Vehicle Communication Control Using Two-Zone Protected Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

In surface mines, autonomous traveling working machines and manned vehicles often interfere, leading to potential collisions, and existing communication systems can be overwhelmed, reducing production efficiency as they frequently communicate, causing wireless communication bands to be congested and affecting command transmissions.

Innovation Solution

A traffic control device with a center-side communication device connects to onboard communication terminal devices on both manned and autonomous vehicles, using a traffic control map to set protected regions around manned vehicles, minimizing interference by optimizing communication frequency and avoiding collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If frequent communication is conducted between the traffic control device and manned vehicles to update position information, then collision prevention capability is improved, but wireless communication bands become congested and production efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision prevention capabilityVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic communication at optimized intervals rather than continuous communication. The communication interval is set to balance collision prevention needs with communication band utilization, allowing position updates at reasonable frequencies without overwhelming the wireless network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The protected region dynamically expands over time from the manned vehicle's position, creating a time-based safety zone. This dynamic region allows the system to maintain collision prevention by accounting for vehicle movement while reducing communication frequency, as the expanding region provides a buffer that doesn't require constant position updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the protected region is frequently updated to track manned vehicle movement, then interference prevention accuracy is improved, but communication frequency increases and congestion worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference prevention accuracyVSAvoidcommunication frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and transmits protected region information at optimized intervals rather than updating continuously. By anticipating vehicle movement and pre-establishing protected regions, the system maintains accuracy while reducing the frequency of communication transactions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protected region is divided into a first protected region (inner zone) and a second protected region (outer zone). This segmentation allows the system to manage communication more efficiently by differentiating between critical inner region updates and less critical outer region notifications, reducing overall communication burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3489786B1Management control device and in-vehicle communication terminal device
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP3489786B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3489786B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3489786B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A protected region is set for a manned working machine , said region including a first protected region in which new protected region setting request information is not transmitted and which includes the position of the manned working machine, and a second protected region which is set along a periphery of the first protected region and in which new protected region setting request information is transmitted. An area occupied by the vehicle body of the manned working machine on a plane projected on the ground surface is calculated on the basis of vehicle body information indicating the size of the vehicle body of the manned working machine and position information thereof. When the occupied area is present within the first protected region, new protected region setting request information is not transmitted, whereas when the occupied area is present within the second protected region, protected region setting request information is transmitted.