Vehicle Control Apparatus Notification Timing for Course Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to enhance the reliability and safety of vehicle course changes, particularly during transitions from automated driving to manual driving, as drivers may be confused or fail to notice notifications, leading to potential safety risks during maneuvers like lane changes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that includes a notification unit to inform the driver of a state switch from automated to manual driving, with a setting unit determining the earliest suitable notification timing from multiple candidates, considering conditions for completing the course change by manual driving or setting the vehicle in a standby state by automated driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If notification timing is set based on manual driving completion condition, then driver can complete course change by manual driving, but notification may be too late if driver does not notice it promptly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by calculating multiple notification timing candidates in advance (first candidate based on manual driving completion, second candidate based on automated standby state) and selects the earliest one before actual notification is needed. This ensures the notification is given at the optimal time that guarantees course change completion while providing sufficient margin for driver response.
2Reliability
If notification timing is set too early, then driver has sufficient time to respond, but course change may not be completed by manual driving if driver is confused
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring the driving state and calculating notification timing candidates based on actual conditions (manual driving completion condition, automated standby state condition). The notification timing is dynamically adjusted based on feedback from these condition assessments, ensuring the chosen timing is both early enough for driver response and late enough to guarantee course change completion.
3Ease of operation
If single notification timing is used, then system is simple to operate, but cannot account for driver confusion or inattention
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of multiple notification timing candidates before actual notification is required. By pre-calculating both the first candidate (manual driving completion-based) and second candidate (automated standby state-based), the system prepares multiple timing options in advance, then selects the earliest one. This maintains operational simplicity while ensuring reliability through multi-candidate evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus includes a notification unit configured to notify a driver of a switching request from automated driving to manual driving, and a setting unit configured to set a notification timing of the notification unit. In a case in which a course change of a vehicle is needed up to a predetermined point during the automated driving, the setting unit sets a timing that comes earliest from a plurality of candidates of the notification timing. The plurality of candidates includes a first candidate based on a condition necessary for completing the course change by the manual driving up to the predetermined point, and a second candidate based on a condition necessary for setting the vehicle in a predetermined standby state by the automated driving up to the predetermined point.