Driver State Guidance Using Predictive In-Cabin Stimulus Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver state guidance systems fail to provide appropriate stimuli in response to changing vehicle situations, leading to driver fatigue and decreased safety due to inadequate adaptation to mental and physical load levels during driving.
Innovation Solution
A driver state guide device and method that utilizes a vehicle system incorporating an HMI, air conditioning, NFCM, WACM, locator, and biosensors to identify driver states and predict en-route situations, adjusting stimuli such as temperature, aroma, lighting, and audio to guide the driver to a preferable state through a dynamic stimulus plan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a stimulus plan is determined based only on current driver state without considering en route situation, then the system is simple to operate, but the driver state guidance is inadequate when vehicle situation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The situation prediction unit predicts en route situations (congestion, curvature, gradients) before the vehicle actually encounters them. This preliminary prediction allows the stimulus control unit to prepare and adjust stimuli in advance, enabling the system to adapt to changing situations without requiring complex real-time reconfiguration when conditions change.
Solution Approach 2:
The stimulus plan is dynamically adjusted based on the predicted en route situation. The system transitions from a static stimulus approach to a dynamic one where stimulus types, timing, and intensity are continuously optimized according to predicted changes in vehicle conditions, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
2Reliability
If stimuli are provided continuously without considering driving load, then driver alertness is maintained, but driver fatigue increases and safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stimulus control unit selectively provides stimuli only when and where needed based on the predicted en route situation and current driver state. Instead of continuous stimulation, the system applies partial action (targeted stimuli) during critical phases such as congestion or steep gradients, maintaining safety while avoiding unnecessary stimulation that would cause fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the driver's actual state and compares it with the target state, then adjusts the stimulus plan accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures stimuli are provided only when the driver needs guidance, preventing both excessive stimulation (causing fatigue) and insufficient stimulation (compromising safety).
3Duration of action of moving object
If the stimulus duration is increased immediately after vehicle operation starts, then the stimulus effect is enhanced, but the driver's mental and physical load is not appropriately considered
Solution Approach 1:
The stimulus control unit dynamically adjusts stimulus parameters including duration, intensity, and type based on the predicted en route situation and detected driver state. Instead of using a fixed duration schedule, the system changes stimulus parameters adaptively - extending duration when the driver needs guidance (e.g., during congestion) and reducing it when the driver is alert, thereby resolving the contradiction between stimulus effectiveness and load adaptation.
Data Source
AI summary
A driver state guide device includes: a state identification unit identifying a present state of a driver of an own vehicle; a target estimation unit estimating a target state to which the state of the driver is guided; a route prediction unit providing a predicted route of the own vehicle; a situation prediction unit predicting a situation in the predicted route predicted by the route prediction unit; a planning unit planning, as a stimulus plan, a stimulus to be used in the predicted route to guide the state of the driver to the target state; and a stimulus control unit providing the stimulus for the driver according to the stimulus plan determined by the planning unit in the predicted route.