Driver Assistance Moderation for Sustained Level 2 Driver Attention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Driver assistance systems in vehicles, particularly at Level 2 automation, face challenges in ensuring safety due to driver trust in automation, leading to inadequate monitoring during partially automated driving maneuvers, especially when performance is high and routines are repeated, which can result in inattentiveness and safety risks.

Innovation Solution

A method is implemented where a driver assistance system monitors the number of high-performance partially automated functions and issues a moderation signal to the driver after a predetermined number, requesting feedback or manual intervention to prevent excessive trust in automation, by simulating non-performing functions or limiting information display, and adjusting based on driver risk profiles and attention levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the driver assistance system operates without driver moderation, then productivity is improved through automated functions, but the driver may develop excessive trust and reduce monitoring

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation efficiencyVSAvoiddriver trust and monitoring behavior
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the driver is asked to provide feedback on subsequent functions after receiving moderation signals. This feedback loop maintains driver engagement and awareness of system performance while allowing automated functions to operate efficiently, balancing productivity with reliable driver monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the driver assistance system requests frequent driver feedback, then driver attention is maintained, but system productivity and automation efficiency are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver attention and moderationVSAvoidautomation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial moderation by requesting driver feedback only after a predetermined number of successfully performed functions rather than after every function. This partial action maintains driver attention and moderation while minimizing interruptions to automation efficiency, achieving an optimal balance between reliability and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4132830B1Method for operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle, comprising driver moderation for partially-automated functions, driver assistance system, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP4132830B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4132830B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for operating a driver assistance system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: carrying out a plurality of partially automated functions by means of the driver assistance system during operation of the vehicle, wherein, for the partially automated functions by means of the driver assistance system, longitudinal guidance and/or transverse guidance of the vehicle are controlled, and/or information which describes the surroundings of the vehicle is output and/or a signal is output to the surroundings, wherein, after a predetermined number of carried out partially automated functions, for a subsequent function which can be carried out in a partially automated manner by means of the driver assistance system, a moderation signal is output to a driver of the vehicle, and wherein, when the moderation signal is output, the driver is prompted to respond to the subsequent function.