Vehicle Control Device for Automatic Driving Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current automatic driving systems face challenges when communication is interrupted, leading to inability to use the latest detailed maps, which hinders vehicle position identification and lane determination, making it difficult to maintain automatic driving, especially in scenarios requiring precise lane changes or diverging/merging, and may result in unsafe transitions to manual driving if not managed properly.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device with automatic driving control means and map information holding means that continues automatic driving using the available detailed map until reaching a point where manual driving can be safely initiated, by identifying and maintaining lanes through external recognition sensors and searching for emergency stop positions when communication is lost or map data is corrupted.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the system uses communication to acquire latest detailed map information, then the automatic driving control precision is improved, but the system reliability deteriorates when communication is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle position identification precisionVSAvoidautomatic driving continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores detailed map information in advance in map information holding means before communication interruption occurs. When communication is interrupted, the automatic driving control means continues to function using this pre-stored map data, ensuring both precision and reliability are maintained without real-time communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the system terminates automatic driving immediately when detailed map becomes unavailable, then the safety is improved, but the driver burden increases due to unexpected manual takeover

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety riskVSAvoiddriver burden
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates and notifies the driver in advance about the remaining time for automatic driving continuation. This allows the driver to prepare mentally and physically for the upcoming manual takeover, reducing surprise and burden while maintaining safety by ensuring timely transition before map unavailability becomes critical.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides continuous feedback to the driver through notifications about the remaining automatic driving time. This feedback loop keeps the driver informed of the system's status and the upcoming transition, enabling smooth handover from automatic to manual control without abrupt changes that would increase driver burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Duration of action of stationary object

If the system continues automatic driving using outdated detailed map, then the automatic driving continuity is maintained, but the lane determination accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic driving continuation timeVSAvoidlane determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores detailed map information in advance before communication interruption. By having the latest map data available locally in the map information holding means, the system can maintain both automatic driving continuity and lane determination accuracy simultaneously, as the pre-stored map is as current as possible before the interruption occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3637051B1Vehicle control device
Publication Date: 2023.07.19 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP3637051B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3637051B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3637051B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In an automatic driving vehicle, traveling is continued in a case where a section in which a detailed map in which information required for automatic driving is recorded is not usable occurs during the traveling by the automatic driving. Automatic driving control means 100 for controlling automatic driving of a vehicle and map information holding means 601 for holding a detailed map including traveling lane information are provided. In a case where a section in which a detailed map newer than the detailed map held in the map information holding means 601 is not usable is in a traveling scheduled route, the automatic driving control means 100 continues to perform the automatic driving until a start point of the section is reached, using the detailed map held in the map information holding means 601.