Vehicle Control Device Virtual Linking Discontinuous Road Boundaries

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems face instability and discomfort due to discontinuous control inputs when dealing with multiple, separated three-dimensional road boundary objects, leading to potential safety and operational issues.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device and method that virtually links separated obstacles based on their relationship with the host vehicle, using obstacle detection and virtual linking techniques to maintain stable road deviation prevention by determining appropriate control inputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If separated three-dimensional objects representing road boundaries are detected and used for deviation prevention control, then road boundary detection capability is improved, but control input discontinuity occurs at gap portions leading to unstable vehicle behavior

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad boundary detection capabilityVSAvoidcontrol input stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separated three-dimensional objects (sidewalk/road separating blocks) that are detected at different positions into a single unified obstacle entity. By combining these discrete detected objects into one continuous obstacle representation, the system maintains continuous deviation prevention control across gap portions, eliminating control input discontinuity while preserving the ability to detect individual road boundary elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If continuous deviation prevention control is performed with respect to separated three-dimensional objects, then road deviation prevention is improved, but unwanted vehicle behavior occurs due to control discontinuity at gaps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeviation prevention effectivenessVSAvoidvehicle behavior smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separated three-dimensional objects into a single unified obstacle, enabling continuous deviation prevention control to be applied smoothly across the entire road boundary. This unified approach ensures that control inputs remain consistent even when individual detected objects are separated by gaps, thereby preventing unwanted vehicle behavior while maintaining effective deviation prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Measurement precision

If discrete separated obstacles are treated as individual objects for control, then obstacle detection accuracy is improved, but control input weakening occurs at gap portions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobstacle detection accuracyVSAvoidcontrol input strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple detected three-dimensional objects into a single unified obstacle entity, thereby maintaining strong and consistent control inputs across all regions including gap portions. By treating the collection of separated objects as one continuous obstacle, the system prevents control input weakening that would otherwise occur at gaps between individually detected objects, while still preserving the accurate detection of each obstacle's position and dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2436572B1Vehicle control device and vehicle control method
Publication Date: 2016.08.10 HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYST LTD
  • EP2436572B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2436572B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2436572B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A control device and method in which, even when a road deviation operation is performed continuously near a road boundary where sidewalk/road separating blocks are discontinuously lined up, discontinuity does not occur in the control input, and unwanted vehicle behavior does not occur. The sizes of obstacles present around a host vehicle, as well as their relative positions and relative speeds with respect to the host vehicle are detected 500. A pair to be linked is determined from among the plurality of detected obstacles 501. An obstacle link length that serves as a determination criterion for virtual linking is set 502. Whether or not to perform virtual linking is determined based on the determination criterion 503. A gap position interpolation process 504 is performed with respect to the pair for which it has been determined that virtual linking is to be performed. A search is performed as to whether or not there exists a control subject for which collision is to be avoided 505. A yaw moment for avoiding an obstacle is calculated based on position information of the avoidance control subject 506.