a trajectory for coasting, ensuring safety checks are performed before executing coasting actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional autonomous vehicle systems use traditional motion control methods (engine and transmission engaged with throttle application), then the vehicle can increase speed reliably, but fuel consumption increases and coasting opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts vehicle motion by transitioning between different control modes (throttle application, coasting, braking) based on real-time scenario analysis. The motion planner continuously evaluates coasting feasibility and generates trajectories that exploit coasting opportunities while maintaining speed control, thereby reducing fuel consumption without sacrificing speed management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the vehicle by switching from engine-driven motion to coasting motion. By estimating coasting behavior using parameters such as rolling resistance, road grade, and wind force, the system determines optimal moments to engage coasting, thereby reducing fuel consumption while maintaining acceptable speed control through scenario-based decision-making.
2Reliability
If the system incorporates scenario-based coasting planning, then fuel efficiency and safety are improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a coasting behavior estimator that calculates coasting characteristics, a scenario identifier that recognizes coasting opportunities, and a motion planner that generates coasting trajectories. This modular segmentation manages complexity by assigning specific tasks to separate components while maintaining overall system integration for safety-critical decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary estimation of coasting behavior and identification of coasting scenarios before generating the actual motion trajectory. By pre-evaluating coasting feasibility and safety conditions, the system prepares coasting plans in advance, which simplifies the real-time control decision-making process while enhancing safety through proactive assessment.
3Reliability
If the system performs safety checks on coasting behavior, then the reliability of coasting execution is improved, but the time required for decision-making increases
Solution Approach 1:
Safety checks for coasting execution are performed as preliminary actions during the scenario identification and trajectory generation phases. By validating safety conditions before finalizing the coasting decision, the system ensures reliable coasting execution without requiring additional time checks during critical real-time control, thus minimizing decision-making delays.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the system utilizes coasting behavior estimation, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the precision of motion control may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor actual vehicle behavior during coasting and compare it with estimated coasting behavior. This feedback allows the motion planner to adjust trajectories and control parameters in real-time, maintaining motion control precision while utilizing coasting for fuel efficiency. The iterative refinement ensures that fuel savings from coasting do not compromise the precision required for safe and comfortable vehicle operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media estimate coasting behavior of a vehicle; identify a scenario associated with coasting in an environment of the vehicle; and based in part on the coasting behavior, generate a trajectory associated with coasting for the vehicle to move in the scenario.