Vehicle Control Device for Smooth Autonomous Level Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle control systems fail to seamlessly transition between automatic driving levels, causing anxiety for drivers during shifts from higher automatic driving levels to lower levels, especially when drivers need to monitor the surroundings or wake up from sleep modes, and they lack flexibility in speed adjustments based on occupant states and environments.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device with a control unit that performs switching control between automatic driving levels 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation and levels 4 or higher allowing sleep, using detection units to adjust vehicle speed and inter-vehicle distance based on occupant states and environmental conditions, enabling smooth transitions and reduced anxiety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle transitions from automatic driving level 4 or higher to level 2 or lower, then the driver can maintain surrounding monitoring obligation, but the driver experiences anxiety and discomfort due to sudden speed adjustments and monitoring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary speed adjustment before the driving level transition is completed. When transitioning from automatic driving level 4 or higher to level 2 or lower, the system adjusts the vehicle speed in advance to match the lower level's speed characteristics, so that when the driver resumes monitoring, the speed is already appropriate, preventing sudden speed changes that cause anxiety
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the automatic driving level and uses this feedback to trigger appropriate speed adjustments. The control unit detects the transition state and automatically modifies vehicle speed based on the target driving level, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures smooth transitions without driver intervention
2Productivity
If the vehicle allows sleep mode in automatic driving level 4 or higher, then productivity increases, but the transition to lower levels requires driver wakefulness which causes discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
Before requiring the driver to wake up for level transition, the system performs preliminary speed adjustment to create a comfortable driving environment. This preparatory action ensures that when the driver becomes alert, the vehicle is already traveling at an appropriate speed, reducing the shock and discomfort of transitioning from sleep mode
Solution Approach 2:
The system cushions the transition impact by adjusting speed in advance. When transitioning from high-level automatic driving with sleep capability to lower levels requiring monitoring, the speed adjustment acts as a cushioning measure that softens the transition experience for the driver waking from sleep
3Device complexity
If the vehicle maintains fixed speed during automatic driving, then control simplicity is maintained, but flexibility in adapting to occupant states and environments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts vehicle speed based on the automatic driving level and transition states. Rather than maintaining a fixed speed, the system modifies speed parameters according to the current driving level and transition requirements, enabling adaptation to different occupant states and environmental conditions while keeping the control logic systematic
Data Source
AI summary
A control unit performs switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a first automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a second automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 4 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation and allowing sleep, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels. When the control unit determines that a driver is in an asleep state based on a detection result of a detection unit in the second automatic driving state, the control unit performs acceleration control to adjust second vehicle speed in the second automatic driving state to be higher than first vehicle speed in the first automatic driving state, equal to the first vehicle speed, or lower than the first vehicle speed and higher than the second vehicle speed in a current state.