Driver Notification Control by Alert Urgency in Automated Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

In conditional automated driving scenarios, drivers may overlook important notifications due to uniform notification methods, leading to a higher likelihood of missing critical alerts, especially those requiring immediate attention or responses.

Innovation Solution

A notification system that adjusts the ending condition for notifications based on their urgency, using a mobile terminal to notify drivers until a specific condition is met, including requiring vehicle operations or confirmation buttons for high-urgency notifications, and prioritizing vehicle-related alerts over others.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If all notifications are given to the driver in the same way, then the notification system is simple and easy to operate, but the driver may find the notifications bothersome and lose interest, leading to overlooking important notifications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification delivery methodVSAvoidnotification attention rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating notification delivery methods based on the specific notification content and driver state. Different notification types (e.g., critical alerts vs. routine information) receive different delivery channels and persistence levels, ensuring that important notifications stand out while routine ones remain unobtrusive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the notification delivery adaptive and changeable based on real-time conditions. The system dynamically adjusts notification persistence, delivery channel, and interruption behavior based on driver state (e.g., whether the driver is using the mobile terminal) and notification urgency, allowing the system to respond flexibly to varying situations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the processor causes the mobile terminal to notify the driver continuously until the ending condition is satisfied, then important notifications are less likely to be overlooked, but the notification system becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification delivery assuranceVSAvoidnotification control logic
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining multiple ending conditions for notification delivery and establishing the prioritization framework in advance. The system is configured with predetermined rules for when notifications should end (e.g., driver responds, notification timeout, critical event occurs), eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making during notification delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring whether ending conditions are met during notification delivery. The system observes driver responses, mobile terminal usage state, and time elapsed, and uses this feedback to determine when to terminate the notification sequence, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to actual conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If the processor changes the ending condition depending on urgency of the notification information, then the driver can recognize the importance of notifications, but the notification system requires more complex condition management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification importance transmissionVSAvoidcondition management system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by varying the ending conditions based on the urgency parameter of notifications. High-urgency notifications have ending conditions that require explicit driver acknowledgment or have extended persistence, while low-urgency notifications use simpler ending conditions. This parameter-based differentiation efficiently conveys importance without requiring complex condition management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4459588A1Notification system, vehicle control device, notification method, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2024.11.06 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4459588A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4459588A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4459588A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A notification system (1) includes a mobile terminal (14) and a processor (20). The mobile terminal (14) receives notification information for a driver of a vehicle (10) and notifies the driver of the notification information. The processor (20) generates the notification information and transmits the notification information to the mobile terminal (14). The processor (20) causes the mobile terminal (14) to notify the driver of the notification information until an ending condition for ending notification is satisfied. The processor (20) changes the ending condition depending on urgency of the notification information.