Automatic Driving Status Display for Driver Awareness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current autonomous driving systems lack effective mechanisms to inform drivers of the status and limitations of automatic driving modes, leading to potential safety issues when conditions are no longer met, as drivers may not be promptly aware of the need to take control, especially in dynamic traffic scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle device equipped with sensors and a display that continuously monitors and communicates the conditions necessary for maintaining automatic driving, alerting the driver to any unmet conditions and allowing temporary extensions of the automatic mode, while automatically transitioning to manual control or braking if conditions are not met.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automatic driving function is implemented without continuous driver feedback, then productivity is improved by allowing driver to perform other activities, but reliability deteriorates as driver may not be aware when conditions are no longer met

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver time utilizationVSAvoiddriver awareness of driving status
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback by detecting whether the driver is paying attention (via camera monitoring of eye position or steering wheel interaction) and providing visual warnings when attention is insufficient. This ensures the driver remains aware of the automatic driving status without requiring constant manual control, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If multiple conditions for maintaining automatic driving are monitored and displayed, then reliability is improved by ensuring safe operation boundaries, but device complexity increases due to multiple sensors and processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic driving safetyVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a multi-functional approach where a single control unit integrates multiple sensor inputs (camera, distance sensors, speed sensors) and performs multiple functions: monitoring driving conditions, detecting driver attention, determining compliance with safety boundaries, and providing visual warnings. This consolidates complex functionality into one coordinated system, managing complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If visual warning is provided to alert driver of unmet conditions, then driver awareness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates as driver must respond to warnings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver knowledge of driving statusVSAvoiddriving task simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by providing visual warnings only when specific conditions are not met, rather than requiring constant driver intervention. The warning is targeted and conditional, informing the driver of specific issues (such as improper seating position or lack of attention) without demanding continuous operational input, thus maintaining ease of operation while preventing information loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3052363B1Device for automatically driving a vehicle
Publication Date: 2017.11.22 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3052363B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3052363B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3052363B1 patent drawingFigure 7

AI summary

A device (20) comprises at least one sensor (3, 4), a controller (2) and a display device (1) and is designed for a vehicle (10) which is itself configured for at least partial automatic driving. The at least one sensor (3, 4) is configured to acquire a plurality of information items. The device (20) is configured to sense an automatic driving state in which the vehicle drives automatically and to display simultaneously on the display device (1), in the automatic driving state, a plurality of conditions (12 – 18) which are to be complied with in order to maintain the automatic driving state, together with information indicating whether the respective condition is met. Furthermore, the device (20) is configured to determine compliance with the conditions (12 – 18) as a function of the plurality of information items.