Vehicle Merging Controller for Stable Lane Changes in Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle traffic management technologies fail to facilitate stable lane changing during traffic congestion, particularly when merging into congested lanes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller system that includes detectors to assess the traveling state of both the host vehicle and other vehicles on the main lane, and a merging controller that initiates merging based on predetermined traffic volume conditions, regardless of other vehicles' lane changing activities, ensuring safe and stable lane changes even during congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional lane changing control is used during traffic congestion, then lane changing may be performed based on simple distance criteria, but stable lane changing cannot be achieved when traffic volume is high
Solution Approach 1:
The merging control system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on real-time traffic volume detection. When traffic volume is detected to be equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, the system facilitates starting of merging control regardless of other vehicles' lane changing activities. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain stable lane changing under varying traffic conditions, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter (ease of merging) based on the detected traffic volume condition. Under high traffic volume conditions, the parameter is adjusted to facilitate merging by ignoring other vehicles' lane changing behaviors, whereas under normal conditions, traditional distance-based control is maintained. This parameter change enables the system to achieve stable lane changing across different traffic scenarios.
2Reliability
If lane changing is restricted during congestion to maintain safety, then collision risk is reduced, but merging efficiency and startability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different control qualities to different traffic conditions. When traffic volume is high, the control quality is adjusted to facilitate merging by disregarding other vehicles' lane changing, thereby improving merging efficiency while maintaining safety through localized adaptation. This allows the system to optimize merging performance without compromising overall safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of traffic volume conditions before executing merging control. By detecting whether traffic volume is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount in advance, the system can proactively adjust its control strategy to facilitate merging when conditions are favorable, thereby improving merging efficiency while maintaining safety through advance preparation.
3Ease of operation
If merging control is facilitated under high traffic volume, then merging startability is improved, but control complexity increases due to multiple detection conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a detector for detecting traffic volume conditions and a merging controller for executing merging control based on detected conditions. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity through modular design while maintaining ease of operation through clear separation of detection and control functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the detector continuously monitors traffic volume conditions and provides information to the merging controller, which adjusts its control strategy accordingly. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adapt to changing traffic conditions, improving merging startability without requiring complex manual intervention or overly complicated control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle controller includes a first detector configured to detect a traveling state of a host vehicle, a second detector configured to detect a traveling state of an other vehicle that travels along a main lane when the host vehicle travels along a merging road and configured to detect a traffic volume of the main lane, and a merging controller configured to control merging of the host vehicle regardless of a lane changing of the other vehicle when a distance in a forward/rearward direction of the host vehicle with respect to the other vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, wherein the merging controller facilitates starting of merging control of the host vehicle when it is detected that a traffic volume of the main lane by the second detector is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.