Intersection Vehicle Alerts for Blind-Spot Collision Warnings

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Solution Overview

Problem

In-vehicle sensors struggle to detect traffic participants at blind angles, such as vehicles obscured by obstacles, particularly when large vehicles are involved, making it difficult to provide effective collision avoidance notifications that do not hinder driving and ensure traffic safety.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle notification system that uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication and different auditory notifications to alert drivers of potential collisions, distinguishing between vehicles in the same lane and those in opposite lanes, with varying sounds for different urgency levels to ensure attention is drawn to relevant targets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If in-vehicle sensors are used to detect traffic participants, then detection capability is provided, but detection reliability deteriorates when vehicles are present at blind angles behind obstacles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoiddetection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces V2V communication as an intermediary mechanism to transfer detection information between vehicles. When one vehicle detects a traffic participant (such as a pedestrian or another vehicle), it shares this information with nearby vehicles through V2V communication, enabling vehicles at blind angles to receive detection data from other vehicles that have line-of-sight to the target.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple notification modes are used to inform drivers of various events, then notification effectiveness is improved, but driver distraction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenotification effectivenessVSAvoiddriving ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different notification characteristics to different types of detected objects and situations. Visual notifications are used for general awareness, while auditory notifications are reserved for critical collision risks. The notification type, intensity, and frequency are locally optimized based on the specific threat level and object category, ensuring that drivers receive appropriate attention without unnecessary distraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4708250A1Vehicle notification system
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP4708250A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4708250A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4708250A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle notification system 1 includes: a pedestrian detection unit B121a that detects an object to be monitored that is movable in a sidewalk at the intersection CS or in a predetermined area around the intersection CS; a first notification issuing unit B118a and a second notification issuing unit B119a that perform notification issuance in a first mode to avoid collision between the right turning vehicle VA and the straight traveling vehicle VB; and a third notification issuing unit B122a that performs notification issuance in a second mode for the right turning vehicle VA to avoid collision between the right turning vehicle VA and the object to be monitored that has been detected by the pedestrian detection unit B121a. The notification issuance in the first mode and the notification issuance in the second mode are performed with mutually different sounds in the right turning vehicle VA.