Driving Support Apparatus Predicting Hidden Object Emergence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle collision prevention systems fail to detect objects hidden behind obstacles in the driver's blind spots and do not provide comprehensive warnings for both the host vehicle, object vehicles, and third parties, leading to potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
A driving support system utilizing multiple cameras, optical flow calculation, and pattern recognition to simulate the presence of hidden objects on the dashboard display, providing audible and visual warnings to prevent collisions by predicting the emergence of objects from behind obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple cameras and optical flow calculation are used to detect hidden objects, then collision prevention capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the detection task into multiple segments by using multiple cameras positioned at different locations (front, rear, left, right) to capture images of different regions. Each camera independently captures images, and the control unit processes each image separately to detect mobile objects, thereby improving overall detection reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit performs preliminary action by calculating optical flow from captured images to predict the future position of mobile objects before they emerge from behind obstacles. This predictive capability allows the system to warn drivers in advance about potential collision risks, improving collision prevention capability by detecting hidden objects before they become visible threats.
2Measurement precision
If optical flow calculation is used to predict mobile object positions, then detection accuracy for hidden objects is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit applies partial action by performing optical flow calculation only on image regions that contain moving features or where mobile objects are likely to be present, rather than processing the entire image. This selective processing approach maintains detection accuracy for hidden objects while reducing overall processing time by avoiding unnecessary computation in static regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a real-time processing mode where the control unit rapidly performs optical flow calculation and position prediction for mobile objects that show significant motion characteristics. For objects with slow or negligible movement, the processing is expedited or skipped in favor of more urgent detection tasks, thereby reducing average processing time while maintaining detection accuracy for critical hidden objects.
3Loss of information
If superimposed display of hidden objects is implemented, then driver awareness is improved, but information overload may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit applies local quality by superimposing information about hidden mobile objects only at specific locations on the display screen corresponding to the predicted emergence positions of these objects. Rather than displaying all detected information uniformly, the system concentrates relevant information locally where the driver needs to focus attention, thereby improving driver awareness without creating unnecessary information overload in other display regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by displaying predicted positions of hidden mobile objects in advance before they actually emerge from behind obstacles. This advance warning allows the driver to mentally prepare and react appropriately when the objects become visible, improving driver awareness and reaction time while maintaining simple information presentation through intuitive predictive display rather than complex real-time tracking of multiple parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus which, even when it becomes impossible to take an image of a mobile object due to existence of an obstacle to hide the mobile object, is capable of making a simulatory screen display of the mobile object, thereby notifying a driver of a risk of collision with the mobile object. Even when it is impossible to take an image of the mobile object because of existence of an obstacle, the apparatus displays a simulated picture image of the mobile object superimposed on an actual picture image, by obtaining an optical flow or by performing pattern matching. Thus, an effect is obtained that the mobile object is viewed as if transmitted through the obstacle. By notifying the driver of the risk of collision in advance by means of sound or video image perceptible by a human being, the danger of the collision is avoided.