Head-worn Display Control for Driver Distraction in Motor Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions fail to effectively prevent driver distraction in motor vehicles by ensuring that display devices worn on the head, such as virtual or augmented reality glasses, are only used for traffic-related content when the vehicle is not in autonomous driving mode and there are no passengers other than the driver.
Innovation Solution
A method and control device that check for the presence of other vehicle occupants, restricting virtual reality glasses from displaying any content and limiting augmented reality glasses to traffic-related information when the vehicle is not in autonomous mode and only allowing content display if there are passengers behind the front seats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the display device allows any content to be displayed when a passenger is present, then the entertainment function is improved, but the driver distraction risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating content display permissions based on the spatial location of occupants. The system identifies whether occupants are in the driver's seat or passenger seat, and applies different display rules accordingly - restricting content for the driver while allowing it for passengers. This resolves the contradiction by making the display capability adaptive to the specific user's location rather than applying a uniform restriction to all occupants.
2Reliability
If the system restricts content display to prevent driver distraction, then safety is improved, but the entertainment functionality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making the display restriction rules adaptive and changeable based on real-time detection of occupant presence and vehicle operating conditions. The system dynamically adjusts content display permissions - allowing entertainment content when passengers are present, restricting it when only the driver is present, and modifying restrictions when the vehicle enters autonomous driving mode. This resolves the contradiction by making safety restrictions flexible rather than static, preserving entertainment functionality when safe to do so.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the display permission parameters based on detected conditions. The system changes the content display parameter from restricted to unrestricted based on whether passengers are detected, whether the vehicle is in autonomous mode, and other operational parameters. This allows the entertainment function to be fully utilized when conditions permit while maintaining safety restrictions when needed.
3Reliability
If the system monitors occupant presence to enforce display restrictions, then driver protection is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an intermediary approach by using the vehicle's existing seat belt buckle sensors as a mediator to detect occupant presence. Rather than implementing a complex dedicated detection system, the invention leverages the already-present seat belt sensors to infer whether the driver or passenger is present based on buckle status. This resolves the contradiction by using an existing system component as an intermediary detection mechanism, providing driver protection without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a display device which can be worn on the head in a motor vehicle (1), in which at least the condition that no further vehicle occupants (9) other than a driver (2) are situated in the motor vehicle (1) is checked if the motor vehicle (1) is not operated in an autonomous driving mode, and, if said condition is satisfied, the following restriction is placed on the display device in respect of a display of content: the display of any content is prevented if the display device is in the form of virtual reality glasses (3); only the display of traffic-relevant content is made possible by means of the display device if the display device is in the form of augmented reality glasses. The invention also relates to a control device (4) for operating a display device which can be worn on the head in a motor vehicle (1).