Driver Assistance System Timing Based on Reaction Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driver assistance systems for motor vehicles struggle to determine the optimal time for providing functionalities, such as automatic deceleration or warning signals, to prevent collisions while avoiding premature activation that could impair driving comfort, as they do not accurately account for the driver's reaction time influenced by various environmental and personal factors.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines the reaction time of the driver using Pieron's law, considering stimulus intensity from sensor data, including image and environmental conditions, to calculate the precise point for providing functionalities like semi-automatic braking or warning signals, ensuring timely collision prevention without premature activation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the driver assistance system provides functionalities (automatic deceleration, warning signals) based on fixed distance thresholds, then collision prevention is achieved, but premature activation occurs that impairs driving comfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision preventionVSAvoiddriving comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the threshold for providing driver assistance functionalities based on the driver's current reaction time, which varies according to environmental conditions (lighting, weather, noise) and driver state (fatigue, concentration). This dynamic adaptation prevents both premature activation and late response, optimizing the balance between collision prevention and driving comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of threshold distance based on the measured reaction time of the driver. By continuously monitoring reaction time and adjusting the threshold accordingly, the system ensures that functionalities are activated at the optimal moment - not too early to avoid false alarms, and not too late to prevent collisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the driver assistance system waits for the driver's reaction before activating functionalities, then driving comfort is maintained, but the stopping distance increases due to delayed intervention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving comfortVSAvoidstopping distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary measurement and continuous monitoring of the driver's reaction time under various conditions. This preliminary data is used to pre-calculate optimal intervention thresholds, allowing the system to activate functionalities at the precise moment when driver assistance is needed without waiting for the driver's natural reaction, thereby reducing stopping distance while maintaining comfort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from continuous monitoring of driver reaction time to adjust its intervention strategy. By analyzing the driver's actual reaction patterns and feeding this information back into the threshold calculation, the system optimizes the timing of functionality activation to minimize stopping distance while respecting the driver's operating preferences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If the driver assistance system uses fixed threshold values for functionality activation, then the system complexity is low, but the system cannot adapt to varying environmental and driver conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidadaptation to conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-measurement of the driver's reaction time using sensors that monitor driver behavior and environmental conditions. By automatically measuring and adapting to the driver's characteristics without requiring manual input or calibration, the system achieves high adaptability while keeping the interface simple and the overall complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2938526B1Method for determining a point of time for providing a functionality by means of a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, driver assistance system and motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 VALEO SCHALTER & SENSOREN GMBH
  • EP2938526B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2938526B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2938526B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for providing a functionality by means of a driver assistance system (3) of a motor vehicle (1) by detecting an object (7) in an environmental region (6) of the motor vehicle (1) based on sensor data of a sensor device (4) of the driver assistance system (3); determining a current distance (d) of the object (7) from the motor vehicle (1); and determining a point of time (t1, t2, t3) for providing the functionality depending on the current distance (d). A reaction time (RT) of a driver is determined, which the driver requires for taking an action due to the object (7), wherein the point of time (t1, t2, t3) for providing the functionality is determined depending on the reaction time (RT).