In-Vehicle AR Driver Assistance for Hazard and Siren Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers face challenges in safely navigating due to reduced visibility, obscured road information, and difficulty in locating emergency vehicles, leading to increased accident risks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing Augmented Reality (AR) technology in vehicles to provide real-time environmental data analysis, determine vehicle safety indicia and occupant field of view, and present relevant information via AR viewers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drivers rely on conventional visual observation methods, then they can see the road environment, but in low visibility conditions they are unable to see hazards and road signage, leading to reduced reaction time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising sensors, processors, and AR display that mediates between the road environment and the driver's perception. The system captures environmental data through sensors, processes it to identify hazards and road signage, then presents enhanced visual information through AR glasses, allowing drivers to see obscured elements that conventional observation cannot detect
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from conventional two-dimensional road surfaces to three-dimensional spatial awareness by using depth sensing, LiDAR, and volumetric rendering to detect and display hazards at various distances and elevations, including pedestrians, animals, and road conditions that extend beyond the traditional planar view
2Reliability
If drivers attempt to locate emergency vehicles by listening to sirens, then they can detect the presence of emergency vehicles, but it is difficult to pinpoint the relative location, causing driver distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an intermediary processing layer that receives audio data from microphones, analyzes siren signals to determine direction and distance, then presents the processed location information through AR visual cues. This mediates the complex audio localization task, converting it into intuitive visual directional indicators that reduce cognitive load and maintain driver focus
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physiological process of human ear-based sound localization with an electronic audio analysis system that uses microphones, signal processing algorithms, and directional sensing to automatically determine emergency vehicle location, eliminating the need for manual auditory scanning by the driver
3Loss of information
If conventional driver assistance systems are used, then they provide basic information, but they lack personalized and context-aware information presentation, reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a unified AR platform: environmental sensing, hazard detection, road signage recognition, emergency vehicle localization, navigation, and driver state monitoring all operate through the same AR interface. This multi-functional architecture provides comprehensive personalized information without requiring separate complex systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes presentation parameters including brightness, contrast, color coding, information density, and update frequency based on driving conditions, driver attention state, and environmental factors. This adaptive parameter adjustment optimizes information delivery for each context while maintaining system efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for improving vehicle safety via Augmented Reality (AR) are provided. An example system may obtain sensor data indicative of an environment external to the vehicle and within the vehicle, and analyze the sensor data to determine a location of a vehicle safety indicia relative to the vehicle and a field of view of an occupant of the vehicle associated with an AR viewer. Based upon a comparison of the location of the vehicle safety indicia and the field of view of the occupant, the system may present an indication of the vehicle safety indicia via an AR viewer.