Dynamic Marker Animation for Driver Confidence

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing in-vehicle systems fail to provide occupants with a sense of safety and attention when the vehicle is in automatic drive mode, leading to potential distraction and unease due to monotonous display of preceding markers, which do not change with varying safety levels.

Innovation Solution

An in-vehicle device with a display unit that shows animated markers with varying colors, shapes, and positions to indicate normal, alert, or failure states, reducing driver distraction by providing visual cues about the vehicle's status and direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the display position and size of the preceding marker remain unchanged while the forward direction safety level is not changed, then the system maintains stable information display, but the occupant feels uneasy and cannot confirm that vehicle automatic drive is being operated normally

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupant confidence in automatic drive operationVSAvoiddisplay control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the Dynamics principle by transforming the static preceding marker into a dynamic animated marker that periodically changes its display position around the vehicle-corresponding position. This animation provides visual feedback that the automatic drive system is actively operating, thereby improving occupant confidence without requiring complex additional hardware or system changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements Periodic action through the animated marker's periodic movement around the vehicle-corresponding position. This rhythmic visual pattern creates a recognizable signal for the occupant that the system is functioning normally, addressing the unease caused by static displays while maintaining simple system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Ease of operation

If the display position and size of the preceding marker remain unchanged while the forward direction safety level is not changed, then the system maintains simple display control, but the monotonous display leads to the possibility that the occupant pays less attention to the vehicle automatic drive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupant attention engagementVSAvoiddisplay control mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the Dynamics principle to create an animated marker that moves periodically around the vehicle-corresponding position. This dynamic visual element captures and maintains occupant attention more effectively than a static marker, improving ease of operation in terms of driver engagement without adding significant complexity to the display control mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If an animated marker with varying position is displayed to indicate normal operation, then the occupant gains a sense of safety and visual confirmation of system operation, but the display complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual confirmation of system operationVSAvoiddisplay control system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies Periodic action by implementing a marker that periodically changes its position around the vehicle-corresponding position. This periodic animation provides clear visual confirmation of system operation and enhances perceived reliability, while the regular pattern keeps the control logic relatively simple and predictable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP2988098B1Driver assistance system with non-static symbol of fluctuating shape
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP2988098B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2988098B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2988098B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An in-vehicle device includes: a drive assist unit configured to perform drive assist processing; a display unit configured to display an image in a display area with the image overlapped on a scene in a real space ahead of a vehicle; and a display control unit configured to control the display unit to display, in a normal state while the drive assist processing is performed, an image of a first marker (306) at a vehicle-corresponding position as a position in the display area corresponding to a position where the vehicle is estimated to be positioned in the real space in a predetermined time. The first marker (306) has a first color, the first marker (306) has a first shape that has a smooth outline and fluctuates, and a display position of the first marker (306) varies periodically from the vehicle-corresponding position.