An onboard device designed to reduce road rage by providing an active and friendly lane change / merchandising feature.

Abstract

This invention relates to an intelligent lane-changing assistance device that addresses safety hazards arising from lane-changing communication during heavy traffic. The device supports voice / button control and displays customizable polite phrases (such as "I have an emergency at home, please allow me to change lanes, thank you") on a flexible LED screen outside the vehicle, replacing manual communication by the driver. This allows for a more convenient and polite communication request, gaining understanding and mitigating road rage and the risk of traffic accidents caused by misunderstandings. An integrated ultrasonic sensor monitors the distance to surrounding vehicles in real time, with the data simultaneously displayed on the LED screen to help maintain a safe distance. An innovative in-vehicle second horn uses customizable human voice announcements instead of traditional harsh horns, providing gentle reminders in emergency or congested areas, avoiding pedestrian stress and reducing the risk of road rage. Through a dual module of polite requests and distance warnings, the device improves the success rate of lane changes while effectively preventing collisions.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle-mounted electronic equipment technology, specifically to an interactive device that proactively, friendly, and efficiently issues requests and prompts to other road users (including other vehicles, pedestrians, non-motorized vehicles, etc.) when the vehicle is in motion, assisting the driver in changing lanes, merging lanes, and using other lanes as necessary. This invention comprehensively applies microcontroller embedded systems, intelligent speech recognition and synthesis technology, flexible image and text display technology, audio playback technology, environmental perception and ranging technology, and intelligent information compliance algorithms, aiming to improve inter-vehicle and inter-vehicle communication through technological means, and reduce traffic safety risks and social conflicts caused by poor communication. Background Technology

[0002] With rapid socio-economic development, global car ownership continues to climb. By the end of 2024, China's car ownership had reached approximately 353 million vehicles, ranking first in the world. However, compared to countries with earlier automotive industry development, China's automotive civilization still lags behind in terms of safety awareness, rule awareness, and courtesy. This is directly reflected in road traffic safety data, with the number of injuries and economic losses caused by traffic accidents in China remaining high each year. A large number of these accidents are closely related to "road rage" disputes arising from common driving maneuvers such as lane changing, merging, and cutting in line.

[0003] Analysis shows that such disputes often stem from poor communication and mutual misunderstandings. The party changing lanes and the party being changed from frequently develop antagonistic feelings due to pride, a competitive mindset, and misjudgment of each other's intentions, leading to arguments, friction, and even serious accidents. Therefore, achieving quick, safe, effective, and courteous communication in a dynamic driving environment is crucial to resolving such conflicts. Traditional communication methods, such as drivers leaning out and shouting or gesturing, are not only inconvenient and pose safety hazards, but also convey unclear information and are easily misunderstood.

[0004] In driving, requests to change lanes, merge, or even cut in due to yielding, road merging, or congestion are common scenarios. Without effective communication, the party changing lanes may be unable to obtain right-of-way for an extended period, while forcibly changing lanes or competing in skill significantly increases the risk of accidents. The party being deflected may also become dissatisfied due to a lack of accurate understanding of the other vehicle's intentions. Existing technologies, such as vehicle turn signals, have a limited signal meaning (only indicating the intention to turn), failing to convey rich semantics such as requests or thanks, and are easily ignored or misinterpreted. Vehicle horns, on the other hand, have a monotonous tone, which in many situations can be perceived as urging or even provocation, especially when dealing with pedestrians or non-motorized vehicles, easily provoking resentment.

