Intersection Turn Notification Timing for Blind-Angle Collision Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

In-vehicle sensors struggle to detect traffic participants at blind angles, such as when large vehicles obstruct the view, making it difficult to avoid collisions during right turns at intersections on left-hand traffic roads.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle notification system that includes a road map storage unit, position specification units, direction-change-intention detection, driving state detection, and notification issuance units to optimize notification timing and mode based on vehicle positions and behaviors, setting intersection and predicted collision areas to ensure timely and appropriate alerts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If in-vehicle sensors are used to detect traffic participants, then detection capability is provided, but detection of traffic participants at blind angles becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoiddetection at blind angles
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses another vehicle (the second vehicle) as an intermediary to detect the oncoming vehicle at blind angles. The second vehicle's sensor detects the oncoming vehicle that the first vehicle's sensor cannot detect due to the obstacle. This intermediary detection approach allows the system to overcome the blind angle limitation by leveraging the positional relationship between multiple vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If large vehicles are present in the scene, then the blind angle becomes wider, but this makes it more difficult to detect the oncoming vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle sizeVSAvoiddetection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a single-vehicle detection perspective to a multi-vehicle spatial relationship perspective. By considering the positional and spatial relationships between the first vehicle, second vehicle, and oncoming vehicle in three-dimensional space, the system can detect oncoming vehicles at blind angles that would be invisible from any single vehicle's perspective alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If notification is issued early, then collision avoidance opportunity increases, but false alarms may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidfalse alarms
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically changes multiple parameters including notification timing, notification mode, and intersection area size based on vehicle speeds, positions, and driving states. By adjusting these parameters according to real-time conditions, the system optimizes the balance between providing sufficient warning time and avoiding false alarms, issuing earlier notifications only when collision risk is actually high.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4700740A1Vehicle notification system
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP4700740A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4700740A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4700740A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The vehicle notification system provides notification issuance for information presentation or alarm to traffic participants VA, VB in a traffic situation where a right turning vehicle VA and a straight traveling vehicle VB are approaching an intersection CS from opposite directions. Upon detecting the right turnS114 intention, the system sets an intersection area ACS and a predicted collision area ACP prior to reaching the intersection CS of the right turning vehicle VA. The system sets a first issuance timing according to a relative position of the right turning vehicle VA with respect to the intersection area ACS and a second issuance timing according to a behavior of the right turning vehicle VA in the intersection area ACS, and issues a notification in a predetermined mode to the traffic participants under a condition that predetermined issuance conditions with respect to a position of the straight traveling vehicle VB are satisfied at each of the first issuance timing and the second issuance timing. The intersection area ACS is set to have a size in accordance with the driving state of the right turning vehicle VA before the first vehicle VA reaches the intersection CS.