Vehicle Trip Planning Using Manual Control Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle control systems face challenges when manual operation deviates from optimal speed profiles, potentially leading to violations of speed limits, delayed arrivals, or safety risks, especially in congested areas or due to changes in vehicle composition or environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that identify segments of a route where manual control occurred during prior traversals, generating a machine-learned segment plan based on those operations, which is then used to automatically control subsequent vehicle systems, ensuring compliance with limits and optimizing routes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control is used to reduce speed in congested areas, then safety and adaptability are improved, but deviation from optimal speed profile occurs causing delayed arrival and potential limit violations
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-identifies congested segments from historical manual control data and pre-calculates optimized speed profiles for these segments. By preparing control strategies in advance based on predicted congestion patterns, the system can automatically adjust speed appropriately without deviating from the overall optimal schedule, thus maintaining both safety and punctuality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors actual vehicle position, speed, and congestion conditions, comparing them against the planned optimal speed profile. When congestion is detected or manual control deviations occur, the feedback mechanism triggers real-time recalculation and adjustment of the speed profile, allowing the vehicle to adapt to changing conditions while minimizing delays and avoiding limit violations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual control is used to adapt to changing conditions, then adaptability is improved, but operator burden and potential for error increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs the functions previously requiring manual operator intervention. By using onboard sensors, communication systems, and processing units to detect congestion, determine appropriate speed adjustments, and execute control commands, the vehicle handles adaptive speed control autonomously, eliminating operator burden while maintaining high adaptability to changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated electronic control system. The processor-based system uses electronic sensors to detect congestion conditions and automatically adjusts throttle and brake settings, substituting the mechanical operator's role with an electronic control mechanism that provides consistent, error-free operation while adapting to varying traffic conditions.
3Productivity
If automatic control follows optimal speed profile, then fuel efficiency and productivity are improved, but compliance with speed limits and safety requirements may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the optimal speed profile based on real-time and predicted congestion conditions. Rather than following a fixed pre-calculated profile, the control system continuously modifies speed targets to account for varying traffic density, ensuring that the vehicle maintains fuel-efficient operation while automatically adapting to congestion patterns that require speed reductions for compliance and safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system and method includes identifying a segment of a route where one or more first vehicle systems were operated manually instead of operated by one or more processors according to one or more trip plans during prior traversals of the segment by the one or more first vehicle systems. A segment plan is generated for traversing the segment under control of the one or more processors. The segment plan is generated based on how the one or more first vehicle systems were manually operated during the prior traversals of the segment. One or more second vehicle systems are controlled with the one or more processors to traverse the segment according to the segment plan.