Vehicle Give-Way Control Using Automated Yield Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems face challenges in ensuring smooth give-way actions between vehicles, often resulting in delayed or missed opportunities due to the time required for message exchange and potential unawareness of intended actions by drivers.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that automatically determines if predetermined conditions for giving way are met based on travel information of both vehicles, such as distance and speed, and outputs a command for the first vehicle to take a give-way action, including slowing down or changing lanes, without driver intervention, while informing the second vehicle of the intended give-way.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual message exchange between drivers is used to coordinate give-way actions, then drivers can communicate intentions, but the process is delayed and opportunities to give way may be missed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated communication system as an intermediary between drivers, where the system automatically sends and receives give-way request messages between vehicles without requiring manual driver intervention. This mediator handles the message exchange process, eliminating delays caused by manual communication while ensuring reliable transmission of give-way intentions between vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting when a give-way situation arises and initiating the give-way request message before the vehicles reach a critical proximity. The automated system proactively manages the give-way coordination process, sending requests in advance and executing actions before manual intervention would be possible, thereby preventing missed opportunities.
2Loss of information
If drivers manually exchange messages to coordinate give-way, then communication can occur, but drivers may remain unaware of the intended give-way action
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the automated system not only sends give-way request messages but also monitors and confirms receipt and understanding of these messages. The system provides feedback to both vehicles about the give-way status, ensuring that the receiving vehicle is aware of the intended action. This feedback loop eliminates information loss while maintaining simple automated operation without requiring complex driver actions.
3Productivity
If automated give-way determination is implemented, then give-way actions occur more timely, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a multi-functional automated system that handles multiple tasks: detecting give-way situations, determining which vehicle should yield, sending communication messages, and executing give-way actions. This universal system consolidates what would otherwise require separate manual operations into a single integrated automated process, achieving timely give-way actions while managing complexity through functional consolidation rather than proliferation of separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a controller that is configured to perform: obtaining information about travel of a first vehicle; obtaining information about travel of a second vehicle; and outputting to the second vehicle information about the first vehicle giving way, and outputting a command for the first vehicle to take a give-way action, in response to determining, based on the information about the travel of the first vehicle and the information about the travel of the second vehicle, that predetermined conditions for the first vehicle to give way to the second vehicle are satisfied.