Driving Assistance Control for Hidden Road Obstacles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving assistance devices struggle to detect obstacles outside the field of vision of the front camera, particularly on winding roads or with steep slopes, leading to incorrect interpretation of the absence of obstacles and disrupted implementation of driving assistance functions.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system and control module that detect and account for portions of the road outside the camera's field of view, using navigation data and Vehicle-to-X communication to estimate potential obstacle presence, controlling driving assistance functions accordingly, such as deceleration or automatic vehicle following.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a front camera is used to detect obstacles on the road, then obstacle detection capability is improved, but detection coverage is reduced when the vehicle travels on winding roads or roads with steep gradients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces road information (curvature, gradient, and position data) as an intermediary element to bridge the gap between the camera's limited field of view and the actual road geometry. This road information acts as a mediator that allows the system to infer the presence of obstacles beyond the camera's detection range by combining it with the detected road portion and vehicle position data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional camera field of view to a three-dimensional road model by incorporating road curvature and gradient information. This dimensional expansion allows the system to calculate portions of the road that extend beyond the camera's direct line of sight, effectively adding a temporal and spatial dimension to obstacle detection.
2Device complexity
If the driving assistance system relies solely on sensor detection, then system simplicity is maintained, but reliability is reduced due to misinterpretation of obstacle absence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculations to determine the road portion beyond the camera's field of view based on road curvature and gradient data before obstacle detection is actually needed. This advance preparation allows the system to anticipate areas where obstacles might exist even before they enter the camera's detection range, improving reliability without adding complex real-time processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the detected road portion information is continuously fed back into the obstacle detection algorithm. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust its interpretation of sensor data based on the calculated road geometry, preventing misinterpretation of obstacle absence and improving overall detection reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If the camera field of vision is expanded to cover more road, then detection coverage is improved, but measurement precision is reduced due to distance and angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the road into two distinct portions: the detected road portion within the camera's field of view and the undetected road portion beyond it. This segmentation allows the system to apply different processing strategies to each segment - using direct sensor detection for the visible portion and inferential calculation based on road geometry for the hidden portion, thereby maintaining precision while expanding coverage.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~5B
Figure 6A~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a driving assistance device for a motor vehicle (1) travelling on a road (2), said device comprising: - a sensor suitable for acquiring a signal representative of the presence of an obstacle within a detection field (110) of said sensor, and - a control module programmed to control a driving assistance function of the motor vehicle, depending on the signal acquired by said sensor, and to: a) detect, based on a position of the motor vehicle and characteristics of said road, a portion of said road (20) located outside the detection field of said sensor, and b) in case of detection of said portion of road, control said driving assistance function taking into account the potential presence of an obstacle at said portion of road. A driving assistance method is also described.