Vehicle Speed Control for Blind Area Collision Avoidance

The system performs preliminary action by proactively setting a speed distribution area in blind regions before any object is detected. The ECU establishes speed limits in advance based on the assumption that objects may exist in connection regions between side roads and the current road, enabling the vehicle to slow down preemptively rather than reactively when an object is finally detected.

The patent introduces an intermediary concept of a 'virtual object' to represent potential hazards in blind areas. This virtual object serves as a mediator between the detection system's limitations and the safety requirement, allowing the system to treat unseen areas as if occupied by an object, thereby triggering appropriate speed reduction and avoidance control without requiring actual visual detection.

The system applies local quality by implementing spatially differentiated speed control. Instead of uniformly reducing speed across all areas, the ECU sets specific speed distribution areas only in blind regions where connection paths exist. The vehicle maintains normal speed in safe, visible areas while automatically slowing down when approaching blind areas, thus preserving traveling efficiency in open spaces while ensuring safety in hazardous zones.

The patent implements dynamics by making the speed limit adaptive and variable rather than fixed. The speed distribution area dynamically adjusts the allowable upper limit value based on the vehicle's position relative to blind areas and connection regions. As the vehicle approaches a blind area, the speed limit is automatically reduced; as it moves away, the limit increases, creating a dynamic speed control system that responds to changing spatial conditions.

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively counteracting the potential harm of undetected objects through advance speed reduction. Before the vehicle reaches a blind area where objects cannot be detected, the ECU automatically lowers the speed limit in that region, creating a safety buffer that prevents collisions even though no actual object detection has occurred. This anticipatory measure compensates for the information loss in blind areas.

The patent uses copying by creating a virtual representation of potential objects in blind areas. Instead of relying on direct sensory detection, the system generates a virtual object model in the connection region between side roads and the current road. This virtual copy allows the control system to apply the same avoidance logic used for detected objects, treating the unseen area as if it contained a real object, thereby compensating for the lack of actual detection data.