Touch Panel Permission Display for Autonomous Driving Start

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Solution Overview

Problem

Operators of autonomous driving vehicles face uncertainty regarding when they can initiate autonomous driving, as the permission from the management center is not clearly communicated, leading to potential delays or incorrect input of travel start instructions.

Innovation Solution

An operation device with a touch panel display system that visually indicates permission for autonomous driving by changing the background color from a first color to a second color, allowing operators to recognize whether autonomous driving is permitted, thereby facilitating timely and appropriate input of travel start instructions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If no visual indication is provided for autonomous driving permission, then the device complexity is reduced, but the operator cannot recognize when traveling can be started, leading to operational uncertainty

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermission status informationVSAvoiddisplay system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color changes in the display background to indicate autonomous driving permission status. When permission is received from the management center, the display background changes to a predetermined color (e.g., green), providing clear visual information to the operator about when traveling can be started without adding complex mechanical or electronic indication systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Reliability

If a clear visual indication system is implemented, then operator awareness of permission status is improved, but the ease of operation may be reduced due to additional display control requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermission recognition reliabilityVSAvoidoperation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the permission status indication function with the existing display device already present in the autonomous driving vehicle. The display background serves dual purposes: normal operational information display and permission status indication, eliminating the need for separate indication mechanisms and maintaining operational simplicity while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of information

If the display background color changes to indicate permission, then information communication efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases due to continuous display updates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepermission information transmissionVSAvoiddisplay energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic or event-triggered display updates rather than continuous changes. The display background color changes only when permission status transitions occur (from unauthorized to authorized or vice versa), minimizing energy consumption while ensuring timely information communication to the operator about permission status changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3756928B1Operation device for autonomous driving vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3756928B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3756928B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3756928B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A display control unit (28) displays a background (44) of a touch panel (20) in a first color and does not display a button for starting autonomous driving on the touch panel (20) when an autonomous driving vehicle (10) is not permitted to travel in autonomous driving from a management center (32) and displays the background (44) of the touch panel (20) in a second color different from the first color and displays an autonomous driving start button (46) for starting the autonomous driving on the touch panel (20) when the autonomous driving vehicle (10) is permitted to travel in autonomous driving from the management center (32).