Obstacle Notification Apparatus Blind Spot Alerting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing obstacle notification systems for drivers at intersections often provide unnecessary alerts for pedestrians on crosswalks, leading to driver nuisance and stress, especially in multi-lane traffic scenarios where all pedestrians are notified equally, regardless of visibility.
Innovation Solution
An obstacle notification apparatus that includes a notification unit, obstacle information acquisition unit, sight determination unit, and notification mode determination unit, which assesses the driver's visible area and the position of the vehicle relative to the crosswalk to selectively determine the notification mode, providing intensive alerts only for obstacles outside the driver's sight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the roadside device notifies the driver of all detected pedestrians through sound or image, then the driver is alerted of pedestrians on and around the crosswalk, but the driver may be unnecessarily warned and stressed when pedestrians are already in sight
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system applies different notification qualities based on the pedestrian's location relative to the driver's sight. Pedestrians in the blind spot receive high-attention notifications (sound + image), while pedestrians already in sight receive no notification or reduced notification, creating localized differentiation in notification intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification mode dynamically changes based on the driver's sight condition and pedestrian position. The system transitions between different notification states (no notification, image only, sound + image) depending on whether the pedestrian is in the blind spot or visible area, making the notification adaptive rather than static.
2Reliability
If the driver is notified of all pedestrians on and around the crosswalk in a high-attention calling manner, then the driver is alerted of potential obstacles, but the driver feels unnecessarily warned and stressed at multi-lane intersections filled with pedestrians
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies high-attention notification only to the specific local area where the driver cannot see (blind spot), while avoiding notification for pedestrians in other areas where the driver can already observe them, thus maintaining reliability where needed while preserving operation comfort elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The crosswalk area is segmented into different zones: blind spot area requiring notification and visible area not requiring notification. This segmentation allows the system to target notifications precisely to where they are needed without overwhelming the driver with unnecessary alerts.
3Reliability
If the notification unit provides sound alerts for all detected obstacles, then the driver is alerted of potential hazards, but unnecessary sound alerts create driver nuisance especially when obstacles are already visible
Solution Approach 1:
Sound alerts are generated only for obstacles located in the driver's blind spot where visual observation is not possible. Obstacles in the visible area do not trigger sound alerts, eliminating unnecessary harmful notifications while maintaining reliable alerting for critical blind spot obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The sight determination unit acts as an intermediary that filters obstacle notifications based on driver visibility. It determines whether each obstacle requires sound alert notification by checking if it falls within the driver's sight, thus mediating between raw obstacle detection and actual notification output.
Data Source
AI summary
An obstacle notification apparatus uses a sight determination unit for determining a visible area of a driver in a subject vehicle based on whether another vehicle is present around the subject vehicle and a vehicle height of the subject vehicle. After determining whether an obstacle is within the sight of the driver or not, a notification mode is selected to alert the driver of the presence of an obstacle, thereby enabling nuisance-free notification of the obstacle from the obstacle notification apparatus.