Haptic Seat Actuator Array Reconfiguration for Driver Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle alert systems rely on audio and visual cues, which may not effectively capture a driver's attention, especially in distracting environments, and lack personalized haptic feedback tailored to the occupant's physical profile and preferences.
Innovation Solution
A haptic alert system integrated into vehicle seats, utilizing an array of haptic actuators that adjust and calibrate based on the occupant's profile, providing personalized and directional haptic feedback through dynamic reconfiguration and intensity adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If audio and visual alerts are used to warn the driver, then the alert system can provide notification, but the driver's attention may not be effectively captured in distracting environments
Solution Approach 1:
The alert system is segmented into multiple independent haptic actuators distributed across the seat surface, allowing different regions to provide distinct tactile feedback patterns that can capture driver attention more effectively than unified audio/visual alerts
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies localized haptic feedback to specific regions of the driver's body through targeted actuator activation, creating personalized tactile alerts that are more likely to capture attention and convey directional information about hazards
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed haptic actuator configuration is used in the seat, then the device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot provide personalized feedback tailored to the occupant's physical profile
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic actuator configuration is made dynamic through automated reconfiguration based on detected occupant characteristics such as body type, seating position, and contact points, allowing the system to adapt to different users without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically detecting occupant profile characteristics and configuring the haptic actuator array accordingly, eliminating the need for manual setup while providing personalized feedback
3Reliability
If all haptic actuators are activated simultaneously, then the notification coverage is maximized, but the occupant may not gain spatial awareness of the alert direction
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic actuator array is segmented into multiple independently controllable groups, allowing selective activation of specific regions to convey directional information about hazards while maintaining overall notification coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a spatial dimension to haptic feedback by activating actuators in specific patterns across the seat surface, creating tactile gradients that indicate direction and location of hazards beyond simple presence/absence of vibration
4Reliability
If the haptic actuator intensity is set high, then the alert is more noticeable, but the occupant comfort is reduced and misinterpretation of alerts may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different intensity levels to different regions of the haptic actuator array based on the specific alert type and occupant profile, providing sufficient detectability while avoiding excessive intensity that would cause discomfort or misinterpretation
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts haptic actuator intensity parameters based on detected occupant characteristics such as body mass, contact area, and sensitivity, optimizing the balance between alert detectability and comfort for each user
Data Source
AI summary
Technical solutions are described herein for adjusting a notification system of a vehicle. An example method includes receiving, by a controller, an occupant profile of an occupant of the vehicle. The method further includes adjusting, by the controller, a haptic array according to the occupant profile, the haptic array comprising a plurality of haptic actuators, the adjusting comprising activating a first subset of the haptic actuators and deactivating a second subset of the haptic actuators. Further, the method includes providing, by the haptic array, a notification to the occupant of the vehicle by providing a haptic feedback using the activated haptic actuators.