Shoe-Mounted Sensor for Vehicle Pedal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle control systems lack an efficient and user-friendly method for optimizing vehicle control, particularly in scenarios requiring acceleration or deceleration, especially in advanced driving assist systems and autonomous driving modes, where traditional input methods may not adequately ensure safety and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control device and method that utilizes a shoe-mounted communication and sensing unit to output alarms and control vehicle acceleration or deceleration based on detected situations, such as traffic signals or collision possibilities, by positioning the shoe on accelerator or brake pedals, and includes magnetic field control to guide the driver's foot to the appropriate pedal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional vehicle control systems are used, then the system structure is simple, but the safety and convenience in acceleration/deceleration scenarios are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A shoe-mounted sensor acts as an intermediary device between the driver and the vehicle control system. The sensor detects foot position and pressing force on pedals, transmitting this information to the vehicle control unit without requiring complex modifications to the existing pedal mechanisms or adding multiple sensors throughout the vehicle interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical pedal position sensors with a shoe-mounted sensing system that uses optical, capacitive, or force-sensitive technologies. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical linkages and multiple sensors within the pedal assembly itself, simplifying the overall system while improving safety monitoring.
2Ease of operation
If shoe-mounted sensing is added to improve safety, then the safety and user-friendliness are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shoe-mounted sensor serves multiple functions: detecting foot presence, determining foot position relative to pedals, measuring pressing force, and providing feedback to the driver. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single wearable device, improving ease of operation without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service through automatic detection and feedback mechanisms. The sensor continuously monitors foot position and pressing force without requiring driver intervention, and automatically provides visual or haptic feedback when improper pedal usage is detected, eliminating the need for additional control inputs or complex user interfaces.
3Measurement precision
If real-time shoe position monitoring is implemented, then the response accuracy is improved, but the measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses optical cameras or image sensors to create visual copies of the foot and pedal positions, then processes these images to determine precise relative positions. This copying approach allows for high measurement precision without requiring direct physical contact sensors on the pedals themselves, simplifying the sensing system architecture while maintaining accurate position detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional position detection (simple on/off switch) to two-dimensional or three-dimensional spatial monitoring using optical fields or capacitive sensing planes. This dimensional expansion enables more precise position measurement while using field-based sensors that can be integrated into the shoe or pedal assembly without adding mechanical complexity.
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 safety and convenience by providing a user-friendly interface for vehicle control, ensuring proper pedal engagement through alarms and magnetic guidance, thereby improving driving performance in various driving modes.
Implementation Method 1
each of an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal of the vehicle may be formed in a manner that a magnetic field direction is variable. The processor may control the magnetic field directions of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal such that the shoe is positioned on the accelerator pedal in the first situation and the shoe is positioned on the brake pedal in the second situation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle control device provided in a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle. A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit configured to perform communication with a shoe, a sensing unit configured to sense information related to the vehicle and a position of the shoe, and a processor configured to control the communication unit such that the shoe outputs an alarm based on a situation in which the vehicle is to be accelerated or decelerated and the position of the shoe when the situation is detected through the sensing unit.