Vehicle Head-Up Display Sign Filtering

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle head-up display systems fail to effectively assist drivers in handling information in urban driving environments, as they do not adequately filter out irrelevant information such as non-relevant traffic signs, leading to information overload and potential safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle head-up display arrangement that includes a projection unit, a driver eye position estimation unit, and a detecting unit to selectively project light onto the windshield, covering non-relevant traffic signs from the driver's view while highlighting relevant information, using a processing unit to determine the relevance of detected signs and adjust the projection accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a head-up display system projects all detected traffic signs onto the windshield, then the driver receives complete information, but the driver experiences information overload and difficulty in handling relevant information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidinformation handling ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the relevant traffic signs from the complete set of detected signs and projects them onto the windshield. The processing unit determines relevance based on driver destination and current location, filtering out non-relevant signs before projection, thus providing complete relevant information without overload.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different treatment to different traffic signs based on their relevance. Relevant signs are projected with full visibility onto the windshield, while non-relevant signs are excluded from projection, creating a differentiated information presentation that optimizes ease of handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the projection unit projects light onto areas of the windshield to cover non-relevant traffic signs, then information overload is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to eye position estimation and relevance determination units

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation handling easeVSAvoidsystem structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The processing unit performs multiple functions: it determines the relevance of traffic signs based on driver destination and location, identifies non-relevant signs, and controls the projection unit to cover them. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, managing device complexity while achieving information filtering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The processing unit acts as an intermediary between the detecting unit and the projection unit. It receives all detected traffic signs, filters them based on relevance criteria, and sends only the necessary projection commands to the projection unit, thereby managing system complexity through a centralized control function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the system filters out non-relevant traffic signs using the processing unit, then information overload is reduced, but the measurement precision required for eye position estimation and sign relevance determination increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation handling easeVSAvoideye position estimation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by estimating driver eye position and determining traffic sign relevance before the projection occurs. The processing unit pre-filters the traffic signs based on predicted relevance, so that only potentially relevant signs are prepared for projection, reducing the need for high precision during the actual projection moment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial filtering by covering only the non-relevant portion of traffic signs rather than requiring perfect precision in distinguishing all relevant from non-relevant signs. The projection unit projects light onto areas that partially cover non-relevant signs while leaving relevant signs visible, accepting some approximation to reduce measurement precision requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution reduces information overload for drivers by filtering out irrelevant traffic signs, improving driving safety by allowing them to focus on relevant information and enhancing their ability to navigate through complex urban environments.

Implementation Method 1

a projection unit arranged to selectively project light onto the vehicle windshield

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight projection: Light

Data Source

PatentEP2762950B1Vehicle head-up display arrangement
Publication Date: 2020.10.21 VOLVO CAR CORP
  • EP2762950B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2762950B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4c
  • EP2762950B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A vehicle comprising a head-up display system (1) is provided, comprising a vehicle windshield (3), a projection unit (5), a vehicle driver eye position estimation unit (7.1, 7.2, 7.3), a detecting unit (9) arranged to detect traffic signs (10) and their location in relation to the vehicle (11), and a processing unit (13) arranged to determine the content of the traffic signs (10). The processing unit (13) is arranged to determine the relevance of the content of the traffic signs (10). The projection unit (5) is arranged to project light onto one or more areas (15) of the windshield (3) in line with the estimated eye position (17) of the vehicle driver (19) and traffic signs (10) determined to have a content not being relevant, such that these traffic signs (10) are covered at least partially from the estimated eye position (17) of the vehicle driver (19).