[0005] In summary, there is an urgent need in this field for a new type of in-vehicle interactive device that should be easy to install, have a prominent display, be safe to operate (supporting non-manual methods such as voice), provide user-friendly and flexible information expression, and have good scalability and future expansion potential, so as to fundamentally improve the communication mode among road users. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a proactive and user-friendly in-vehicle interaction device for reducing road rage. This device employs a three-tiered collaborative mechanism of "request-response-execution," enabling drivers to conveniently, clearly, and amicably communicate their driving intentions (such as lane change or merging requests) to surrounding vehicles and pedestrians without compromising driving safety. Simultaneously, it obtains environmental safety information to aid decision-making, thereby effectively reducing communication costs, minimizing misunderstandings and conflicts, and improving road traffic efficiency and harmony.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An active and user-friendly in-vehicle interactive device for reducing road rage is characterized in that the system is a modularly designed, retrofitted, independent system, mainly comprising: a main control module, an in-vehicle interactive module, an external interactive module, an environmental perception module, and a power supply and installation module. The main control module, as the core of the system, integrates a central processing unit (such as based on Arduino, Raspberry Pi or other microcontroller architectures), which is responsible for coordinating the work of each module and performing information processing, logical judgment and control instruction generation. The in-vehicle interaction module is connected to the main control module and is used to receive driver commands and provide feedback on the system status to the driver. It includes at least: Command input unit: Supports at least two input modes: voice command input (achieved through offline voice recognition modules such as SU-03T) and physical button input (such as dedicated buttons corresponding to left lane change, right lane change, and pedestrian prompts respectively), ensuring the reliability and convenience of operation in different driving environments (such as noisy conditions and rainy weather). Status display unit: used to display environmental perception information (such as the distance to vehicles to the side and rear) and system operating status to the driver in real time. The external interaction module is connected to the main control module and is used to convey friendly and clear interactive information to road users outside the vehicle. It includes at least: Exterior display device: Employing flexible display modules (such as LED or OLED flexible screens), it can be fitted and installed on visible areas such as the rear windshield, side windows, or exterior of the vehicle to display visual interactive information consisting of text, symbols, emoticons, etc. This display device is also compatible with transparent display or projection technologies. Vehicle-mounted secondary horn: An external audio playback device independent of the vehicle's original horn, used to play audible interactive information consisting of preset friendly voice or customized voice that has been approved for compliance. Its tone is gentle and is intended to replace or supplement traditional horn honking, especially when facing pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles. The environmental perception module is connected to the main control module and is used to detect the relative status of the vehicle and surrounding obstacles in real time. It includes at least one of ultrasonic sensors, millimeter-wave radar, or lidar, and is mainly used to measure the real-time distance between the vehicle and vehicles behind or obstacles to the side in the target lane.

[0008] Furthermore, the main control unit has a built-in or accessible user-friendly interactive information database, which pre-stores various polite phrases, emoticons, and corresponding voice clips. The system also allows users to add custom interactive content after passing compliance verification algorithms (including semantic analysis and image recognition), ensuring flexibility while blocking offensive and unfriendly information.

[0009] Furthermore, the main control module is equipped with a communication expansion interface. Through this interface, wireless communication modules (such as 4G / 5G / 6G, Bluetooth, or V2X modules) can be connected, thereby upgrading the system from the current "single-vehicle simplex broadcast mode" to a full-duplex interaction mode that supports "vehicle-to-vehicle two-way negotiation," and even connecting to a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) network in the future to achieve more intelligent cooperative driving.

[0010] The working principle and beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Proactive and friendly communication: After the driver triggers a lane change request via voice or button, the device simultaneously broadcasts the request outside the vehicle with eye-catching text / images and a gentle voice, clearly conveying the goodwill of a "request" rather than a "command," greatly improving the clarity and acceptability of communication and reducing misunderstandings and road rage from the source. Dual safety features: The environmental perception module provides real-time and accurate distance monitoring (superior to human judgment) and provides intuitive feedback through the in-vehicle display screen. It actively warns when the distance is too close, providing the driver with objective safety decision support and avoiding collisions caused by blind spots or misjudgments. Flexible, universal, and scalable: Utilizing a flexible screen and independent power supply design, it can be seamlessly adapted to the vast majority of existing vehicle models (gasoline / new energy vehicles), enabling rapid adoption as an aftermarket device. Reserved communication interfaces provide a smooth upgrade path for future integration into the intelligent connected vehicle ecosystem (V2X, autonomous driving collaboration). Significant social value: This device uses technology to make up for the shortcomings of "friendly communication" in automobile civilization, transforming subjective and impulsive interpersonal communication into objective and standardized inter-machine information exchange, which helps to cultivate a courteous and harmonious traffic culture and improve overall road safety and social harmony. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle and component connection diagram of the in-vehicle interactive device provided in the embodiments of the present invention. ( Note: This section should describe the main control board, voice module, flexible screen, secondary speaker, and ultrasonic transducer based on the physical diagrams in your paper. Connection relationships of components such as wave sensors, buttons, and displays ) Detailed Implementation

[0012] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0013] refer to Figure 1 An active and user-friendly in-vehicle interaction device for reducing road rage is described in the following specific embodiment: The system hardware uses two Arduino Uno development boards as the main control core, but can also be integrated into a custom automotive-grade microcontroller. Offline voice recognition uses the SU-03T module, communicating with the main control board via serial port. The external display uses a rectangular flexible OLED screen, attached to the inside of the rear windshield with 3M adhesive. The secondary speaker is an independent waterproof speaker, installed near the license plate in the trunk. Environmental perception uses two ultrasonic sensors, temporarily placed near the left and right rearview mirrors to detect blind spot distances. Three physical buttons (left, right, pedestrian) and a small LCD status screen are placed in an easily accessible position on the center console. The entire system draws power from the cigarette lighter socket.

