Vehicle Interior Light Sequencing for Occupant Gaze Guidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current light emission systems in vehicles are ineffective in alerting occupants to important information, as they lack targeted control over light emitting units to guide attention effectively.

Innovation Solution

A light emission control device that acquires information about target objects and vehicle occupants' visual fields, controlling light emitting units to interlock their emission, guide gaze, and adjust based on environmental conditions, ensuring alerting effectiveness by optimizing light emission paths and modes within the occupant's central visual field.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple light emitting units are simply caused to emit light simultaneously, then the alerting effectiveness is insufficient, but the system complexity remains low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealerting effectivenessVSAvoidcontrol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the light emission pattern adaptive rather than static. The control section dynamically adjusts the emission sequence, intensity, and pattern of multiple light emitting units based on real-time detection of the occupant's gaze direction and visual field. This dynamic control transforms simple simultaneous emission into a sophisticated attention-guiding system that follows the occupant's eye movements, thereby significantly improving alerting effectiveness without requiring complex manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms by using a visual field acquisition section to continuously monitor the occupant's gaze direction and central visual field position. This feedback information is fed back to the control section, which then adjusts the light emission pattern accordingly. The system creates a closed-loop control where the light emission responds to and guides the occupant's attention based on real-time visual field data, enhancing alerting effectiveness through adaptive feedback control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If light emission is controlled to guide gaze towards target objects, then alerting effectiveness is improved, but the control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealerting effectivenessVSAvoidcontrol mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing the light emitting units to serve multiple functions: they not only provide general illumination but also specifically guide attention to target objects, provide navigation guidance, and enhance alerting effectiveness. The same light emitting units and control system handle various tasks including gaze guidance, target indication, and environmental adaptation, reducing the need for separate specialized components and thereby managing complexity while achieving multiple objectives.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the light emitting units as intermediaries between the vehicle's information systems and the occupant's attention. Rather than directly presenting information that requires active occupant search, the system uses light as a mediating element to guide the occupant's gaze to relevant information or target objects. This intermediary approach translates information into visual guidance cues that naturally direct attention, improving alerting effectiveness while maintaining manageable system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If light emission follows the occupant's visual field movement, then gaze guidance is achieved, but the system requires complex visual field detection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegaze guidance accuracyVSAvoidvisual field detection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating a virtual model or representation of the occupant's visual field using the visual field acquisition section. Instead of directly controlling light based on complex eye tracking, the system acquires visual field information and creates a corresponding light emission pattern that mirrors or follows the detected visual field position. This copying approach allows gaze guidance to be achieved by replicating the visual field movement through light emission patterns, reducing the complexity of direct eye tracking while maintaining guidance accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4253152A1Light emission control device, light emitting device, vehicle, light emission control method, and computer program
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4253152A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4253152A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4253152A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A light emission control device (22, 21) comprises an object acquisition section (250) and a control section (290). The object acquisition section (250) is for acquiring information related to a target object (O) in surroundings of a vehicle (12). The control section (290) is for performing control so as to interlock light emission of a plurality of light emitting units (40) provided inside the vehicle (12) in a case in which the target object (O) is present.