Road Sign Recognition Control for Automatic Winter Mode Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle technologies require drivers to manually check and respond to road signs, leading to distracted driving and an increase in unexpected accidents.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system that uses sensors, such as front cameras and wind speed sensors, to automatically recognize and respond to different types of road signs, including crosswind warnings, falling stone warnings, and road freezing signs, by adjusting vehicle settings like sunroof closure and drive mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver visually checks road signs and manually responds, then the driver can respond to road conditions, but the driver cannot concentrate on driving and unexpected accidents increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system autonomously detects road signs using cameras and sensors, determines their meaning, and executes appropriate responses without driver intervention. The system serves itself by automatically monitoring the road environment, processing sign information, and controlling vehicle functions such as sunroof closure or drive mode adjustment, thereby freeing the driver from manual sign-checking tasks while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual system of visual sign checking and manual vehicle control with an automated optical and electronic system. Cameras capture road signs, image processing algorithms recognize and interpret them, and electronic control systems automatically adjust vehicle settings, substituting human visual-motor operations with machine-based perception and actuation
2Reliability
If the vehicle automatically recognizes road signs and responds, then driver distraction is reduced and safety is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle system uses a multi-functional integrated controller that handles multiple tasks: capturing images via camera, recognizing various types of road signs (freezing signs, falling stone warnings, crosswind warnings), determining their meanings, and controlling different vehicle functions (sunroof, drive mode, climate control). This universal system consolidates multiple specialized functions into a single coordinated platform, managing complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-stores the meanings and appropriate responses for various road signs in memory before they are encountered on the road. When a sign is recognized, the system quickly retrieves the pre-determined meaning and corresponding control actions from stored data, avoiding the need for real-time complex decision-making and reducing processing complexity during actual operation
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle senses external conditions frequently to respond to road signs, then the response accuracy is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic sensing rather than continuous sensing, activating sensors such as the temperature sensor and wind speed sensor at specific intervals or when road signs are detected. For example, when a freezing road sign is recognized, the temperature sensor is activated to check if conditions warrant winter mode activation. This periodic approach maintains measurement precision when needed while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a camera to recognize at least one sign installed on a road and a controller to determine a type of the at least one sign, in a case in which the at least one sign corresponds to a road freezing sign based on referring to a memory, determine whether a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor installed outside the vehicle is a freezing danger temperature, and in a case in which the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor corresponds to the freezing danger temperature, determine whether a drive mode of the vehicle is set to a winter mode. The controller displays a winter mode automatic switching notification message through an instrument panel and to transmit a command for switching to the winter mode to a drive mode controller in a case in which the drive mode of the vehicle is not set to the winter mode.