[0014] Workflow example (taking lane changing on the left as an example): Request Initiation: The driver presses the "Change Lane to Left" physical button or speaks the preset wake-up word and command "Please Change Lane to Left". Information generation and execution: The main control board receives instructions and retrieves the default text "Thank you for giving way, have a safe journey!" and the corresponding friendly voice clip from the friendly interaction information library. External interaction: The main control board controls the flexible screen outside the vehicle to display the above text and a smiling emoji; at the same time, it controls the vehicle's secondary speaker to play the voice message "Hello, please move aside, thank you" at a moderate volume. Safety Assist: Simultaneously, the ultrasonic sensor on the left continuously measures the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle to the left rear, displaying the numbers in real time on the in-vehicle status screen. If the distance is less than a preset safety threshold (e.g., 1.5 meters), the numbers on the status screen will turn red and flash, while a "beep" warning sound will be emitted to remind the driver to postpone changing lanes. Upgrade Mode Outlook: After inserting a 4G communication module, the vehicle's device can send structured lane change requests (including the vehicle's ID, location, and request type) to a cloud server, which will then push them to similar devices on vehicles following in the target lane. The driver of the following vehicle can click "agree" or "decline" on their device, and feedback will be transmitted back to the vehicle, achieving a preliminary "negotiation" function.

[0015] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An interactive method for friendly negotiation between vehicles, characterized in that, This method is based on a retrofitted interactive device that can be installed independently in the vehicle. Includes the following steps: S1: Intent Input and Trigger: Receive instruction signals from the driver, indicating an intent to negotiate with surrounding traffic participants, through an in-vehicle interaction device that supports at least two input modes; S2: Negotiation Information Generation: In response to the command signal, generate an interactive information package containing at least visual and audible negotiation information; S3: Multimodal External Vehicle Interaction: Simultaneously send the interactive information package to the outside of the vehicle, wherein: • The visual negotiation information is sent to an external display device that can be attached to the vehicle body for display; • The audible negotiation information is sent to an in-vehicle auxiliary speaker independent of the vehicle's original speaker for playback; S4: Environmental Perception and Decision Support: During the negotiation process, the relative status information between the vehicle and the target object is obtained through the environmental perception module and displayed on the in-vehicle status display device to assist the driver in decision-making; S5: Establishment of Scalable Interaction Channel: Through the communication interface of the interaction device, a direct or indirect communication link with the target object can be established in an scalable manner to realize the structured transmission and feedback of negotiation information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The command signal is a lane change, lane merge, lane borrowing, or right-of-way request command; the input modes of the in-vehicle interaction device include at least two of the following: voice command input, physical button input, and touch screen input.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The content of the visual and audible negotiation information is retrieved from a pre-built friendly interactive information library containing various polite phrases and emoticons; and the system supports compliance verification of user-defined content.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The external display device is a flexible display module that uses OLED or Micro-LED materials. It can be bent and physically attached to the rear windshield, side windows, side doors, or C-pillar area of ​​the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle-mounted secondary speaker plays a preset, friendly, customized human voice message, used to replace traditional vehicle horns in specific scenarios, including traffic congestion, mixed pedestrian and vehicle traffic, or scenarios where it is necessary to issue a warning to pedestrians / non-motorized vehicles.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The environmental perception module includes at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, millimeter-wave radar, or a visual sensor for measuring distance; the relative status information includes at least the real-time distance between the vehicle and vehicles or obstacles to the side and rear; and the prompts include visual or auditory warnings issued when the distance is less than a dynamic safety threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scalable interaction channel is at least one of the following: (a) a point-to-point communication link based on short-range wireless communication technology (such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct); (b) a cloud platform relay communication link based on cellular networks (4G / 5G / 6G) and the Internet; and (c) a direct communication link based on the V2X vehicle-to-everything communication protocol.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Once the scalable interaction channel is established, the method further supports at least one of the following advanced interaction functions: (a) full-duplex negotiation with the target vehicle using structured information including requests, consents, denials, or suggestions; (b) displaying contextual information from the cloud or a third-party service provider on the external display device, the contextual information including advertisements, traffic alerts, or community information; and (c) serving as a human-like interaction interface for a future autonomous vehicle collaborative decision-making system.

9. A vehicle interaction system for implementing the method of any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The system is a modular, aftermarket system, comprising: • A main control module, integrating a central processing unit, the core circuitry of the in-vehicle interactive device, and the in-vehicle status display device, forming a main control box that can be placed in the cockpit; • An interactive execution module group, connected to the main control module via wiring harnesses, including: the external display device, the vehicle-mounted secondary speaker, and the environmental perception module; • A power supply and installation module, providing the main control module and the interactive execution module group with power independent of the vehicle's original circuitry, and including mounting accessories for fixing the components to the vehicle body; • A communication expansion interface, located on the main control module, for pluggable connection of an external wireless communication module.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The in-vehicle interaction device integrated in the main control module includes an offline voice recognition unit based on digital signal processing (DSP) for recognizing specific voice commands in a network-free environment.

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