Ambient Vehicle State Detection for Driver Notification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Drivers often become distracted when stopped at intersections, unaware of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, leading to potential accidents due to sudden movements upon realizing they should proceed.

Innovation Solution

A sensor set, including cameras, provides depth data to detect state changes in external traffic awareness, allowing the automotive user interface to adjust interaction levels and output notifications to alert the driver, ensuring safe driving practices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the driver interacts with a mobile device while stopped, then the driver can communicate or access information, but the driver becomes unaware of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver interaction with mobile deviceVSAvoiddriver awareness of ambient traffic state

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors ambient conditions using sensors (cameras, microphones) and provides feedback to the driver through notifications when potential hazards are detected, such as pedestrians approaching or vehicles nearby, allowing the driver to remain informed while interacting with the device

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (ambient state detection system with sensors and notification logic) that acts as a mediator between the external environment and the driver, detecting hazards and alerting the driver without requiring constant direct attention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the driver allows full interaction with the automotive user interface while stopped, then the driver can use device functions, but sudden movements may occur when the driver realizes they should be moving

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction with automotive user interfaceVSAvoidsudden vehicle movement causing danger

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by detecting ambient conditions and providing advance warnings to the driver before they might suddenly move the vehicle, such as notifying of approaching pedestrians or cross-traffic, allowing the driver to prepare and avoid hazardous sudden movements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by continuously monitoring the environment and preparing hazard notifications in advance, so that when the driver needs to move, they are already aware of potential dangers and can proceed safely

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If sensors continuously monitor ambient conditions, then driver safety is enhanced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver safetyVSAvoidsensor set and detection logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses multi-functional sensors (such as cameras and microphones that can detect multiple types of hazards including pedestrians, vehicles, and abnormal sounds) to reduce the number of specialized sensors needed, thereby managing complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10328945B2Ambient vehicle and pedestrian state detection for device notification

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Described is a technology by which ambient data related to a vehicle is sensed and processed, for use in determining a state change related to external traffic awareness. Based upon the state change, an allowed level of interactivity with a user interface may be changed, and/or a notification may be output. Images and/or depth data may be sensed as part of determining whether a user who is interacting with a device in a stopped vehicle is to be made aware of the changed condition with respect to other vehicles, pedestrians and/or the like.