Vehicle Driver Alerts With Escalating Visual and Sound Cues
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing notification systems for vehicles, such as those disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-159711, provide intense sound stimuli to maintain driver alertness, which can be annoying and disruptive to both drivers and passengers.
Innovation Solution
A notification method and system that adjusts the strength of notifications based on a target level, using visual notifications without sound at lower levels and incorporating stronger visual or sound notifications as needed, with specific angles and devices positioned to minimize annoyance, allowing for more effective and less intrusive alerting of drivers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sound stimuli are given to maintain driver alertness, then the effectiveness of notification is improved, but driver annoyance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is segmented into multiple levels (first level, second level, third level) with progressively stronger stimuli. The system divides the notification function into visual-only mode and visual-sound combined mode, allowing gradual escalation rather than immediate intense sound notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system dynamically adjusts its output based on driver response. It transitions from visual-only notifications to stronger visual or sound notifications based on whether the driver reacts, creating a dynamic adaptation mechanism that balances effectiveness with driver comfort.
2Reliability
If strong sound notifications are given, then the alertness maintenance effect is improved, but passenger disturbance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments notification strength into levels, using visual-only notifications for mild cases and reserving sound notifications for more severe situations. This segmentation reduces unnecessary sound exposure to passengers while maintaining driver alertness where possible.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different notification qualities to different situations - using gentle visual notifications when sufficient and stronger sound notifications only when necessary for driver safety, creating localized appropriate response rather than uniform strong notification.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If visual notifications are given at lower angles, then driver comfort is improved, but notification effectiveness may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between first visual device and second visual device based on driver response. It adjusts the notification angle and intensity in real-time, transitioning from comfortable but weaker notifications to more effective but stronger notifications when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key parameters including notification angle, intensity, and modality (visual vs. sound) based on driver response. It adjusts the first angle and second angle parameters to optimize the balance between driver comfort and notification effectiveness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A notification method for giving a notification to a driver (3) sitting in a driver's seat (2) of a vehicle (1) includes: setting a target level of strength of the notification; when the target level is a first level (LV1), giving a visual notification from a visual device (20) of the vehicle (1) without giving a sound notification (NA) from a speaker (30) of the vehicle (1); and when the target level is higher than the first level (LV1), giving a strong visual notification from the visual device (20) or the sound notification (NA) from the speaker (30). The strong visual notification is stronger than the visual notification that is given when the target level is the first level (LV1).