Vehicle Driving Ability Control With Adaptive Driver Intervention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems for automated driving fail to maintain or improve a driver's driving ability, especially when their abilities are insufficient, leading to safety concerns and reduced driving life.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control apparatus that assesses and compensates for the driver's reduced abilities by taking over driving functions temporarily or chronically, providing physical stimulation, and offering assistance information to recover or improve driving performance, ensuring safe travel through automated driving.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vehicle performs all driving functions instead of the driver when driving ability is lost, then safety of vehicle travel is ensured, but the driver's driving ability cannot be maintained or improved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of vehicle travelVSAvoiddriver's driving ability maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the level of automated driving intervention based on the driver's current state. When the driver has normal driving ability, the system provides minimal assistance. When temporary reduction is detected, physical stimulation is applied. When chronic reduction is detected, information provision is enhanced. When driving ability is lost, full automated driving is activated. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to ensure safety while preserving and improving driver ability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of automation level from partial to full based on the driver's ability assessment. By monitoring driving ability parameters and adjusting the degree of automated driving accordingly, the system ensures safety when ability is lost while maintaining driver engagement and ability development when ability is present.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the vehicle provides driving assistance to balance required and current driving ability, then the driver can enjoy and concentrate on safe driving, but the driver's driving ability cannot be maintained or improved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's driving experienceVSAvoiddriver's driving ability maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to the driver about their driving performance and the assistance being provided. This feedback mechanism allows the driver to understand their own abilities and areas for improvement while receiving appropriate support, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and driving ability development.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the driver to maintain and improve their own driving ability through self-monitoring and self-adjustment based on feedback. The driver actively engages with the system to understand and improve their performance rather than passively relying on automated assistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Duration of action of moving object

If the vehicle applies physical stimulation or provides information to recover temporarily reduced driving performance, then the driver can continue driving, but additional system complexity is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's continuous driving capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity for ability assessment and intervention
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the driving ability assessment into distinct components (sensory function, judgment function, operation function) and provides targeted interventions for each. This segmentation allows for more efficient monitoring and intervention strategies, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary assessment of driving ability before critical failures occur. By detecting temporary reductions in driving performance early and applying physical stimulation or information provision in advance, the system prevents complete loss of driving control and maintains continuous driving capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If the vehicle provides information on assistance to maintain or improve chronically reduced driving performance, then the driver's driving ability can be maintained or improved, but the system must continuously monitor and assess driving ability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's driving ability improvementVSAvoiddifficulty of continuous driving ability assessment
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system leverages the driver's own feedback and responses to assess driving ability. By monitoring the driver's reactions, corrections, and interactions with the vehicle system, the assessment of driving ability becomes a self-service process that reduces the complexity of external monitoring while maintaining continuous evaluation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4094969B1Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle and vehicle control method
Publication Date: 2025.01.08 MAZDA MOTOR CORP
  • EP4094969B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4094969B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4094969B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle control apparatus (100) executes: all functions substitution processing in which, when loss or a sign of loss of any of the plural driving functions of a driver is detected, a vehicle (1) is controlled such that the vehicle performs all of the plural driving functions instead; optimization processing in which, when a temporary reduction of driving performance of any of the plural driving functions of the driver is detected, the vehicle is controlled to eliminate the temporary reduction of the driving performance by applying physical stimulation to the driver or by providing the driver with information that makes the driver recognize the temporary reduction of the driving performance; and assistance processing in which, when a chronic reduction of the driving performance of any of the plural driving functions of the driver is detected, the vehicle is controlled to maintain or improve the driving performance by providing the driver with information on assistance with exertion of the driving performance.