Driver Information Display for Road Boundary Visualization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing driver information systems in vehicles fail to provide drivers with comprehensive and intuitive information about the driving situation, particularly regarding road markings and vehicle positioning, which can lead to confusion and increased risk during navigation.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that records environmental data to determine demarcation markings on the road, generates a graphical lane object representing the road section, and outputs a driver information display with a graphic demarcation object, allowing drivers to quickly understand road markings and their characteristics, including movement relative to the ego vehicle, using sensors and map data for accurate representation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If traditional driver information systems are used to display driving information, then the system structure is simple, but the driver's understanding of road markings and vehicle positioning is insufficient and confusing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of driving situation informationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates graphical copies of road markings and lane structures based on detected environmental data and map information. These graphical representations (lane objects, boundary objects, demarcation objects) are displayed in a head-up display to replicate the physical road layout, enabling drivers to intuitively understand their position and road marking characteristics without complex manual interpretation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that detects environmental data, correlates it with map data, generates graphical representations, and displays them through a head-up display. This intermediary layer transforms raw sensor data into intuitive visual information about road markings and vehicle positioning, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If detailed information about road markings and vehicle positioning is provided to the driver, then driver understanding and safety are improved, but the interface complexity and information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving safetyVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different graphical representation styles to different road marking types and situations. Boundary objects, demarcation objects, and lane objects are displayed with specific visual characteristics appropriate to their function. This localized differentiation provides detailed safety-relevant information while maintaining interface simplicity through consistent visual language for each object type

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from two-dimensional road markings on the physical road to three-dimensional graphical representations in the head-up display that incorporate vertical positioning and spatial relationships. This dimensional enhancement provides comprehensive safety information including vehicle position relative to lane boundaries and road edges, while the overlay format maintains interface simplicity by utilizing the driver's existing field of view

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

3Ease of operation

If the driver information display shows comprehensive road marking and positioning data, then situational awareness is enhanced, but the driver's cognitive processing load increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of understanding driving situationVSAvoiddriver cognitive processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-processes environmental data and map information to generate graphical representations of road markings and lane structures before the driver needs to interpret them. The system continuously detects and updates the displayed information, so when the driver glances at the head-up display, the relevant positioning and road marking information is already prepared and presented in an intuitive format, reducing cognitive processing time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring the driver to interpret raw sensor data or complex system status indicators, the patent inverts the approach by presenting pre-interpreted graphical representations that directly show vehicle position relative to road markings. This inversion of the information processing sequence (from driver-interprets-data to system-prepresents-understood-information) significantly reduces cognitive load while enhancing ease of understanding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3931030B1Method for operating a driver information system in an ego-vehicle and driver information system
Publication Date: 2024.02.14 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3931030B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3931030B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3931030B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for operating a driver information system in an ego-vehicle, in which environment data is detected in an environment of the ego-vehicle, and a boundary marker is determined on a road section lying in front of the ego-vehicle in the direction of travel, based on the detected environment data. A boundary marker class is determined for the determined boundary marker. A driver information display is generated and output, wherein the driver information display comprises a graphic lane object which represents the road section lying in front of the ego-vehicle (1). In addition, the driver information display comprises a graphic boundary object which is formed according to the determined boundary marker class.