Vehicle Reversing Assistant Path Merging for Late Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing reversing assistants for vehicles in constrained environments often require manual intervention and path reselection, leading to inefficient use and potential overwriting of recorded paths, especially when drivers activate the assistive system too late.

Innovation Solution

A reversing assistant system that continuously records vehicle paths, assesses mergeability between current and preceding segments, and merges them to create a new segment for assisted reversing, ensuring correct positioning and orientation without requiring additional manual maneuvering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the driver waits to activate the assistive system after manual attempts, then the driver maintains control and confidence, but the recorded path may be overwritten and the assistive system becomes unusable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability of assistive systemVSAvoidtime to maneuver into position

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously records forward segments in advance, so that when the driver needs assistance, the path data is already available. This eliminates the need to wait and record during manual attempts, as the recording happens automatically during normal forward movement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the state of recorded segments from temporary to permanent through merging. When a forward segment is recorded, it can be merged with subsequent segments, transforming it from a replaceable temporary record to a preserved permanent path option.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the system requires menu selection among multiple recorded paths, then the driver can choose the best path, but the user interface becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of user interfaceVSAvoidtime to select path

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines the best path to offer by analyzing the current vehicle position and orientation against recorded segments. It self-selects which path to present to the driver, eliminating the need for manual menu navigation and path selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously assesses whether the current forward segment is mergeable with recorded segments and uses this feedback to dynamically update the offered assisted reversing path, ensuring the most relevant path is always available without requiring driver intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Quantity of substance

If the system overwrites recorded paths to make room for new segments, then memory is efficiently used, but previously recorded useful paths are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory capacity utilizationVSAvoidloss of recorded path

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges newly recorded forward segments with previously recorded segments, combining them into a single continuous path. This merging process preserves the historical path data while integrating new information, preventing overwriting and loss of useful recorded segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Manufacturing precision

If additional manual maneuvering is required to prepare for assisted reversing, then the vehicle can be positioned correctly, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidease of transitioning to assisted reversing

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines whether the vehicle is in a suitable position for assisted reversing by assessing mergeability of forward segments. If positioning adjustments are needed, the system can offer to record and merge additional segments to achieve proper alignment, eliminating the need for complex manual preparation procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11874125B2Reversing assistant for a vehicle

Publication Date: 2024.01.16 VOLVO TRUCK CORP

AI summary

A reversing assistant system for a vehicle comprising a first path memory for storing a continuously recorded current forward segment, and a second path memory for storing a recorded preceding forward segment. The system is configured to transfer the content of the first path memory to the second path memory when the vehicle resumes forward motion after reversing, and it further comprises a path merger observer configured to repeatedly assess whether the current forward segment is mergeable with the preceding forward segment and, if so, to trigger a path merging operation. The system further comprises a path merger configured to execute a path merging operation and to substitute its output into the first path memory and a drive assistance unit configured to determine drive actions causing the vehicle to reverse along a recorded forward segment or a merged segment.