Vehicle Intent Indicators for Autonomous Driving Situations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles lack the ability to consistently convey user intent to external entities, such as pedestrians or other drivers, in predefined driving situations, leading to potential misunderstandings or unsafe interactions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle computing system that determines when it is in a user-selected predefined driving situation and autonomously generates initial and secondary indicators, such as light or sound signals, to convey the user's intended response, which can be selected by the user or the system based on the situation, to inform external parties of the vehicle's actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles operate without human input in predefined driving situations, then productivity and automation are improved, but the ability to convey user intent to external entities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system consisting of visual indicators (lights) and audible signals that mediate between the autonomous vehicle's internal decision-making processes and external entities. This intermediary layer translates autonomous vehicle actions into human-perceptible signals, allowing external users to understand the vehicle's intent without direct human input from the vehicle operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the vehicle's operational state and external environment, then communicating this information to external entities through standardized signals. The feedback loop includes detecting predefined driving situations, determining appropriate response modes, and transmitting this information to pedestrians and other road users through visual and audible indicators.
2Reliability
If the vehicle autonomously responds to predefined driving situations, then reliability of consistent response is improved, but the complexity of configuring and managing response modes worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the autonomous response system into distinct, pre-configured response modes (e.g., yielding mode, proceeding mode, caution mode). Each mode is independently defined with specific visual and audible indicator patterns. This segmentation allows the complex behavior to be broken down into manageable, discrete states that can be reliably selected based on predefined driving situations without requiring complex real-time decision logic.
3Loss of information
If the vehicle generates multiple indicators of response mode, then information communication to external entities is improved, but the complexity of the indicator system worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal visual indicators (such as standard traffic light colors and flashing patterns) and audible signals that are already recognized by road users. These multi-functional indicators can convey multiple types of information (vehicle intent, caution levels, response status) using a limited set of standardized signals, reducing the need for complex, specialized indicator systems while maintaining effective communication.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computing system for a vehicle includes one or more processors for controlling operation of the computing system, and a memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to determine when the vehicle is currently in a user-selected predefined driving situation and, responsive to the determination, control operation of the vehicle to implement a vehicle response mode associated with the user-selected predefined driving situation. The vehicle response mode may include an initial control mode specifying one or more initial indicators of the vehicle response mode, and a conditional secondary control mode specifying one or more secondary indicators of the vehicle response mode. The one or more initial indicators and the one or more secondary indicators are configured to be perceivable by a person exterior of the vehicle.