Driver Gaze-Based Hazard Grouping for Reduced Vehicle Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving assistance systems issue excessive notifications when multiple pedestrians are recognized as a crowd, leading to unnecessary alerts even though individual pedestrians may not be visually checked by the driver.
Innovation Solution
A driving assistance device that includes a detection unit to identify multiple notification objects, estimates the driver's line-of-sight direction, and controls visual and recognition flags to group objects that have been visually and recognized by the driver, suppressing notifications for grouped objects to prevent excessive alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system notifies the driver about each notification object individually, then the driver is informed of all potential hazards, but excessive notifications are generated when multiple objects are detected in close proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple notification objects that are within a predetermined range of each other into a single grouped notification. When the driver visually confirms one object in the group, the system assumes the driver has also perceived the other objects in the same spatial group, thereby suppressing redundant notifications for objects within the group while maintaining notification accuracy for hazards.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the system suppresses notifications for grouped objects, then excessive notifications are reduced, but the driver may not be informed of all individual hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary grouping of notification objects based on their spatial relationships before generating notifications. By pre-identifying which objects should be grouped together based on their positions and the driver's line-of-sight direction, the system can suppress notifications for objects in the same group after the driver confirms one object, reducing notification overload while maintaining safety.
3Measurement precision
If the system uses line-of-sight direction to determine visual confirmation, then the driver's attention is accurately tracked, but objects not in the direct line of sight may be missed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the line-of-sight detection capability with spatial grouping of notification objects. When the driver's line of sight is directed toward one object in a group, the system merges this visual confirmation with the spatial proximity information to infer that the driver has also perceived other objects in the same group, thereby extending the reliability of object recognition beyond the strict line of sight.
Data Source
AI summary
A driving assistance device comprises a detection unit configured to detect a plurality of notification objects as targets for a notification to a driver of a vehicle on the basis of surrounding information of the vehicle; an estimation unit configured to estimate a line-of-sight direction of the driver; a grouping unit configured to group a first notification object and one or more second notification objects within a predetermined range from the first notification object, as one group in a case where the driver has visually checked the first notification object among the plurality of notification objects on the basis of the line-of-sight direction; and a suppression unit configured to suppress the notification regarding the one group.