Server-Based Blind Spot Detection for Stopped Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing travel support systems fail to effectively notify vehicle occupants of blind spot regions that may suddenly occur when a vehicle temporarily stops at the side of the road, leading to potential safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A travel support system comprising a server that recognizes obstacles on a vehicle's path, identifies blind spot regions caused by approaching vehicles, and notifies the approaching vehicle of these regions through a notification unit, utilizing image processing and communication between vehicles, base stations, and portable terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vehicle temporarily stops at the side of the road, then the vehicle can rest or load/unload, but a blind spot region suddenly occurs that cannot be detected by the vehicle's own sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives image data from multiple cameras (including those on other vehicles and roadside cameras), processes this data to detect blind spot regions, and transmits detection results to the vehicle. This mediator approach allows the vehicle to benefit from comprehensive external detection capabilities without carrying complex detection equipment itself, thereby improving detection reliability while maintaining relatively simple on-vehicle device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs multiple functions: it receives image data from various sources (roadside cameras, other vehicles), detects obstacles and blind spot regions, determines approaching vehicles, and transmits notifications. This multi-functional centralized processing improves overall system detection reliability without requiring each vehicle to have complex dedicated equipment, as the server handles diverse detection tasks for multiple vehicles simultaneously.
2Measurement precision
If expensive detection devices are installed on each vehicle to detect blind spots, then detection accuracy improves, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges detection resources by having the server consolidate image data from multiple cameras located on roadside infrastructure and on other vehicles. This combined data source provides comprehensive coverage of blind spot regions without requiring each vehicle to install expensive dedicated detection devices. The merged information from multiple sources achieves high detection precision while avoiding the high cost of duplicating detection equipment on every vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of each vehicle having its own expensive detection devices, the system uses image data copied from cameras on other vehicles and roadside infrastructure. The server processes these copied image streams to detect blind spot regions, achieving accurate detection without requiring physical detection hardware on each vehicle, thereby significantly reducing system cost while maintaining measurement precision.
3Reliability
If the vehicle relies only on its own sensors to detect obstacles, then device complexity is low, but it cannot detect blind spot regions caused by other vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that collects image data from multiple external cameras, processes this data to identify blind spot regions caused by obstacles including other vehicles, and transmits detection results to the target vehicle. This allows the vehicle to achieve reliable detection of blind spot regions without the complexity of integrating and processing multiple camera systems itself, as the server handles the complex multi-source data fusion and analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A travel support system includes a server configured to support the travel of a vehicle. The server comprises a recognition unit configured to recognize an obstacle on a travel path of the vehicle, an obtainment unit configured to obtain, upon detecting an approaching vehicle which is approaching the obstacle, a blind spot region which occurs due to the obstacle recognized by the recognition unit, and a notification unit configured to notify the approaching vehicle of information of the blind spot region obtained by the obtainment unit. The server is arranged in an apparatus other than the approaching vehicle.