Vehicle Control System Handover Restraint Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems face challenges in appropriately switching from automated driving to manual driving, leading to inappropriate transitions and potential safety issues due to inadequate handling of occupant operations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that includes an action plan generating unit, automated driving control unit, operation device, handover control unit, and restraint control unit, which generates and manages action plans, controls automated driving, accepts occupant operations, instructs mode shifts, and restrains inappropriate transitions by comparing estimated paths with expected target paths using thresholds to ensure safe switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the system allows free switching from automated driving to manual driving upon occupant operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to inappropriate transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint control unit continuously monitors the operation input and compares it with the generated action plan to determine whether to allow or restrain mode switching. This feedback mechanism ensures that switching decisions are based on real-time consistency checks between occupant inputs and automated driving plans, resolving the contradiction by enabling easy switching when safe and preventing it when unsafe.
Solution Approach 2:
The system generates an action plan in advance that outlines the intended driving actions. Before allowing mode switching, the system checks whether the occupant's operation is consistent with this pre-generated action plan. This preliminary planning and validation approach enables reliable switching by ensuring that transitions only occur when they align with the automated driving's intended actions.
2Reliability
If the system restrains switching when operation contradicts action plan, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation worsens due to restricted transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the switching permission based on real-time conditions. When the operation is consistent with the action plan, switching is permitted; when inconsistent, switching is restrained. This dynamic response resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible and adaptive rather than rigid, improving reliability without unnecessarily restricting legitimate switching operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous monitoring and comparison mechanism provides feedback to both the control system and the occupant (through notifications). This feedback loop ensures that restrictions are applied only when necessary for safety, maintaining ease of operation for valid switching attempts while improving reliability by blocking inappropriate transitions.
3Reliability
If the system monitors and compares operation with action plan, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint control unit serves multiple functions: it monitors operations, compares them with the action plan, determines consistency, decides whether to restrain switching, and notifies the occupant. By consolidating these functions into a single control unit rather than separate components, the system improves reliability through comprehensive monitoring while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the monitoring, comparison, decision-making, and notification functions into an integrated restraint control mechanism that works closely with the existing action plan generating unit. This merging approach reduces overall system complexity compared to having entirely separate systems for each function, while still achieving the reliability improvements through thorough operation validation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control device includes the following components. An action plan generating unit generates an action plan of a vehicle. An automated driving control unit carries out a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle is automatically controlled based on the action plan. An operation device accepts an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. A handover control unit instructs shifting to a second driving mode, in which the degree of automated driving is lower than in the first driving mode, when the occupant operates the operation device to instruct one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering in the first driving mode. A restraint control unit generates an estimated path of the vehicle to be taken based on the operation and restrains shifting to the second driving mode if the estimated path contradicts the action plan.