Heavy-Duty Vehicle Trajectory Planning With Deadlock Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Planning guided trajectories for heavy-duty vehicles is challenging due to the risk of traffic deadlocks, especially in areas with traffic constraints, as these vehicles require complex operation and specialized skills to extricate from deadlock situations, and existing technologies fail to effectively predict and prevent deadlocks in autonomous or semi-autonomous operations.

Innovation Solution

A traffic planner with a deadlock prediction pre-processor that uses a trained classifier model to predict potential deadlocks by analyzing vehicle trajectories and occupancy states, allowing for dynamic adjustment of trajectories to avoid congestion and optimize vehicle movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple heavy-duty vehicles follow guided trajectories through traffic constrained locations, then vehicle fleet productivity is improved, but traffic deadlock risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle fleet productivityVSAvoidtraffic deadlock risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The deadlock prediction pre-processor performs preliminary analysis of traffic situations before deadlocks occur. It classifies current traffic states and predicts future deadlock risks, allowing the traffic planner to take preventive actions by adjusting vehicle trajectories in advance to avoid predicted deadlock scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback by repeatedly classifying traffic situations as vehicles move through the site. The deadlock classifier continuously monitors vehicle positions and trajectory intersections, providing real-time predictions that feed back to the traffic planner for dynamic trajectory adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If trajectory planning is optimized to prevent deadlocks, then traffic reliability is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic deadlock preventionVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The traffic situation is segmented into discrete classifiable states that the deadlock classifier can process. By dividing the continuous traffic environment into distinct scenarios (deadlock-prone vs. safe), the system simplifies the computational task while maintaining effective deadlock prediction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The deadlock classifier is pre-trained on traffic situation data to recognize deadlock patterns. This preliminary training phase separates the complex computational work from real-time operation, allowing fast classification during actual traffic planning without requiring complex computations during critical decision moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If real-time deadlock prediction is implemented, then traffic situation awareness is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetraffic situation awarenessVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The deadlock classifier is pre-trained offline on comprehensive traffic situation data, preparing it to rapidly classify real-time scenarios. This preliminary training transfers computational burden from real-time operation to an initial setup phase, enabling fast processing during actual traffic management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses a simplified classification model that captures essential deadlock patterns without requiring full complex simulations. This copied approach to traffic analysis provides sufficient awareness for planning purposes while maintaining computationally efficient processing speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4343478A1Deadlock prediction for traffic planning
Publication Date: 2024.03.27 VOLVO AUTONOMOUS SOLUTIONS AB
  • EP4343478A1 patent drawingFigure 1
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AI summary

Various methods and related aspects are disclosed to determine if a traffic situation comprising a plurality of heavy-duty vehicles following a plurality of guided vehicle trajectories in a defined area will lead to a vehicle deadlock. For example, one method comprises generating a traffic situation representation for the defined area comprising, for each of the plurality of vehicles, an initial vehicle trajectory segment location and a subsequent deadlock status, inputting the traffic situation representation to a traffic situation deadlock classifier which has been trained to output a traffic situation deadlock classification based on an input representation of a traffic situation in the defined area, and, based on the input traffic situation representation, generating a predicted deadlock classification of a subsequent traffic situation for that input traffic situation representation.