Vehicle Control Device Shunting for Automated Driving Suspension

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems struggle to adapt to changing road environments in real-time, leading to inadequate control and potential safety issues when conditions such as construction, emergency vehicles, or unrecognized road features are encountered.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device and method that includes a recognizer to assess the real-time environment and a driving controller to shunt the vehicle to a safe location when conditions deteriorate, resuming automated driving when conditions improve, utilizing a combination of onboard sensors and external information processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If automated driving is executed based on database road shape estimation, then driving automation is maintained, but the vehicle cannot adapt to real-time environment changes such as construction, emergency vehicles, or unrecognized road features

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to real-time environmentVSAvoidcontrol reliability in changing conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary recognition of the real-time environment (road shape, nearby vehicles, construction sites, emergency vehicles) before executing automated driving control. This allows the system to proactively identify environmental changes and adjust control strategies in advance, rather than reacting after problems occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the real-time environment during automated driving and compares actual conditions with database information. When discrepancies are detected (such as construction sites or emergency vehicles), the system provides feedback to modify control parameters or suspend automated driving, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Use of energy by moving object

If the vehicle suspends automated driving and shuts down monitoring devices when environmental level decreases, then power consumption is reduced, but driving automation and safety monitoring are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidsafety monitoring capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of monitoring devices based on the recognized environmental level. When the environment is favorable, all monitoring devices operate at full capacity. When environmental level decreases, the system selectively maintains critical monitoring functions while reducing or shutting down non-essential devices, creating a dynamic power management strategy that balances energy consumption with safety requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different operational modes to different monitoring devices based on their importance for safety. Critical sensors (such as collision detection sensors) maintain full operation even when power is conserved, while less critical devices (such as entertainment or comfort sensors) are shut down. This localized quality approach ensures safety is maintained while reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11511738B2Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2022.11.29 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • US11511738B2 patent drawing
  • US11511738B2 patent drawing
  • US11511738B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A vehicle control device includes a recognizer that is configured to recognize a peripheral situation of a vehicle and a driving controller that is configured to execute automated driving for controlling a speed and steering of the vehicle on the basis of a recognition result of the recognizer. The recognizer is configured to recognize a real-time environment including a situation of a nearby vehicle or a situation of a nearby road on which the vehicle travels, and the driving controller is configured to shunt the vehicle to a shunt location to suspend the automated driving in a case where the real-time environment corresponds to a predetermined condition, and resume the automated driving in a case where the predetermined condition is resolved after the shunt.