Merge Guidance Audio Cues for Lane Change Speed Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driving assistance systems are insufficient in convenience, particularly during merging and lane changes, as they fail to effectively guide drivers in aligning their vehicle's position and speed with the target relative position and speed of other vehicles on the merging or lane change destination lane.
Innovation Solution
A driving assistance device and method that determines a target relative position and speed for merging or lane changes, using a notification controller to output distinct notification sounds based on acceleration or deceleration requirements, varying tone heights, sound volumes, and intervals to guide the driver in aligning with the target position and speed, and adjusts these elements according to the host vehicle's speed variation degree and driver characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single type of notification sound is used for both acceleration and deceleration cases, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the driver cannot distinguish between acceleration and deceleration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The notification controller outputs notification sounds with different tone heights for acceleration and deceleration cases. Specifically, the tone height is set higher for acceleration cases and lower for deceleration cases, creating an asymmetric auditory signal that enables the driver to immediately distinguish between acceleration and deceleration requirements without additional cognitive processing
Solution Approach 2:
The notification sound parameters (tone height, sound volume, interval) are dynamically adjusted based on the driving situation. The system determines whether acceleration or deceleration is required and automatically modifies the notification sound characteristics accordingly, making the notification system adaptive to different operational contexts
2Ease of operation
If notification sounds with different tone heights are output for acceleration and deceleration, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of information increases due to additional processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex visual or tactile feedback mechanisms with acoustic notification sounds. By using tone height variations in auditory signals, the system conveys acceleration/deceleration requirements through a simple, intuitive channel that does not require additional processing steps or complex interfaces, thereby minimizing information loss
3Ease of operation
If the notification sound interval is shortened for high speed variation degrees, then the ease of operation is improved, but the use of energy increases due to more frequent sound outputs
Solution Approach 1:
The notification sound interval is dynamically adjusted based on the speed variation degree. When the speed variation degree is high (indicating urgent alignment needed), the interval is shortened to provide more frequent guidance. When the speed variation degree is low, the interval is extended to reduce energy consumption. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between driver assistance and energy efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A driving assistance device includes a determining part configured to determine a target relative position with respect to other vehicle, which is traveling in a movement destination lane that is a merging destination or a lane change destination of a host vehicle, for entering the movement destination lane based on a detection result of the other vehicle, and a notification controller configured to output a notification sound, which differs between a case in which acceleration is required for the host vehicle and a case in which deceleration is required for the host vehicle, from a speaker in order to perform an alignment with respect to the target relative position determined by the determining part in an advancing direction of the host vehicle.