Driving Assistance Area Control for Expressway False Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional obstacle detection devices fail to distinguish between general roads and expressways, leading to unnecessary driving assistance due to equipment on expressways being mistaken for pedestrians or two-wheel vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A driving assistance device that adjusts the size of the detection area based on the vehicle's lane type, reducing the area when traveling on expressways to prevent erroneous detections of expressway-specific equipment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the driving assistance area is expanded to detect more targets, then detection coverage is improved, but false detection of expressway equipment increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection coverageVSAvoidfalse detection rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the driving assistance area variable rather than fixed. The control device dynamically adjusts the area size based on the vehicle's location (general road vs. expressway). When on general roads, the area is expanded to maximize detection coverage. When on expressways, the area is reduced to minimize false detection of expressway equipment, thus resolving the contradiction between coverage and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the driving assistance area is reduced to avoid false detection, then false positive rate decreases, but detection coverage is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefalse positive rateVSAvoiddetection coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing different detection area settings for different locations. Instead of using a uniform detection area, the system adjusts the area size according to the local characteristics of the road type. On expressways, a smaller area is used locally to reduce false positives from equipment like caution lights. On general roads, a larger area is used locally to ensure adequate detection coverage for pedestrians and two-wheel vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250269846A1Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.08.28 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • US20250269846A1 patent drawing
  • US20250269846A1 patent drawing
  • US20250269846A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A driving assistance device performs driving assistance for an own vehicle when a predetermined target exists in a driving assistance area that is set ahead of the own vehicle. The driving assistance device is able to make a setting change to increase an area size of the driving assistance area in such a manner that the driving assistance area expands outward from the vehicle. When the driving assistance area is expanded, the driving assistance device makes a setting change to reduce the driving assistance area when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling in any of an auxiliary lane and a through lane of an expressway.