Vehicle Trajectory Control Through Unmarked Branching Routes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle cruise control systems struggle to maintain control when a vehicle enters areas with branching routes, such as crossings or intersections, where there are no clear white lines or road markings, making it difficult to specify the traveling route and continue cruise control.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cruise control device that includes an external world information acquisition unit and a control unit capable of obtaining a target trajectory based on adjacent route information, setting a virtual route specification target, and executing interim traveling trajectory control to ensure the vehicle stays on course through branching areas by adjusting the rudder angle of the steered wheels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cruise control device relies on traveling route specification targets (white lines, guardrails, medians) to specify the traveling route, then the vehicle can maintain accurate cruise control in areas with clear road markings, but the control system fails in branch point areas where such markings are absent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by using road marking information from areas adjacent to the branch point to specify the traveling route through the branch point area. Instead of directly relying on absent markings at the branch point, the system uses markings from neighboring areas as a reference to determine the vehicle's path, enabling continuous cruise control where traditional methods fail
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of road markings in areas adjacent to the branch point before the vehicle enters the branch point area. By acquiring and processing marking information in advance, the control device can predict the traveling route through the branch point and prepare appropriate control commands, ensuring seamless transition through areas without markings
2Measurement precision
If the system uses electronic processing of image information to determine traveling route specification targets, then route specification is accurate in marked areas, but the system cannot continue cruise control when entering branch point areas without such targets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses road markings from adjacent areas as an intermediary reference to specify the traveling route through the branch point. The image processing unit detects markings in neighboring areas and uses this information to infer the correct path through the unmarked branch point area, maintaining both accuracy and continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The system shifts from a two-dimensional local detection approach (only detecting markings directly in front of the vehicle) to a three-dimensional spatial approach by incorporating marking information from adjacent areas in multiple directions. This dimensional expansion allows the system to specify routes through branch points by synthesizing information from surrounding areas
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle cruise control device is provided that obtains a target trajectory of a vehicle based on white lines 102 and 104 as traveling route specification targets contained in information acquired by a device that acquires at least information in front of the vehicle, and performs traveling trajectory control so as to cause the vehicle to travel along the target trajectory. When the vehicle travels a particular area 110 where a traveling route branches into a plurality of traveling routes and a target trajectory cannot be obtained based on white lines, an interim target trajectory 116 is obtained for the particular area, based on the white lines 102 and 104 in an area adjacent to the particular area and a traveling route that the vehicle is to travel after traveling the particular area, and interim traveling trajectory control is executed so that the vehicle travels along the interim target trajectory.