Traffic Symbol Hiding for Stable In-Vehicle Situation Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outputting image information on a vehicle's screen can distract and irritate drivers, reducing the assistive effect and safety of driver assistance systems during longitudinal and transverse guidance.
Innovation Solution
A control unit for an ego vehicle generates and displays traffic situation information using surroundings data from sensors like radar, image, and lidar, employing road user symbols and lane representations to provide a clear and stable depiction, with features such as fixed lateral positioning, animated transitions, and boundary areas to avoid virtual collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If road user symbols are displayed to represent multiple road users in different lanes, then the information completeness is improved, but the risk of virtual collision and driver distraction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for driver assistance by hiding road user symbols that are not relevant to the current driving task. The control unit determines which symbols to display based on their relevance to longitudinal and transverse guidance, removing unnecessary symbols that would cause visual clutter and distraction while preserving critical information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different display qualities to different road users based on their local context and relevance. Symbols for road users in relevant lanes are displayed with full visibility, while symbols for road users in irrelevant lanes are hidden or faded. This local differentiation ensures that information completeness is maintained for critical road users while reducing overall visual distraction.
2Measurement precision
If road user symbols are displayed at their actual lateral positions, then the positional accuracy is improved, but the display stability and ease of interpretation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple actual lateral positions into a single standardized lateral position for display purposes. All road user symbols are displayed at the same lateral position within their respective lanes, regardless of their actual lateral positions. This merging approach sacrifices some positional accuracy but greatly improves display stability and ease of interpretation by creating a consistent, predictable display pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the display parameter from actual lateral position to standardized lateral position. Instead of displaying symbols at their precise measured lateral positions, the system transforms this parameter to a fixed standardized position that enhances display stability while maintaining sufficient information for driver guidance.
3Reliability
If road user symbols are displayed with high visibility to improve driver awareness, then the safety is improved, but the driver irritation and distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visibility qualities to different road user symbols based on their local relevance to the driving task. Symbols for road users that are critical for safety (e.g., in the same lane or adjacent lanes) are displayed with high visibility, while symbols for less relevant road users are hidden or displayed with reduced visibility. This selective approach maintains safety for critical situations while reducing driver irritation from unnecessary information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by displaying only a subset of road user symbols rather than all detected symbols. The control unit selectively displays symbols for road users that are partially sufficient for the current driving context, hiding symbols that would create excessive visual information and driver irritation while maintaining adequate safety awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
A control unit for displaying a traffic situation on a screen of an ego vehicle is designed to display a first traffic participant symbol for a first traffic participant in a first sub-region of the screen and a second traffic participant symbol for a second traffic participant in a second sub-region of the screen. The control unit is additionally designed to determine that the first traffic participant symbol and the second traffic participant symbol are approaching each other in a specified manner on the basis of a change in the position of the second traffic participant relative to the first traffic participant. In response thereto, the control unit is further designed to at least partly hide the first and/or the second traffic participant symbol.