Lane Support Intervention Control for Unresponsive Driver Risk

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems lack effective methods to detect and mitigate risks associated with a driver becoming unresponsive, leading to potential accidents due to lane drifts and collisions.

Innovation Solution

Implement a Lane Support System (LSS) that monitors interventions and, upon exceeding a threshold, automatically reduces vehicle speed, steers towards the center of the lane, and outputs warnings to alert the driver or bring the vehicle to a stop, ensuring the driver remains responsive.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the driver remains fully responsible for steering without automated intervention, then the driver maintains full control and responsiveness, but the risk of lane-drift crashes increases when the driver becomes unresponsive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle safetyVSAvoidlane-drift crash risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically steering the vehicle back toward the lane center before the driver's unresponsiveness leads to a crash. The control circuitry detects lane boundary proximity and proactively adjusts steering to prevent hazardous situations from developing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring lane position through sensors and comparing it against safety thresholds. When the vehicle approaches a lane boundary, the system provides feedback through automated steering corrections and can alert the driver, creating a closed-loop control system that responds to real-time conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Object-affected harmful factors

If automated steering intervention is activated to prevent lane drift, then crash risk is reduced, but the driver's direct control and responsiveness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelane-drift crash riskVSAvoiddriver control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial automation by intervening only when necessary - specifically when the vehicle approaches a lane boundary. The automated steering assistance provides just enough correction to maintain lane position without completely taking over the driving task, allowing the driver to retain ultimate control while receiving support when needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If the system monitors and counts LSS interventions to detect driver unresponsiveness, then driver state detection accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver unresponsiveness detectionVSAvoidintervention monitoring system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses its own operational data - specifically the count and frequency of Lane Support System interventions - as the primary indicator of driver responsiveness. By monitoring how often automated corrections are needed, the system self-diagnoses driver state without requiring separate complex monitoring hardware, turning operational necessity into a diagnostic tool

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4393784B1Methods and systems for controlling a vehicle having a lane support system
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 ZENSEACT AB
  • EP4393784B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4393784B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4393784B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A computer-implemented method and related aspects for controlling a vehicle having a Lane Support System (LSS) are disclosed. The LSS is configured to automatically intervene by controlling a steering of the vehicle in order to change a heading direction of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a lane boundary of a lane of travel so that the vehicle does not traverse the lane boundary. The method comprises monitoring interventions performed by the LSS, and reducing a speed of the vehicle in response to a fulfilment of a criterion dependent on a number of interventions performed by the LSS exceeding a threshold value within a defined time period.