Vehicle Acceleration Assessment System with Adaptive Thresholds

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems do not effectively encourage drivers to improve their acceleration behavior, particularly in situations that affect passenger comfort, cargo safety, and tire wear, by providing real-time feedback and adaptive threshold values for lateral and longitudinal accelerations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that assess a driver's acceleration behavior by determining vehicle acceleration, calculating situation-specific threshold values, and generating a grading signal to provide feedback to the driver, which includes sensors for acceleration measurement, a calculation unit for threshold determination, and an output unit for presenting the grading information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the driver accelerates quickly to improve productivity, then the vehicle speed increases faster, but passenger comfort deteriorates and cargo safety is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle speed increase rateVSAvoidpassenger comfort and cargo safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors vehicle acceleration using sensors and provides real-time feedback to the driver through a display unit. When acceleration exceeds situation-specific threshold values, the system generates grading signals that inform the driver about inappropriate acceleration behavior, enabling the driver to adjust and improve their acceleration patterns while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system calculates situation-specific threshold values for acceleration based on multiple parameters including vehicle speed, road gradient, and vehicle load. These dynamic threshold values adapt to changing driving conditions, allowing the system to permit higher acceleration when appropriate (improving productivity) while restricting acceleration when it would harm comfort or safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the driver maintains high acceleration to reduce travel time, then productivity improves, but tire wear increases and maintenance frequency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetravel timeVSAvoidtire wear

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides continuous feedback to the driver about acceleration behavior relative to situation-specific thresholds. By informing drivers when their acceleration patterns are excessive, the system enables them to adopt more moderate acceleration strategies that reduce tire wear while still achieving productive travel times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system empowers the driver to self-regulate their acceleration behavior by providing them with real-time information about their performance relative to optimal thresholds. The driver can independently adjust their driving style to balance productivity with tire conservation without requiring external intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If existing systems provide acceleration information to the driver, then the driver can adjust behavior, but the systems do not provide effective encouragement or adaptive thresholds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver behavior adjustmentVSAvoidsituational context for threshold setting

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates situation-specific threshold values that adapt to multiple parameters including vehicle speed, road gradient, and vehicle load. This ensures that the threshold information provided to the driver is contextually relevant and actionable, enabling effective behavior adjustment without losing situational context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides structured feedback through grading signals that compare actual acceleration against situation-specific thresholds. This feedback mechanism transforms raw acceleration data into meaningful information that effectively encourages drivers to improve their behavior while maintaining awareness of situational constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system improves driver behavior by providing constructive feedback, enhancing passenger comfort, reducing cargo damage, and minimizing tire wear, leading to reduced maintenance needs and environmental impact.

Implementation Method 1

at least one sensor unit adapted to delivering an acceleration signal which indicates the vehicle's acceleration a

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcceleration sensing: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP2561502B1Assessment method and system pertaining to acceleration

Publication Date: 2019.09.25 SCANIA CV AB

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AI summary

The invention relates to an assessment method for assessing acceleration behaviour of a driver of a vehicle. The method comprises determining the vehicles acceleration a, calculating one or more threshold values for its acceleration which depend on at least one situation-specific parameter, comparing its acceleration a with said one or more threshold values, and generating on the basis of the comparison a grading signal related to said calculated one or more threshold values. The invention relates also to an assessment system for assessing acceleration behaviour of a driver of a vehicle.