Autonomous Vehicle Drive State Indicator HMI
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Solution Overview
Problem
As highly automated vehicles become prevalent, there is a need for a system that effectively communicates the operational mode and duration of autonomous driving to the driver, ensuring seamless transitions between manual and autonomous control, enhancing safety and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A human-machine interface (HMI) system coupled with an electronic controller that displays a drive state indicator, including a mode indicator, duration indicator, and descriptor, which updates in real-time to reflect the current and upcoming operational modes, allowing drivers to easily monitor and switch between manual and autonomous driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If driver assistance systems are fully automated, then driver comfort and safety are improved, but driver awareness of operational mode changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the autonomous vehicle's operating mode and providing real-time visual feedback to the driver through the human-machine interface. The drive state indicator displays the current operating mode and upcoming mode changes, ensuring the driver remains informed about vehicle control status without requiring constant manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication layer between the automated vehicle system and the driver. The human-machine interface acts as a mediator that translates complex operational mode information into simple, intuitive visual indicators, bridging the information gap between the automated system and the driver.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple operating modes are implemented, then system versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex operational mode information into distinct, manageable visual components. The drive state indicator is divided into separate elements that display different aspects of the operating mode (current mode, upcoming mode changes, duration), making the information easier to process and the system easier to understand despite multiple operating modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a temporal dimension to the display by showing not only the current operating mode but also upcoming mode changes and their duration. This dimensional expansion provides comprehensive information without requiring additional physical controls or complex interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for indicating the drive state of an autonomous vehicle. The system includes a human machine interface and an electronic controller electrically coupled to the human machine interface and which is configured to display a drive state indicator. The drive state indicator includes a mode indicator based on a current operating mode for the autonomous vehicle, a duration indicator based on a duration for the current operating mode and a descriptor based on the duration. The electronic controller is further configured to update the duration indicator and the descriptor based on a remainder of the duration. In an alternative embodiment, the electronic controller is further configured to determine whether a second operating mode is available and display a second mode indicator based on the second operating mode when a second operating mode is available.