Virtual Lane Navigation for Dynamic Traffic Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-driving systems face challenges in navigation due to unreliable data from sensors, especially in changing driving conditions, which affects their ability to respond effectively to traffic congestion and prioritize road use in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that dynamically define and adjust virtual lanes on a physical road based on real-time traffic and road conditions, using a controller to communicate these lanes to mobile devices via a wireless network, allowing for enhanced navigation and traffic management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If self-driving systems rely on sensor data for navigation, then they can obtain real-time driving condition information, but the data reliability deteriorates under changing driving conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central controller as an intermediary that receives sensor data from multiple vehicles and environmental information from road side units. This mediator processes and fuses the data to generate reliable navigation information, compensating for the unreliability of individual sensor readings under changing conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges data from multiple sources including sensors on different vehicles, road side units, and central controllers. By combining multiple data streams, the system achieves more reliable navigation information than any single sensor could provide alone, especially under varying driving conditions.
2Productivity
If virtual lanes are dynamically defined and adjusted based on real-time conditions, then navigation efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the navigation function into multiple components: vehicles collect local sensor data, road side units provide environmental information, and a central controller performs global optimization. This segmentation allows complex virtual lane adjustments to be made without requiring every vehicle to independently process all navigation decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The central controller acts as an intermediary that handles the computational complexity of dynamically defining and adjusting virtual lanes. By centralizing this function, the system achieves high navigation efficiency through real-time adjustments without distributing the full computational burden across all vehicles.
3Device complexity
If sensor data is used for navigation in all conditions, then system simplicity is maintained, but navigation reliability deteriorates when sensors fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having different components perform different functions: vehicles use sensors for local environmental perception, road side units provide localized infrastructure information, and the central controller performs global route optimization. This division allows the system to maintain simplicity at the vehicle level while achieving high reliability through multiple redundant sources.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and System for enhanced navigation and traffic management are provided. A controller obtains input indicative of conditions on a physical road, traffic status information associated with the physical road and requirements of a mobile device. Based at least in part on the input, one or more virtual lanes defining respective routes along the physical road are determined. The virtual lanes are communicated to mobile devices which follow them in place of painted lanes. The virtual lanes can be dynamically updated for example to avoid obstacles. Different lanes can correspond to different priorities of traffic.