Vehicle Speed Control Using Multi-Directional Drivable Space Assessment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle adaptive cruise control systems often neglect vehicles and static road structures outside the direct path, leading to driver insecurity and mistrust, as they focus primarily on the target ahead, failing to consider the broader driving environment.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle velocity control method that determines drivable distances and areas in different directions using onboard sensors, correcting for various targets, including static structures and vehicles, to assess safety and adjust vehicle speed accordingly, thereby enhancing driver safety by considering the entire driving scenario.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If existing adaptive cruise control focuses only on the target vehicle ahead, then the control logic is simple, but driver security feeling deteriorates and trust in the function declines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol logic complexityVSAvoiddriver trust and security feeling
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring scope is segmented into multiple directional zones (front, left-front, right-front, etc.) with different safety thresholds. Each zone independently monitors for vehicles and calculates safety distances, allowing comprehensive coverage while maintaining manageable computational complexity through modular zone-based processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from one-dimensional forward monitoring to three-dimensional spatial monitoring by incorporating angular information and dividing the environment into multiple directional zones. This adds dimensional depth to the safety assessment, enabling the system to detect vehicles in side zones that would be missed by traditional single-direction monitoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the vehicle velocity control considers all directions and targets, then driver security feeling improves, but the computational complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver security feelingVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The environment is divided into multiple directional zones (front, left-front, right-front, etc.), each with predefined angular ranges. This segmentation allows the system to process safety information in manageable modular units rather than treating the entire 360-degree environment as a single complex calculation problem

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Safety threshold values for different directional zones are pre-calculated and stored based on vehicle dimensions, braking performance, and road conditions. During real-time operation, the system directly compares measured distances against these pre-established thresholds, avoiding the need for complex real-time calculations and reducing processing time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle enters a narrow drivable space, then the vehicle can navigate tight environments, but driver insecurity increases and safety is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation capability in tight environmentsVSAvoiddriver security and safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores safety threshold distances for different directional zones based on vehicle characteristics and road conditions. Before the vehicle enters a narrow space, the system compares the available space against these pre-established thresholds and issues early warnings or自动控制 velocity adjustments, preventing entry into unsafe narrow spaces rather than reacting after the fact

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the drivable space in all directional zones and provides real-time feedback to the driver through warnings or automatic velocity control adjustments. When the available space in any zone falls below the safety threshold, the system immediately responds by alerting the driver or automatically reducing velocity, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism that adapts to changing environmental conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4082854B1Vehicle velocity control method and device
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD
  • EP4082854B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4082854B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4082854B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a vehicle velocity control method. The method includes: determining, by an onboard sensor, drivable distances in different directions in front of a current vehicle, and obtaining, at least based on types of targets in the different directions, an area of a drivable space in front of the current vehicle; determining, based on the area of the drivable space and a current vehicle velocity, a result of a safety degree in a current driving scenario; and controlling the vehicle velocity of the current vehicle based on the result of the safety degree. The disclosure further relates to a vehicle control device, a computer storage medium, and a vehicle.