Following Vehicle Bumper Height Detection for Early Brake Warning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In traffic environments, brake lights on leading vehicles may not engage quickly enough or be difficult to perceive, leading to challenges for following vehicles in maintaining safe distances, especially due to human reaction times, mechanical failures, or environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A computing system on a following vehicle uses sensors to detect changes in the height of a leading vehicle's rear bumper, determining if it has slowed down, and automatically activates the brake light, even if the leading vehicle's brake lights have not engaged, to alert other vehicles of potential obstructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If brake lights on leading vehicles are used to alert following vehicles, then safety information is transmitted, but the response time is delayed due to human reaction times and mechanical engagement delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of bumper height changes to identify potential braking events before the leading vehicle's brake lights actually engage. By detecting the height change that precedes brake light activation, the following vehicle can prepare for potential obstruction earlier, reducing the effective response time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bumper height as an intermediary parameter to detect braking events. Instead of directly relying on brake light signals, the system uses bumper height changes as an intermediate indicator that precedes brake light engagement, providing earlier warning of potential obstructions
2Measurement precision
If automated bumper height detection is implemented to detect leading vehicle slowing, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the leading vehicle's own bumper as the detection target. The bumper's natural vertical movement during braking serves as the signal source, eliminating the need for additional sensors on the leading vehicle. The following vehicle's imaging device simply captures the bumper's self-generated motion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensing systems with an imaging-based optical system. Instead of using mechanical sensors to detect braking, the system uses an imaging device to capture bumper height changes, converting a mechanical detection problem into an optical measurement problem that can be processed computationally
3Reliability
If brake lights are made more visible to improve perception, then detection reliability improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of bumper height changes to identify potential braking events before the leading vehicle's brake lights actually engage. This early detection allows the following vehicle to prepare for potential obstruction without requiring increased brake light visibility or energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors bumper height and provides feedback about leading vehicle deceleration. This feedback mechanism enables the following vehicle to detect braking events through bumper motion rather than relying on brake light intensity, avoiding additional energy consumption while maintaining detection reliability
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, an example method includes (i) determining, by a computing system at a first time, a first height of a bumper of a leading vehicle relative to a reference height; (ii) determining, by the computing system at a second time that is later than the first time, a second height of the bumper relative to the reference height; (iii) making, by the computing system, a determination that the determined first height and the determined second height lack a threshold extent of similarity based on an established tolerance level; and (iv) responsive at least to making the determination that the determined first height and the determined second height lack the threshold extent of similarity based on the established tolerance level, causing, by the computing system, the light source to operate.