VRU Position Refinement via Map Matching for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing position determination methods for vulnerable road user vehicles, relying solely on satellite navigation, are not precise enough for effective collision avoidance, with GPS position accuracy reported at ±7.5 meters.
Innovation Solution
The method involves equipping vulnerable road user vehicles with odometer sensors and interacting with portable user equipment to enhance position determination precision. This includes transferring position detecting sensor data to a portable communication device, evaluating and refining the data using map matching and data fusion techniques, and then distributing the refined position data to surrounding vehicles for collision avoidance maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If satellite navigation (GPS) is used for position determination in vulnerable road user vehicles, then the system is simple and easy to implement, but the position accuracy is insufficient (±7.5 meters) for effective collision avoidance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple position determination methods (satellite navigation, odometer sensors, map matching) into a unified system. The vulnerable road user vehicle integrates GPS receivers, odometer sensors, and communication modules to collect data from multiple sources, achieving higher precision without requiring a completely new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a portable communication device (smartphone or server) as an intermediary that receives raw position data from the vulnerable road user vehicle, performs map matching and data fusion calculations, and returns refined position information. This mediator handles the complex computational tasks, keeping the vehicle system relatively simple while achieving high precision.
2Measurement precision
If multiple position determination methods (odometer, map matching) are combined to improve precision, then position accuracy increases, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent offloads complex data processing to a portable communication device or server that acts as an intermediary. This external processor performs map matching, data fusion, and trajectory calculation, reducing the computational burden on the vulnerable road user vehicle itself while maintaining high precision position determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the position determination system into separate functional modules: data collection (odometer, GPS), data transmission (communication module), data processing (map matching, data fusion), and result application (collision avoidance). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture.
3Reliability
If real-time position data is continuously transmitted to surrounding vehicles for collision avoidance, then collision detection capability is improved, but energy consumption and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic transmission of position data at predetermined time intervals rather than continuous transmission. The vulnerable road user vehicle transmits its position, speed, and trajectory information at regular intervals, allowing surrounding vehicles to maintain updated collision risk assessments while reducing overall energy consumption and communication load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing of position data to extract only the most relevant information for collision avoidance (position, speed, trajectory) before transmission. By pre-processing and filtering data, the system reduces communication overhead and energy consumption while maintaining the reliability needed for effective collision avoidance.
Data Source
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AI summary
The proposal concerns a method for collision avoidance between a vulnerable road user vehicle (10) and a surrounding vehicle (20). Such vulnerable road user vehicle may be a bicycle, motorcycle, scooter, roller or the like. The proposal is based on the fact that the user of the vulnerable road user vehicle (10) makes use of a portable communication device, such as tablet computer or smart phone. Since such vulnerable road users are pretty often involved in accidents since they are not easily recognized in the traffic, the proposal aims at increasing safety for these vulnerable road users. The proposed method comprises the following steps: Transferring (101) position detecting sensor data or derived position data of the vulnerable road user vehicle (10) to said portable communication device. In said portable communication device performing (104) a map matching technique for refining the position data, and transferring (106) the refined position data to the vulnerable road user vehicle (10). Hence, the vulnerable road user vehicle (10) performs a step of distributing (107) the refined position data to the surrounding vehicles (20). They will calculate a trajectory for the vulnerable road user vehicle and estimate if there is a risk of a collision. If yes, they can take corresponding action such as warning the driver or performing an autonomous collision avoidance maneuver.