Road Shape Generator Using Vehicle Sensor Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional systems for generating road shape information, such as road inclination angle and curve radius, require high-spec CPUs and large-capacity memory, leading to complex configurations and increased costs, making them impractical for widespread use.

Innovation Solution

A road shape information generator that utilizes sensor values from a vehicle, such as acceleration, angular speed, and GPS data, to generate and store road shape information without the need for image processing, thereby simplifying the configuration and reducing costs, and allows for the transmission of this information to a server for further processing and distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If image processing methods are used to generate road shape information, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroad shape information accuracyVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/image processing system with a sensor-based measurement system. Instead of using cameras and image processing algorithms to extract road shape information, the invention directly measures acceleration, angular speed, and vehicle speed using sensors, then calculates road shape parameters through mathematical processing of these sensor values. This substitution dramatically simplifies the system configuration while maintaining measurement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the measurement parameters from visual/image-based parameters to physical sensor parameters (acceleration, angular speed, vehicle speed). By measuring these physical parameters directly and using mathematical relationships to derive road shape information, the system avoids the complexity of image processing while achieving accurate road shape measurement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If image processing methods are used to generate road shape information, then measurement precision is improved, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroad shape information accuracyVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive image processing hardware and software with relatively inexpensive sensors (acceleration sensor, angular speed sensor, vehicle speed sensor). This substitution significantly reduces system cost while maintaining the capability to generate accurate road shape information through mathematical processing of sensor data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses standard, mass-produced sensors that are inexpensive and widely available rather than specialized image processing equipment. These sensors can be easily integrated into vehicles at low cost, making the road shape information generation system economically viable for widespread deployment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Measurement precision

If image processing methods are used to generate road shape information, then measurement precision is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveroad shape information accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces time-consuming image processing operations with direct sensor measurements and mathematical calculations. Since sensors continuously provide real-time data on acceleration, angular speed, and vehicle speed, the road shape information can be calculated immediately without the delays inherent in capturing, processing, and analyzing images.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary measurement by directly capturing physical parameters (acceleration, angular speed, vehicle speed) that are immediately available from sensors. This eliminates the need for preliminary image capture and processing steps, allowing road shape information to be generated in real-time as the vehicle travels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10311736B2Road shape information generator, road shape information distribution system and road shape information generation program

Publication Date: 2019.06.04 DENSO CORP

AI summary

A road shape information generator is provided. The road shape information generator includes a sensor value obtainer that obtains a sensor value acting, when a vehicle travels, on the vehicle, a road shape information generator that generates information about a road shape as road shape information based on the sensor value obtained by the sensor value obtainer, and a storage controller that stores, in a road shape information storage, the road shape information generated by the road shape information generator.