Vehicle Control Device Adjusts Braking Timing for Intersection Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle control systems face challenges in effectively avoiding collisions with pedestrians and oncoming vehicles when turning across an intersection, as they often prioritize stopping within the vehicle's own lane over stopping in a safer position that avoids both collisions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device equipped with a crossing person detecting unit, space detecting unit, and braking controlling unit that adjusts the timing of automatic braking based on the size of the space between the crosswalk and the opposite traffic lane, allowing the vehicle to be stopped in a position that prioritizes avoiding collisions with both pedestrians and oncoming vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automatic braking is applied to stop the vehicle within its own lane before approaching the opposite traffic lane, then the collision with crossing pedestrians is avoided, but the driver's intention to make the turn is not prioritized and the stopping position is not optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The braking control unit dynamically adjusts the braking timing based on the detected space size between the crosswalk and opposite traffic lane. When space is sufficient, braking is delayed to allow the vehicle to cross the opposite lane and stop near the crosswalk, prioritizing driver intention. When space is insufficient, braking is applied earlier to stop within the own lane, ensuring collision avoidance. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If automatic braking is applied early to stop within the own lane, then collision safety is ensured, but the stopping position is suboptimal and driver intention is not respected
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the space size between the crosswalk and opposite traffic lane before applying braking. Based on this advance information, the braking control unit determines the optimal braking timing. When space is sufficient, braking is delayed until the vehicle reaches the optimal stopping position near the crosswalk. When space is insufficient, braking is applied earlier. This preliminary detection and conditional timing optimization resolves the contradiction between reliability and loss of time.
3Reliability
If the vehicle stops within the own lane to avoid collision with oncoming vehicles, then safety is ensured, but the stopping position is not optimal and does not consider the crosswalk location
Solution Approach 1:
The braking control unit applies different braking strategies based on the local condition of space size between the crosswalk and opposite traffic lane. When space is sufficient, the vehicle is allowed to stop in the region near the crosswalk (different from the own lane stopping position). When space is insufficient, the vehicle stops within the own lane. This localized adaptation of stopping position based on spatial conditions resolves the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
When an own vehicle V1 crosses an opposite traffic lane R2 at an intersection to make a right turn, an ECU 20 such as a vehicle control device detects a presence of a crossing person P crossing a crosswalk CW existing near the intersection on a road R3 which the vehicle V1 is directed to enter by making the right turn, detects a size of a space between the crosswalk SP on which the detected crossing person P crosses and the opposite traffic lane, and when performing a control for braking the vehicle V1 so as to avoid a collision of at least the vehicle V1 with the crossing person P, changes a timing to perform the control for braking the vehicle V1 based on the detected size of the space SP up to the crosswalk CW.