Driver-Only Collision Alerts Using Visual and Tactile Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle collision warning systems cause unnecessary anxiety for vehicle occupants by outputting warning sounds that alert both the driver and passengers to potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A notification system that uses a display device to show visual alerts and a vibration device in contact with the driver to notify of impending collisions, without producing audible warnings, thereby isolating the driver from passenger awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a warning sound is output to alert the driver of a potential collision, then the driver's awareness of the danger is improved, but the occupant's anxiety increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system segments the alert delivery method by type of danger. For low-level dangers (first condition), only visual notifications are used. For high-level dangers (second condition), both visual notifications and vibrations are applied. This segmentation allows the system to provide adequate driver alerting while minimizing unnecessary occupant anxiety.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system applies different notification qualities to different drivers' situations. The display device provides visual alerts positioned where the driver can see them, while the vibration device provides tactile feedback specifically to the driver's seat or steering wheel. This localized quality ensures the driver receives comprehensive alerts without broadcasting danger to all occupants.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If visual notifications and vibrations are used instead of warning sounds, then occupant anxiety is reduced, but the driver's attention to the road may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system incorporates a vibration device that provides tactile feedback to the driver through the seat or steering wheel. This mechanical vibration serves as an effective alert mechanism that does not require the driver to take eyes off the road, maintaining attention while providing clear danger notification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from auditory-only notifications to a multi-dimensional approach combining visual displays and tactile vibrations. This dimensional change allows the driver to receive alerts through multiple senses (sight and touch) without relying on auditory signals that would distract from visual road monitoring.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a display device is used to show visual alerts, then the driver can be notified without disturbing passengers, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display device serves multiple functions: it provides visual notifications to the driver, can display different alert levels, and works in coordination with the vibration device. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing a versatile notification platform that addresses various danger levels and driver situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device acts as an intermediary between the danger detection system and the driver. Instead of directly alerting all occupants through sounds, the display provides a controlled visual interface that can be selectively presented to the driver only, serving as a mediator that filters and directs notification appropriately.
Data Source
AI summary
A notification system includes an identifying part that identifies a state relating to a level of danger of a collision between an object, present ahead in a traveling direction of a vehicle, and the vehicle, and a notification control part that i) causes a display device, provided at a position visually recognizable by a driver of the vehicle, to display a first notification for alerting the driver of the vehicle when the state satisfies a first condition, and ii) causes the display device to display a second notification whose alert level is higher than the first notification and causes a vibration device, provided in a device in contact with the driver, to vibrate when the state satisfies a second condition in which a level of danger is higher than the first condition.