Driving Assist Apparatus Mitigating Secondary Collisions for Drowsy Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving assist systems struggle to effectively mitigate secondary collision damage in light collision scenarios where the airbag does not deploy, as they often interfere with the driver's ability to perform intended avoidance maneuvers, limiting the scope of secondary collision damage mitigation control.
Innovation Solution
A driving assist apparatus equipped with a driver monitor sensor to detect drowsiness and an electronic control unit that determines the occurrence of a light collision based on collision index values, executing secondary collision damage mitigation control by applying braking force or limiting driving force when a drowsy driver is detected, and adjusting controls based on the presence of a following vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If secondary collision damage mitigation control is executed in light collision scenarios, then the scope of protection is expanded, but the driver's ability to perform intended avoidance maneuvers is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The control system applies different mitigation strategies based on the specific collision scenario and driver state. When the driver is drowsy and unable to respond, automatic braking is applied; when the driver is alert and performing avoidance maneuvers, the system refrains from intervention. This localized adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system's protective action context-dependent rather than universal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its level of intervention based on real-time detection of driver state (alert vs. drowsy) and collision characteristics. The mitigation control is not statically applied but dynamically modulated to match the current operational context, allowing the system to expand protection scope while avoiding interference with legitimate driver actions.
2Reliability
If automatic braking is applied to mitigate secondary collision damage, then collision damage is reduced, but the driver's intended operation is overridden
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors driver state through the driver monitor sensor and collision parameters through collision sensors, using this feedback to determine whether automatic braking should be applied. The feedback loop ensures that mitigation control is only activated when the driver is in a drowsy state and unable to respond, thereby maintaining reliability while avoiding override of intentional driver operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system serves itself by detecting driver drowsiness and automatically initiating mitigation control when needed, without requiring driver input. This self-service mechanism ensures that protection is provided precisely when the driver cannot serve themselves through voluntary action, resolving the contradiction between automatic protection and driver autonomy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the scope of secondary collision damage mitigation control is expanded to light collisions, then more scenarios are covered, but false activation may occur during normal driving
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of driver state (alert vs. drowsy) before activating mitigation control in light collision scenarios. This preliminary action serves as a gatekeeping mechanism that prevents false activation during normal driving while allowing appropriate activation when the driver is genuinely unable to respond, thus expanding scope while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A driving assist apparatus comprises a driver monitor sensor which detects a state of a driver of an own vehicle installed with the driving assist apparatus. The apparatus determines whether the driver is in a drowsy state, based on the state of the driver detected by the driver monitor sensor. The apparatus determines that a light collision occurs when a light collision determination condition that at least one collision index value representing a level of a collision of the own vehicle is larger than a light collision determination threshold at which an airbag is not developed, is satisfied. The apparatus executes a secondary collision damage mitigation control to apply a braking force to the own vehicle or limit a driving force applied to the own vehicle when determining that the driver is in the drowsy state, and the light collision occurs.