Vehicle Lateral Control Using Validated Swarm Environment Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lateral guidance systems rely heavily on sensor data, which can be unreliable due to sensor failures, dirt, or environmental conditions, leading to potential inaccuracies in environmental data acquisition.

Innovation Solution

Integrate swarm data from a fleet of vehicles that have previously traveled the same route, validating this data against the vehicle's own sensor data to ensure accuracy and reliability for lateral guidance, switching to own data if significant discrepancies are detected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If lane keeping assist systems use only own-vehicle sensors, then system independence is maintained, but detection reliability in occluded areas deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces V2V communication as an intermediary mechanism that enables information exchange between vehicles. The own-vehicle sensor system receives lane marking detection results from neighboring vehicles through V2V communication, effectively extending detection coverage to occluded areas without requiring additional physical sensors on the own vehicle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the lane marking detection system universal by enabling vehicles to share detection results through V2V communication. A single vehicle's sensor system can detect lane markings for multiple vehicles by sharing detection data, allowing the system to serve multiple functions beyond just the own vehicle's immediate sensor range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Area of stationary object

If lane marking detection relies on own-vehicle sensors only, then system simplicity is maintained, but detection coverage in occluded areas deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

V2V communication acts as an intermediary that transfers detection information from neighboring vehicles to the own vehicle. This enables the own-vehicle system to access detection data from areas that would otherwise be occluded or beyond the own vehicle's sensor range, effectively expanding detection coverage without adding physical sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by receiving and utilizing lane marking detection results from neighboring vehicles as if they were detected by the own vehicle's sensors. The detection information is copied from other vehicles' sensor systems and processed by the own vehicle's control system, extending coverage without duplicating physical sensing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If environmental data is shared between vehicles, then detection reliability in occluded areas improves, but data security and privacy protection requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental data reliabilityVSAvoiddata security risks
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary environmental data (lane marking detection results) for sharing between vehicles, rather than transmitting all sensor data. This selective extraction minimizes the amount of data exposed to security risks while maintaining the reliability benefits of shared environmental information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4025470B1Lateral control of a vehicle by means of environment data detected from other vehicles
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP4025470B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the lateral control of a vehicle (10) which comprises: detecting environment data of a vehicle (10) when travelling a route; receiving stored environment data detected when travelling the route by a plurality of other vehicles (10) not currently travelling the route; checking the plausibility of the stored environment data on the basis of the environment data detected; and executing lateral control of the vehicle (10) on the basis of the environment data checked for plausibility. The invention also relates to an arrangement (1) for the lateral control of a vehicle (10).