Hazard Detection and Sharing System for Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack a unified platform for professionals, civilians, vehicles, robots, and computer systems to collaboratively share and update information on environmental hazards in real-time, limiting efficient route planning and obstacle avoidance.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enables collaboration by using sensors to detect hazards, updating a database, and providing real-time hazard information to navigation devices, allowing for route planning that avoids detected obstacles, with features like user profiling and notification systems for responsible parties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a unified real-time hazard sharing system is implemented, then route planning efficiency and safety are improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized hazard database and communication network as intermediary components that enable hazard information sharing between multiple detectors and navigation devices. This mediator architecture allows distributed participants to share hazard data without direct peer-to-peer connections, reducing overall system complexity while improving route planning safety through real-time hazard awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The hazard detection system is designed with universal components that serve multiple functions: sensors detect various hazard types (geographic and non-geographic), the database stores diverse hazard information, and the notification system serves multiple users simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Productivity
If passive hazard detection during routine operations is implemented, then data collection efficiency is improved, but detection accuracy and validation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where hazard detections are communicated to other system participants who can verify or contest the findings. Navigation devices and other detectors can provide feedback on reported hazards, creating a validation loop that maintains detection accuracy despite passive collection methods. This community verification process resolves the accuracy challenge while preserving high productivity from passive detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service hazard validation where the community of users automatically verifies and validates hazard reports through their navigation decisions and feedback. Rather than requiring centralized manual verification, the system leverages collective user experience and route choices to implicitly validate hazard detections, maintaining precision while preserving passive detection efficiency.
3Loss of time
If real-time hazard information sharing is implemented, then route planning speed is improved, but information verification and data quality control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary validation mechanisms where hazard information is pre-screened and categorized before being shared with the community. The system pre-processes sensor data to filter obvious false positives and pre-organizes hazard information by type and location, enabling rapid route planning while maintaining data quality through advance verification steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms raw sensor data into standardized hazard parameters with defined confidence levels and validation states. By changing the parameter representation from raw sensor readings to structured hazard records with metadata about detection reliability, the system enables fast information sharing while maintaining data quality through parameter-based filtering and prioritization.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for a navigation system including a hazard avoidance feature is disclosed. The system and method allows for professionals, civilians, vehicles, robots and computer systems to collaborate and share information regarding hazards, defects, obstacles, flaws, and other abnormalities that exist in any environment. Routes may be planned that avoid these hazards reducing lost time or frustration. Moreover, the system and method is configured for participants to detect, catalog, and share information related to obstacles.