Augmented Reality Braking Level Indicator for Forward Vehicles

Solution Overview

Problem

Current brake lamps do not effectively communicate the degree of deceleration of a forward vehicle to drivers, leading to unnecessary traffic congestion and energy waste due to the inability to differentiate braking levels through brightness control.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus that recognizes brake lamp positions and relative acceleration of a forward vehicle, determines the braking level, and displays it through an image using augmented reality, allowing drivers to directly recognize the deceleration level.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If brake lamps are used to indicate braking operation, then drivers can recognize whether braking is performed, but drivers cannot recognize the degree of deceleration of the forward vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebraking degree informationVSAvoiddriver response accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of a camera, processor, and display device that captures images of the forward vehicle's brake lamps, analyzes their brightness, and presents the braking degree information to the driver in an amplified format. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the actual brake lamp signal (which provides no degree information) and the driver's need for quantitative braking degree recognition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copied and enhanced representation of the brake lamp information by capturing the brake lamp image, analyzing its brightness level, and displaying it in an amplified format on the driver's display device. This copying process transforms the simple on/off brake lamp signal into a quantitative visual representation that conveys the degree of braking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If drivers perform full braking to ensure safety due to inability to recognize deceleration degree, then safety is improved, but traffic congestion and energy waste increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriving safetyVSAvoidenergy waste from unnecessary full braking

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the forward vehicle's brake lamp brightness, analyzing the deceleration degree, and providing real-time visual feedback to the driver about the actual braking intensity being applied by the forward vehicle. This feedback loop enables drivers to adjust their own braking accordingly, avoiding unnecessary full braking while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables partial braking action by providing drivers with accurate information about the forward vehicle's deceleration degree. Instead of forcing drivers to perform excessive full braking, the system allows them to apply only the necessary partial braking force matched to the actual situation, thereby reducing energy waste while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of information

If brake lamps are controlled to divide brightness into multiple levels, then braking degree can be communicated, but regulations prevent brightness control of brake lamps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebraking degree communicationVSAvoidbrake lamp control flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of a camera, processor, and display device that captures images of the forward vehicle's brake lamps, analyzes their brightness, and presents the braking degree information to the driver in an amplified format. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the actual brake lamp signal (which provides no degree information) and the driver's need for quantitative braking degree recognition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copied and enhanced representation of the brake lamp information by capturing the brake lamp image, analyzing its brightness level, and displaying it in an amplified format on the driver's display device. This copying process transforms the simple on/off brake lamp signal into a quantitative visual representation that conveys the degree of braking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11535153B2Apparatus, method, and vehicle for providing braking level of forward vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.12.27 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

An apparatus, method, and vehicle for providing a braking level of a forward vehicle may quantify a degree of braking of the forward vehicle into a braking level and provide the braking level of the forward vehicle to a driver. The apparatus includes a brake lamp position recognizing device configured to recognize positions of brake lamps of the forward vehicle based on an image and a relative acceleration of the forward vehicle, a braking determining device configured to determine whether or not braking of the forward vehicle is performed based on a brake lamp image extracted from the image of the forward vehicle, a braking level determining device configured to determine a braking level of the forward vehicle based on the relative acceleration of the forward vehicle, and a braking level image providing device configured to provide the determined braking level of the forward vehicle through an image.