Trailer-Aware Warning Zone Control During Vehicle Turns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surroundings monitoring devices often trigger unnecessary collision-inhibiting operations when a vehicle with a towed vehicle is turning, as the extended warning zones can intersect with adjacent lanes, leading to false warnings and collisions.
Innovation Solution
The system acquires turn information for both the subject vehicle and the towed vehicle, adjusting the warning zones to prevent overlap with adjacent lanes during turns, using radar devices, imaging devices, and an electronic control unit to set and control the warning zones dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If warning zones are extended rearward when a towed vehicle is attached, then collision detection coverage is improved, but unnecessary warnings are triggered during turns due to zone intersection with adjacent lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The warning zones are made dynamic by adjusting their extension based on vehicle state. When the subject vehicle is turning with a towed vehicle attached, the system detects the turn state and modifies the warning zone configuration to prevent intersection with adjacent lanes, whereas during straight travel the zones are extended rearward for maximum coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the warning zones based on detected conditions. When a towed vehicle is attached and the vehicle is turning, the lateral position and angular orientation of the warning zones are adjusted to follow the turn path, preventing false warnings from objects in adjacent lanes.
2Reliability
If warning zones are extended to cover the towed vehicle area, then monitoring of the towed vehicle is improved, but the zones overlap with the subject vehicle's lane during turns causing unnecessary warnings
Solution Approach 1:
The warning zones dynamically adjust their position and orientation based on the turn state. During turns, the zones are repositioned to follow the curved path of the subject vehicle and towed vehicle, preventing overlap with the original straight-line subject vehicle lane while maintaining continuous monitoring of the towed vehicle area.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system segments the detection space into distinct zones: a towed vehicle monitoring zone that follows the trailer path, and adjacent lane zones that account for turn geometry. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone's coverage and warning thresholds.
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
This approach effectively prevents unnecessary collision-inhibiting operations by ensuring warning zones are set based on the vehicle's and trailer's positions and trajectories, reducing false warnings and enhancing safety during turns with a towed vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
a radar device that detects a position of the trailer
Implementation Method 2
an imaging device, and a computer that executes a computer program
Data Source
AI summary
In a surroundings monitoring device for a vehicle to which a towed vehicle is attachable, a turn information acquisition unit is configured to, when a subject vehicle is turning with the towed vehicle attached to a rear of the subject vehicle, acquire turn information related to the subject vehicle and the towed vehicle. A zone setting unit is configured to set warning zones to left and right, behind the subject vehicle, and extend, based on the turn information acquired, the warning zones further rearward when the towed vehicle is attached to the rear of the subject vehicle than when there is no towed vehicle attached. A control unit is configured to, when an object is detected by a detection device in any of the warning zones set by the zone setting unit, trigger a collision-inhibiting operation for inhibiting a collision with the object to be performed.