Behavioral Hazard Scoring From Relative Speed and Separation Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for assessing vehicle safety are limited by their reliance on collision data, which is infrequent and lacks linkage to causes, and do not provide a repeatable, objective, and nearly continuous measure of safety and risk, especially for automated vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A system that processes sensor data to compute a behavioral hazard measure by combining relative speed and separation distance, incorporating compensating factors and road conditions, to assess safety and risk continuously and objectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If collision data is used to measure vehicle safety, then safety assessment can be performed, but the measure is retrospective, sparse, and lacks linkage to causes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by computing behavioral hazard measures from sensor data collected during normal vehicle operation, before collisions occur. The system continuously calculates hazard measures based on relative positions, speeds, and separation distances between the subject vehicle and other traffic objects, creating a proactive safety assessment framework that identifies risky behaviors before they result in collisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces behavioral hazard measure as an intermediary metric that bridges the gap between raw sensor data and safety assessment. This intermediary measure is computed from sensor signals and provides a continuous, objective indicator of vehicle safety behavior, linking cause (sensor measurements of relative motion) to effect (safety assessment) without requiring collision occurrence.
2Measurement precision
If time-to-collision is used as a safety measure, then a quantitative indicator is provided, but it is dependent on road conditions and vehicle speed/maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming the safety measurement from time-to-collision (which depends on speed and road conditions) to behavioral hazard measure computed from relative position and separation distance. This parameter transformation creates a measure that is independent of vehicle speed and road conditions, making it universally applicable across different operating scenarios while maintaining measurement precision.
3Productivity
If disengagement count per mile is used to assess automated vehicle safety, then performance indicator is obtained, but it is subjective and influenced by operational policies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by creating an automated system that continuously computes behavioral hazard measures from sensor data without requiring human judgment or intervention. The system independently processes sensor signals, calculates relative motion parameters, and generates objective safety metrics automatically, eliminating subjectivity and operational policy influence while maintaining high assessment efficiency.
4Device complexity
If collision frequency is used as the primary safety metric, then a simple measure is obtained, but it is infrequent and cannot provide continuous safety evaluation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by computing behavioral hazard measures continuously from sensor data during normal vehicle operation. Instead of waiting for collision events to occur, the system continuously processes sensor signals, calculates relative positions and speeds, and generates safety metrics in real-time, providing uninterrupted safety evaluation while maintaining relatively simple measurement principles.
Data Source
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AI summary
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium has instructions executed by a processor to obtain the relative speed between a first traffic object and a second traffic object. The separation distance between the first traffic object and the second traffic object is received. The relative speed and the separation distance are combined to form a quantitative measure of hazard encountered by the first traffic object. The obtain, receive and combine operations are repeated to form cumulative measures of hazard associated with the first traffic object. The cumulative measures of hazard are analyzed to derive a first traffic object safety score for the first traffic object.