Driver Assistance System for Tailored Traffic Information Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current driver assistance systems often overwhelm drivers with unnecessary information, leading to distraction and potential safety issues, as they provide warnings and notifications without considering the driver's specific needs or attention levels, and existing solutions fail to adapt assistance dynamically to the traffic situation.

Innovation Solution

A driver assistance system that receives spoken instructions from the driver to tailor its evaluation and information output, focusing on specific aspects of the traffic scene while considering other relevant factors, such as obstacles or traffic conditions, to provide information only when necessary and at the right time, using a combination of sensors and car-to-x communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If driver assistance systems provide comprehensive warnings and notifications about all detected traffic situations, then the system provides complete information to the driver, but the driver becomes distracted and overwhelmed by excessive information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the comprehensive traffic situation information into multiple categories (e.g., dangerous situations, informative situations, redundant information). It then selectively presents only the relevant segments to the driver based on the evaluated situation type, rather than presenting all detected information at once. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining information completeness in the system's analysis while filtering out distracting information from the driver's view.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the level and type of information presented to the driver based on real-time evaluation of the traffic situation and driver state. The presentation strategy changes adaptively - providing detailed information when safe, reducing information when distraction risk is high. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain information completeness when needed while preventing driver distraction in critical moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system presents detailed analysis results of the traffic situation to the driver, then the driver receives comprehensive assistance information, but the driver's concentration is adversely affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassistance information completenessVSAvoiddriver concentration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback loops that continuously monitor driver response and attention level. When the system detects that detailed information presentation is adversely affecting driver concentration, it automatically adjusts the information delivery strategy. This feedback mechanism ensures the system maintains adaptability and versatility in providing assistance information while preserving driver concentration and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes key parameters of information presentation (such as level of detail, presentation timing, and information modality) based on the evaluated traffic situation and driver state. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system maintains comprehensive adaptability in providing assistance information while preventing adverse effects on driver concentration through optimized information delivery parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the system uses general risk level settings configured in advance, then the system setup is simple, but the settings cannot adapt to current traffic situations or actual driver assistance needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem configuration simplicityVSAvoidsituation-specific assistance adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary configuration with simple general risk level settings that are easy to set up. However, it then automatically performs preliminary analysis of the current traffic situation and driver state before presenting information, effectively adapting the general settings to specific situations in real-time. This allows the system to maintain ease of initial configuration while achieving situation-specific adaptation through automated preliminary evaluation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables itself to automatically adapt to current traffic situations and driver needs without requiring complex manual reconfiguration. It uses sensors and evaluation algorithms to self-adjust the assistance information presentation based on the actual situation, transforming the system from static general settings to dynamic situation-specific assistance while maintaining configuration simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of operation

If the system outputs information based on fixed thresholds, then the system operation is straightforward, but helpful information may be prevented from reaching the driver in cases where assistance is highly recommended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operation simplicityVSAvoidhelpful information delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static fixed thresholds to dynamic adaptive thresholds that automatically adjust based on the evaluated traffic situation and driver state. When the situation indicates high assistance need, the system lowers thresholds to ensure helpful information reaches the driver. When the situation is stable, it raises thresholds to reduce unnecessary notifications. This dynamic operation maintains ease of use while improving information delivery effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the threshold parameters based on real-time evaluation of traffic situation severity and driver assistance needs. Instead of using fixed thresholds, it adjusts threshold values as a function of the current situation, ensuring that helpful information is delivered when assistance is highly recommended while maintaining straightforward system operation through automated parameter adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3235701B1Method and driver assistance system for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.08.18 HONDA RES INST EUROPE
  • EP3235701B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3235701B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a system and method for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle. First information on an environment of the vehicle is obtained and an instruction from the vehicle driver is received. An evaluation task defining an aspect of a current traffic situation encountered by the vehicle and to be evaluated is defined from the received instruction. An evaluation of the obtained information according to the evaluation task is performed, and an evaluation result is generated. Other aspects of the traffic situation and their relation to the aspect defined in the task are then evaluated additionally. Finally an information on the basis of the evaluation result and the other determined aspects is generated and output.