Assisted Driving Awareness Feedback With Escalating Vehicle Response

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing assisted drive systems fail to timely increase driving awareness of drivers, leading to reduced vigilance and increased risk of disengagement, which can result in safety issues during events requiring driver interaction.

Innovation Solution

A method that obtains driving awareness data, requests driver responses to increase awareness, and autonomously alters vehicle parameters if no response is received within a set time, including steering torque feedback and lane positioning adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If assisted drive is provided for extended durations, then driver assistance is improved, but driving awareness of the driver deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver assistanceVSAvoiddriving awareness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic monitoring of driving awareness parameters and periodically issues driver requests to restore awareness. Instead of continuous intervention, the system checks at intervals and activates assistance measures only when thresholds are breached, balancing automated support with driver engagement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors driving awareness parameters (eye movements, steering behavior, response time) and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the level of assisted drive functionality. When awareness drops below thresholds, the system responds with targeted interventions to restore driver engagement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If driver request data is provided to increase driving awareness, then driving awareness is improved, but response time may be delayed if driver does not respond

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving awarenessVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares multiple escalation levels of intervention in advance. When a driver fails to respond to the first request, pre-programmed secondary measures are automatically activated, including more urgent alerts and progressive reduction of assisted drive functionality, eliminating delays in response escalation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

If the driver fails to respond within a predetermined time threshold, the system skips the waiting period and immediately activates the next level of intervention or autonomously alters drive parameters, preventing further delay in restoring driving awareness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

3Reliability

If drive parameters are autonomously altered to increase driving awareness, then driving safety is improved, but driver control is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving safetyVSAvoiddriver control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts drive parameters based on real-time assessment of driver awareness levels. Instead of fixed autonomous control, the assisted drive functionality adapts its intensity and scope, modifying steering assistance, acceleration control, or braking support only to the extent necessary to restore driver engagement, thereby maintaining driver control while ensuring safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4691879A1Method for increasing driving awareness
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 VOLVO CAR CORP
  • EP4691879A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4691879A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4691879A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a method (100) for increasing driving awareness of a driver during assisted drive of a vehicle (300). The method comprises obtaining driving awareness data indicative of a degree of driving awareness of the driver during the assisted drive of the vehicle (101); providing first driver request data for requesting a first driver response after obtaining the driving awareness data (102), the first driver response being configured to increase the degree of driving awareness of the driver; providing drive response data if the first driver response is not received within a first response time (103), the drive response data being configured to autonomously alter at least one drive parameter of the assisted drive; and providing second driver request data for requesting a second driver response after providing a drive response (104), the second driver response being configured to increase the degree of driving awareness of the driver.