Vehicle Driving Support via External Environment Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems face challenges in maintaining effective driving support when environmental conditions, such as blurred road partition lines, prevent the recognition of running paths, leading to reduced or terminated automated driving capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that includes a communication unit, detection unit, driving support control unit, extraction unit, and communication control unit, which detects environmental changes, extracts relevant information, and transmits it to an external device to adjust driving support strategies, ensuring reliable operation even in changing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the driving support control unit executes automated driving based on detected environment information, then the driving support functionality is improved, but the reliability deteriorates when the detection unit cannot recognize running partition lines due to blurring or other environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external device (server) as an intermediary to obtain environment information about running partition lines. When the detection unit cannot recognize lines due to blurring, the system queries the external device for pre-stored environment information, which serves as a mediator to bridge the gap between detection failure and driving control requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The external device pre-stores environment information about running partition lines in advance before the vehicle encounters detection difficulties. This preliminary action allows the system to access reliable historical data when real-time detection fails, preventing recognition reliability deterioration.
2Reliability
If the system queries the external device for environment information to maintain driving support, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to communication delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively queries the external device only when the detection unit fails to recognize running partition lines, rather than continuously querying. This partial action approach maintains reliability only when necessary, minimizing communication time loss while preserving driving support functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the detection unit's recognition status triggers the query decision. When recognition succeeds, no query is made; when recognition fails, the system feedbacks to query the external device, optimizing the balance between reliability and time loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system uses environment information from the external device, then the adaptability to environmental changes is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional communication components
Solution Approach 1:
The external device serves multiple functions: storing environment information, providing query responses, and serving as a backup detection system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components in the vehicle, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while improving environmental adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection unit first attempts self-service by independently recognizing running partition lines. Only when this self-service fails does the system engage the external communication system, minimizing the active complexity of communication components while maintaining adaptability when needed.
4Reliability
If the driving support control unit terminates or lowers driving support when environment information is unavailable, then the reliability is maintained, but the productivity decreases due to reduced automated driving capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-queries the external device for environment information before terminating driving support. This preliminary action allows the system to access stored environment data that may enable continued automated driving, thereby maintaining both reliability and productivity by avoiding unnecessary terminations.
Solution Approach 2:
The external device acts as an intermediary information source that prevents premature termination of driving support. By providing alternative environment information when detection fails, it mediates between maintaining reliability and preserving productivity, allowing automated driving to continue with supplemented information.
Data Source
AI summary
A subject vehicle includes: a communication device communicating with an external device; a detection unit detecting a state of the surroundings of a subject vehicle; a driving support control unit executing driving support of automatically executing at least a part of speed control or steering control of the subject vehicle on the basis of the state of the surroundings of the subject vehicle detected by the detection unit; an extraction unit extracting environment information causing a change in control in the driving support from information of the state of the surroundings of the subject vehicle detected by the detection unit; and a communication control unit transmitting the environment information extracted by the extraction unit to an external device using the communication unit.