Motorcycle Blind Spot Detection With Lane-Position Zone Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motorcycle blind spot detectors have limited visibility due to their static range, which can lead to missed detection of vehicles in adjacent lanes, posing safety risks, especially when the motorcycle is positioned off-center in its lane.
Innovation Solution
The integration of cameras and inertial measurement units (IMUs) for position estimation, dynamically adjusting the blind spot detector's detection zones based on the motorcycle's lateral position within its lane, ensuring comprehensive coverage of adjacent lanes without false alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the blind spot detector uses a static fixed range, then the device complexity is low and energy consumption is minimal, but the detection coverage is insufficient when the motorcycle is off-center in its lane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the blind spot detector's range based on the motorcycle's lateral position within the lane. The system transitions from a static fixed range to a dynamic adjustable range that adapts to the motorcycle's position, ensuring comprehensive coverage of adjacent lanes regardless of whether the motorcycle is centered or off-center.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection range parameter dynamically based on the motorcycle's lateral position. When the motorcycle moves off-center, the detector adjusts its range to expand coverage toward the adjacent lane, optimizing detection capability without requiring a completely new detector design.
2Reliability
If the detection zones are widened to cover adjacent lanes when off-center, then the detection coverage improves, but false alerts increase from detecting objects on sidewalks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different detection zone widths to different sides of the motorcycle based on local conditions. When the motorcycle is off-center, only the detection zone toward the adjacent lane is expanded, while the zone on the other side maintains its normal width, preventing false alerts from detecting objects on sidewalks or beyond the road boundary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the detection range parameter based on the motorcycle's lateral position and the detected environment. By changing the detection zone width selectively rather than uniformly, the system expands coverage where needed while maintaining appropriate boundaries to avoid false alerts from off-road objects.
3Reliability
If the blind spot detector maintains a fixed wide range to ensure coverage, then detection coverage is adequate, but the system cannot differentiate between necessary and unnecessary detections
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the detection zone width based on the motorcycle's lateral position within the lane. When centered, the detector uses a moderate range; when off-center, it expands the range toward the adjacent lane. This dynamic adjustment ensures adequate coverage without constantly maintaining a wide range that would detect irrelevant objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection range parameter is adjusted based on the motorcycle's position and environmental context. By changing the parameter selectively rather than maintaining a constantly wide range, the system improves detection accuracy for relevant targets while reducing false detections of unnecessary objects.
Data Source
AI summary
When riding a motorcycle, a vehicle in the rider's blind spot poses a hazard. A fixed range blind spot detector may not properly detect vehicles in adjacent lanes if the motorcycle is at one side or other of the lane that it is travelling in. A lane position sensor detects the position of the motorcycle with respect to the centerline of the lane in which it is travelling. Depending on the sideways position of the motorcycle within its lane, the widths of the detection zones of the blind spot detector are adjusted so that between them they cover a majority of the width of each adjacent lane.