Driver Assistance Lane Occupancy Tracking for Adjacent Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current driver assistance systems struggle to accurately determine whether nearby vehicles occupy a single or multiple traffic lanes, which hinders their ability to provide safe and comfortable driving assistance functions.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize a detection device to model traffic lane edges and track nearby vehicles, determining their trajectory and position relative to these edges, adapting assistance functionalities based on the vehicle's lane occupation and trajectory.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If driver assistance systems use basic detection methods to identify nearby vehicles, then the system complexity is reduced, but the precision in determining whether vehicles occupy single or multiple traffic lanes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidlane occupation determination precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the vehicle detection and analysis process into multiple components: detecting road marking elements to define traffic lanes, detecting nearby vehicles, obtaining trajectory points, calculating proportion values for lane occupation, and determining assignment parameters. This segmentation allows complex lane occupation determination to be achieved through coordinated simple detection steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from basic 2D vehicle detection to 3D spatial analysis by obtaining multiple trajectory points over time intervals and calculating proportion values that represent the vehicle's occupation of traffic lane width. This dimensional enhancement enables precise determination of whether vehicles occupy single or multiple lanes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If driver assistance systems implement detailed trajectory analysis and lane occupation calculation, then the safety and comfort of driving assistance functions is improved, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of driving assistance functionsVSAvoidcomputational processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of road marking elements to establish traffic lane definitions before vehicle analysis, and collects trajectory points over time intervals prior to calculating lane occupation proportions. This preliminary action organizes data in advance, reducing computational complexity during critical decision-making moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously adapts driving assistance functionalities based on calculated assignment parameters that reflect current lane occupation states. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust its behavior according to real-time vehicle positions and trajectories, improving safety through dynamic adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4490707B1Method and system for managing a functionality provided by a driver assistance apparatus of a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
  • EP4490707B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4490707B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4490707B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for managing a functionality provided by a driver assistance apparatus of a motor vehicle travelling on a track comprising a plurality of traffic lanes, to a system implementing such a method as well as to a motor vehicle comprising such a system.