Onboard Display Handover Cues for Autonomous Lane Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for autonomous vehicles do not effectively convey the necessity of driver intervention during lane merging, relying on image or voice outputs that are not clear or timely.
Innovation Solution
An onboard display control device with an information acquisition section and display control section that visualizes the point of autonomous driving abortion on a display within the vehicle cabin, combining images of the traveling lane and fixed segments to clearly indicate when driver intervention is required, including driving hand-over and braking segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If warning is provided by image output on display or voice output from speaker, then driver is notified of manual operation necessity, but the warning is not clear or timely enough for driver to understand when to intervene
Solution Approach 1:
The system displays the first point (abortion point) in advance before the vehicle reaches it, allowing the driver to know beforehand when autonomous driving will be aborted and manual operation will be necessary. This preliminary information provision enables the driver to prepare for timely intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the abstract concept of 'abortion point' into a visual representation on a display device, showing the point's position relative to the vehicle's current location. This dimensional transformation from temporal/abstract to spatial/visual makes the information more comprehensible and actionable for the driver.
2Extent of automation
If autonomous driving continues without clear warning, then driving operation is automated, but driver cannot understand when intervention is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback to the driver by displaying the first point's position and notifying when the vehicle approaches it. This feedback loop maintains autonomous driving operation while keeping the driver informed, enabling seamless transition to manual operation when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
An onboard display device is installed in a vehicle configured to enable autonomous driving. The onboard display device includes an information acquisition section and a display control section. In a case in which the vehicle attempts to merge from a traveling lane into a merging destination lane during autonomous driving (S1), the information acquisition section acquires information (S3) regarding a point at which the attempt will be aborted, before the vehicle arrives at the point. The display control section displays (S4) the information regarding the point that is acquired by the information acquisition section, before the arrival at the point, at a display portion that is provided within a vehicle cabin of the vehicle.