Driver Assistance System Area Recognition Computing Load Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driver assistance systems become overly complex and expensive due to the need to support multiple country variants, requiring significant computing power and development effort to account for diverse regulations and traffic management characteristics.

Innovation Solution

A driver assistance system that uses a recognition unit to identify the current area based on traffic management-relevant characteristics, employing sensors for optical, acoustic, haptic, and signal detection, and pre-selecting data sets to reduce computing power requirements, allowing for quicker data assignment and processing, and providing indirect or direct support to the driver.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If driver assistance systems are designed to support multiple country variants with diverse regulations and traffic management characteristics, then the system's adaptability and versatility improve, but the device complexity and development cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to country-specific conditionsVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the operational environment into distinct geographic areas with specific traffic management characteristics. The system divides the complex multi-country support problem into manageable area-specific modules, where each area has its own standardized data set and evaluation rules, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by adapting evaluation thresholds and traffic management parameters based on the detected area. Instead of maintaining fixed complex rules for all countries, the system dynamically adjusts parameters such as speed limit evaluations, traffic sign interpretations, and driving behavior expectations according to the current geographic area, simplifying the control logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the system processes all data for recognition to ensure comprehensive coverage of traffic management characteristics, then the measurement precision and reliability improve, but the computing power requirements and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecognition accuracyVSAvoidcomputing power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and processes only the most relevant traffic management characteristics for the current area rather than analyzing all possible data. The system identifies and focuses on key area-defining features (such as specific traffic signs, road markings, or geographic markers) to determine the current area, then applies only the necessary evaluation rules for that area, reducing computing power consumption while maintaining recognition accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If the system uses comprehensive data processing to accurately identify area-specific characteristics, then the measurement precision improves, but the reaction time decreases due to increased processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearea identification accuracyVSAvoidreaction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining area characteristics and evaluation rules before actual operation. Traffic management characteristics, area boundaries, and corresponding control parameters are preprocessed and stored. When the system needs to identify the current area, it compares sensor data against these pre-established patterns, enabling rapid and accurate area identification without extensive real-time processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If the system maintains detailed country-specific data sets for all possible areas, then the adaptability improves, but the quantity of data and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage of country variantsVSAvoiddata volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universality by creating a standardized data structure and evaluation framework that can be applied across multiple countries and areas. Instead of maintaining completely separate systems for each country, the system uses a universal architecture with area-specific parameter configurations. This allows the same core software to serve multiple countries by simply loading different area definition files and parameter sets, reducing overall data requirements while maintaining broad adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2116984B1Assistance system for driver support in vehicles
Publication Date: 2019.04.10 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2116984B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3a
  • EP2116984B1 patent drawingFigure 3b

AI summary

The system (100) has a detection device detecting area-specific, traffic relevant characteristics e.g. traffic signs, lane markings and traffic rules. Database (4) stores datasets with corresponding data e.g. speed, where the datasets are assigned to different countries, regions or other areas. The detection device detects crossing of an area border and/or reaching of the area, and the corresponding dataset with the data is used in the detected area to support a driver of a vehicle. The detection device has detection units or sensors (5-12) e.g. acoustic sensors, to detect the area. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for supporting a driver of a vehicle by an assistance system (2) a computer program comprising a program code unit for executing steps of a driver supporting method (3) a computer program product comprising a program code unit stored on a computer readable medium for executing a driver supporting method.