Smart Ring LED Array for Hands-On Driving Condition Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle console displays are cumbersome and require drivers to take their hands off the wheel or gaze away from the road, posing safety risks, especially in hazardous conditions, and cellular devices used for information are often illegal or unsafe to operate while driving.
Innovation Solution
A smart ring device that displays information about driving conditions, including biometrics, vehicle status, and environmental factors, using a ring band with sensors, a processor, and LED displays, allowing drivers to receive critical information without removing their hands from the wheel or looking away from the road.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional vehicle console displays are used to provide driving information, then information completeness is improved, but driver safety deteriorates due to requiring gaze away from the road
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the display interface from the traditional 2D console screen to a 3D wearable device (smart ring) that can be viewed from multiple angles and positions. The ring display presents information in a circular format around the driver's finger, allowing glancing access without removing hands from the steering wheel, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart ring acts as an intermediary device between the vehicle's information system and the driver. It receives data from the vehicle console and re-presents it in a simplified, glanceable format on the ring's display surface, enabling drivers to access critical information quickly without engaging with the main console interface.
2Ease of operation
If cellular devices are used to access driving information, then information accessibility is improved, but legal compliance deteriorates due to illegal operation while driving
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information display function from cellular devices and vehicle consoles, concentrating it in a minimal wearable form factor. The smart ring provides only the critical driving information needed, eliminating the temptation to interact with full-featured smartphones that would violate driving laws.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring display uses localized visual indicators (different regions of the ring displaying different information types) to present data in a highly condensed format. This local presentation of information allows drivers to quickly scan and understand status without the need to read lengthy text or navigate menus, ensuring legal compliance while maintaining accessibility.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional display technologies are used in smart ring, then information visibility is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart ring display employs periodic updating rather than continuous display, showing information only when relevant changes occur or at scheduled intervals. This reduces the overall power consumption while maintaining visibility of critical driving information, resolving the contradiction between illumination intensity and energy usage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances driver safety by providing essential information in a hands-free and gaze-free manner, reducing the risk of accidents and legal issues associated with using cellular devices while driving, while also having low power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting diode (LED) display disposed on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, configured to present, to a user of the smart ring device, information indicative of one or more driving conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A system for displaying information indicative of driving conditions, to a driver, using a smart ring are disclosed. An exemplary system includes a smart ring with a ring band having a plurality of surfaces including an inner surface, an outer surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface. The system further includes a processor, configured to obtain data from a communication module within the ring band, or from one or more sensors disposed within the ring band. The obtained data are representative of information indicative of one or more driving conditions to be displayed to the driver. The smart ring also includes a light emitting diode (LED) display disposed on at least one of the plurality of surfaces, and configured to present information indicative of the one or more driving conditions.