Autonomous Vehicle Control Transfer for Route Calculation Failure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous driving systems lack the capability for the vehicle control system to proactively transfer control from automatic to manual mode when the travel route to avoid an object cannot be calculated, relying on driver intervention or passive system control.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor device and on-vehicle control system that includes a camera, distance sensor, and user interface, enabling the system to judge and transfer control from automatic to manual mode by analyzing image and distance information to ensure safety, even if the driver does not actively operate the vehicle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the autonomous driving system relies on driver intervention or passive system control for mode transfer, then the system complexity is reduced, but the safety and reliability of control transfer is worsened because the system cannot proactively transfer control when travel route calculation fails

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol transfer reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the operational status of the autonomous driving system, specifically detecting when travel route calculation fails. This feedback mechanism enables the system to recognize critical states and trigger appropriate control transfer actions, improving reliability without requiring complex external intervention systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous driving system performs self-service by autonomously detecting calculation failures and initiating control transfer to manual mode without requiring driver intervention. The system monitors its own operational status and independently executes the mode transfer when safety conditions are not met, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the system proactively transfers control to manual mode when travel route cannot be calculated, then the safety is improved, but the extent of automation is worsened because the system abandons automatic control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoidautomatic control extent
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by enabling flexible switching between automatic and manual control modes based on real-time operational conditions. When travel route calculation succeeds, the system operates in automatic mode; when calculation fails, it dynamically transitions to manual mode. This dynamic adaptability ensures safety while maintaining high extent of automation under favorable conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the control mode parameter from automatic to manual when specific conditions (travel route calculation failure) are detected. This parameter change mechanism allows the system to maintain high automation under normal conditions while ensuring safety by switching to manual control when necessary, effectively resolving the contradiction between automation extent and safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the system waits for driver action to transfer control, then the ease of operation is improved, but the response time to safety risks is worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver operation easeVSAvoidcontrol transfer time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system takes preliminary action by proactively transferring control to manual mode when travel route calculation fails, before any safety incident occurs. This preliminary intervention eliminates the need to wait for driver action, thereby reducing control transfer time and ensuring timely response to safety risks while maintaining ease of operation through automated initiation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2957475B1Semiconductor device and control method
Publication Date: 2020.09.30 RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP
  • EP2957475B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2957475B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2957475B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To achieve an accurate transfer of control from a system to a driver, a semiconductor device includes: a recognition unit that recognizes an object present in the periphery of a vehicle based on a result of observation of the periphery of the vehicle; a route calculation unit that calculates, based on the recognized object, a travel route for the vehicle in an automatic control mode for automatically controlling the vehicle; and a mode control unit that transfers the vehicle from the automatic control mode to a manual control mode for controlling the vehicle according to an operation by a driver, when a travel route to avoid the recognized object cannot be calculated.