Vehicle Controller Route Switching for Energy and Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle controllers often cause driver discomfort by specifying travel routes and speeds that differ from the driver's expectations, leading to increased energy consumption due to frequent accelerations and decelerations, and may initiate obstacle avoidance maneuvers too early, confusing the driver.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller with a processor that executes a nearby-object detection module, two route computation modules, and a control module to compute and switch between two target travel routes: one for minimal energy consumption and another for obstacle avoidance, with the second route being shorter and conforming to speed limit distributions around detected objects, thereby reducing driver discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the travel route and speed are specified to minimize energy consumption, then energy consumption is reduced, but driver discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two different route computation modes (first route computation for energy efficiency, second route computation for driver comfort) based on real-time detection of nearby objects. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize for energy consumption when safe, and switch to driver-preferred routing when obstacles are detected, thereby resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and driver comfort
2Use of energy by moving object
If obstacle avoidance is initiated early to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but driver confusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system computes two different target travel routes: a first route that extends over a longer section for energy optimization, and a second route that extends over a shorter section for immediate obstacle avoidance. By providing partial obstacle avoidance (second route) rather than full early avoidance (first route), the system achieves sufficient energy efficiency while maintaining driver understanding and reducing confusion
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle controller configured to control traveling of a vehicle includes a processor configured to execute a nearby-object detection module, a first route computation module configured to compute a first target travel route specifying route and speed of a vehicle, a second route computation module configured to compute a second target travel route specifying route and speed of so as to prompt the vehicle to avoid the detected nearby object, and a control module configured to control at least one of a traveling speed and vehicle steering so as to prompt the vehicle to travel on the first or second target travel route. The first route computation module computes the route so as to prompt the vehicle to travel with lower energy consumption, and the control module switches the target travel route to the second route when the nearby object to be avoided is detected within a range.