Vehicle Interflow Control with Dynamic Handover Notification Timing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems face challenges in balancing the possibility of automatic interflow in an interflow lane with ensuring running safety, as they often fail to allocate sufficient time for handover notifications and automatic interflow execution simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control device and method that judges conditions for automatic interflow and adjusts notification timing and deceleration strategies, suspending automatic interflow notifications when conditions are met and initiating gentle deceleration to ensure safe handover, allowing for maximum automatic interflow opportunity within the interflow lane.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the control device tries to execute the automatic interflow as much as possible in the interflow lane, then the possibility of automatic interflow is improved, but the time for executing the handover proposal is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic interflow executionVSAvoidhandover proposal execution time

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The notification start position is dynamically adjusted based on whether automatic interflow conditions are satisfied. When conditions are met, the notification start position is set downstream to prioritize automatic interflow; when conditions are not met, the notification start position is set upstream to ensure sufficient handover time. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the notification timing to the actual interflow conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of notification start position based on the satisfaction of automatic interflow conditions. By modifying this positional parameter, the system optimizes the balance between executing automatic interflow and providing handover proposals, directly addressing the time allocation contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If the control device tries to set much time for executing the proposal for handover, then the handover execution time is improved, but the time for automatic interflow is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandover proposal execution timeVSAvoidautomatic interflow execution

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically determines the notification start position based on real-time assessment of automatic interflow conditions. This dynamic approach allows the system to allocate notification time appropriately without permanently sacrificing automatic interflow opportunities, as the notification timing adapts to current traffic and lane conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control device performs preliminary judgment of automatic interflow conditions at a first position before determining the notification start position. This preliminary action allows the system to plan the notification timing in advance, ensuring both adequate handover time and maximum automatic interflow execution without conflict.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Extent of automation

If the control device executes automatic interflow conditions judgment at a first position, then the automatic interflow opportunity is improved, but the notification timing may be delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic interflow opportunityVSAvoidnotification execution timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control device performs preliminary judgment of automatic interflow conditions at a first position upstream. Based on this preliminary assessment, it determines the appropriate notification start position downstream. This two-stage preliminary action ensures both automatic interflow opportunities are captured and notifications are timed appropriately without delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The interflow zone is segmented into different positions (first position for condition judgment, second position for notification start). This segmentation allows the system to separate the automatic interflow judgment function from the notification execution function, enabling both to operate optimally without timing conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11789446B2Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and computer-readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

When a subject vehicle reaches a first position of an interflow zone within an interflow lane, it is judged whether a condition for automatic interflow is satisfied. When it is judged that the condition for automatic interflow is not satisfied at the first position, a notification for urging a handover of a central player of the subject vehicle is stated to execute. When it is judged that the condition for automatic interflow is satisfied at the first position, the start of the execution of the notification is temporarily suspended.