Vehicle Exit Timing Accuracy via Road Marking Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) face inaccuracies in determining the traveling condition of a vehicle during exit from a main road or convergence with it, leading to inappropriate driving control timing, which can cause unpleasant sensations for drivers and disrupt smooth traffic flow.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a host vehicle position calculation unit, road network data, and road surface marking data to accurately determine exit start and completion scenes and convergence start and completion scenes, enabling precise timing determination for driving support systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a host vehicle position calculated by the navigation system is used to determine driving control timing, then the system can provide driving support based on geographical location, but the timing accuracy deteriorates due to position calculation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces road surface marking recognition as an intermediary mechanism between the navigation system and driving control. The marking recognition unit detects actual road markings (exit signs, lane dividers) to provide a more accurate reference for determining exit timing, mediating the position calculation errors of the navigation system
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring both navigation-calculated position and actual road marking positions, comparing them to determine timing deviations, and adjusting the driving control timing accordingly to compensate for navigation errors
2Reliability
If deceleration control is performed before the host vehicle enters the deceleration lane based on calculated position, then the system attempts to provide early warning, but the driver experiences unpleasant sensation and traffic flow is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of exit scenes by recognizing road surface markings in advance, but delays the actual deceleration control execution until the vehicle actually enters the deceleration lane, as determined by marking recognition, rather than acting on predicted navigation position alone
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the timing of deceleration control based on real-time marking recognition results. The control timing is not fixed but adapts to the actual detected position of road markings, allowing flexible adjustment to match actual driving conditions and avoid premature control activation
3Device complexity
If a fixed control subject section is set in advance for exit detection, then the system can simplify control logic, but the timing accuracy deteriorates when navigation position errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control subject section is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system continuously updates the control subject section based on real-time road marking recognition results, allowing the detection zone to move and adapt to the actual vehicle position and road conditions, thereby maintaining timing accuracy without significantly increasing logic complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A support control unit for determining a traveling condition of a host vehicle during an exit from a main road to an access road determines whether or not the condition of the host vehicle at a given point in time corresponds to an exit start scene or an exit completion scene for detecting the start of an exit or completion of the exit on the basis of a host vehicle position, route data, map rendering data, or lane information including at least road surface marking positions, and determines that an exit start timing or an exit completion timing of the host vehicle has arrived when the condition is determined to correspond to the exit start scene or the exit completion scene. Hence, during the exit from the main road to the access road, the traveling condition of the host vehicle can be determined accurately. The support control unit also determines the traveling condition of the host vehicle during convergence with the main road from the access road.