MEC Server Risk Area Processing for Vehicle Blind Spots

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication struggle to effectively identify and alert drivers and pedestrians of blind spots and risk areas, particularly in complex urban environments, leading to potential accidents due to inadequate visibility and communication inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A warning system utilizing a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) server that collects and processes risk area information from vehicles and terminals, providing real-time alerts through a network of sensors and communication terminals to vehicles and pedestrians within the information provision area, thereby enhancing situational awareness and reducing traffic risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the system transmits risk area information from all vehicles to the MEC server continuously, then the completeness of risk information is improved, but the communication load and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of risk informationVSAvoidcommunication energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by having vehicles store risk area information locally and pre-identify high-priority risk areas before MEC server communication is needed. This allows the MEC server to receive only essential, pre-processed information rather than continuous raw data streams, reducing communication energy consumption while maintaining information completeness for critical safety decisions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the most critical risk area information from the complete set of vehicle sensor data. The MEC server receives selectively extracted risk information that is sufficient for safety decisions, rather than processing all raw sensor data from every vehicle, thereby reducing communication load and energy consumption while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If the MEC server processes risk area information from all vehicles in real-time, then the accuracy of risk identification is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of risk identificationVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the risk identification process into two parts: initial risk detection performed by individual vehicles using their own sensors, and centralized verification/enhancement performed by the MEC server. This segmentation allows most processing to occur locally and immediately, while the MEC server only handles coordination and cross-verification, reducing overall processing time while maintaining high accuracy through collaborative processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The MEC server performs partial processing by focusing computational resources only on verifying and enhancing risk areas that multiple vehicles have independently identified, rather than processing all risk data from all vehicles equally. This partial action approach maintains accuracy for critical risks while avoiding unnecessary computational overhead for low-priority areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the system provides comprehensive risk area coverage, then the safety of vehicles and pedestrians is improved, but the device complexity and communication infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of vehicles and pedestriansVSAvoidcommunication infrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The MEC server infrastructure is designed to perform multiple functions: it coordinates risk area information exchange, verifies data accuracy, prioritizes risk levels, and manages communication routing. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate specialized systems into a single platform, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage through integrated operations

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

Data Source

PatentUS11622228B2Information processing apparatus, vehicle, computer-readable storage medium, and information processing method
Publication Date: 2023.04.04 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD
  • US11622228B2 patent drawing
  • US11622228B2 patent drawing
  • US11622228B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes an image obtaining unit which obtains an image around a moving object. The information processing apparatus includes a determining unit which determines a risk area based on an image obtained by the image obtaining unit. The information processing apparatus includes a communication unit which transmits risk area information related to a risk area determined by the determining unit to an information collecting apparatus which collects information from a plurality of moving objects. The communication unit transmits risk area information to the information collecting apparatus when the moving object is within a region where information is provided by the information collecting apparatus.