Vehicle Control Device for Rough Road Detection Omission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stereo cameras attached to windshields have limited detection ranges, leading to detection omission of rough roads when vehicles follow preceding vehicles too closely, resulting in inadequate suspension adjustment and reduced travel comfort.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device that includes a position estimation unit, outside environment information acquisition unit, map information acquisition unit, rough-road determination unit, and rough-road detection-omission determination unit, which work together to prevent detection omission by adjusting suspension and vehicle speed based on map data and camera detection capabilities, even when the camera's detection range is obstructed by preceding vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stereo camera is attached to the windshield to detect road surface state, then the suspension can be adjusted to improve traveling comfort, but the detection range is limited and rough roads may be missed when following preceding vehicles closely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple information sources (stereo camera detection, map information, and position estimation) to compensate for the limited camera detection range. By merging these data sources, the system achieves more reliable rough road detection even when the camera cannot directly observe the road surface due to following distance constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces map information as an intermediary to bridge the gap between the camera's limited detection range and the actual road conditions. The map data provides rough road location information that supplements the camera's direct observation, enabling detection of rough roads that are beyond the camera's visible range.
2Productivity
If the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle at a small inter-vehicle distance, then fuel efficiency and traffic flow are improved, but the stereo camera cannot detect rough roads that exist within the detectable section
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses map information to preliminarily identify the location of rough roads before the vehicle reaches them. This advance knowledge allows the system to prepare for upcoming rough sections even when the camera cannot yet detect them, ensuring suspension adjustment occurs at the appropriate time despite limited visual detection range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares the camera's actual detection results with the expected rough road locations from map information. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect when rough roads are present beyond the camera range and trigger appropriate suspension adjustments, compensating for the information loss due to small inter-vehicle distances.
Data Source
AI summary
In a vehicle control device 100, a rough-road travel unit 1008 determines whether or not there is a rough road within a predetermined range in front of a vehicle based on a position of the vehicle estimated by a position estimation unit 1001 and a position of a rough road acquired by a map information acquisition unit 1011, and determines whether or not the rough road has been detected based on road surface information acquired by an outside environment information acquisition unit 1002. When it is determined that there is the rough road within the predetermined range in front of the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle estimated by the position estimation unit 1001 and the position of the rough road acquired by the map information acquisition unit 1011, and it is determined that the rough road is not detected based on the road surface information acquired by the outside environment information acquisition unit 1002, a rough-road detection-omission determination unit 1006 determines whether or not rough-road detection is omitted based on the position of the rough road and a detectable section of a stereo camera 200.