Turning Vehicle Detection via Multi-Angle IR Sensor Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety systems lack the capability to accurately determine whether an object vehicle is changing direction or turning, which can impact collision mitigation and adaptive cruise control systems.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system that transmits infrared light pulses over a detection area and receives reflected signals to calculate relative distances or velocities between the host vehicle and the object vehicle's rear portions, determining if the object vehicle is turning by comparing differences in these measurements to a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensor systems are used to detect object vehicles, then basic detection capability is provided, but the ability to accurately determine turning direction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The detection area is divided into multiple regions (first region, second region, third region, fourth region) with different sensitivity characteristics. Each region corresponds to different angular ranges for detecting reflected light from the object vehicle, enabling the system to determine turning direction by comparing signal strengths from different segments without requiring additional sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces angular dimension to the detection system by creating detection regions at different angles relative to the host vehicle. The transmission lens is configured to emit light pulses in multiple angular directions, and the receiver detects reflected light from different angular regions, allowing turning direction to be determined through angular analysis of reflected light intensity distribution.
2Device complexity
If a single transmitter and receiver are used, then device complexity is reduced, but the capability to detect turning direction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The single transmission lens serves multiple functions by emitting light pulses that cover multiple detection regions simultaneously. The same receiver unit performs multiple tasks: detecting reflected light intensity, determining angular position, and identifying turning direction. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate sensors for each detection zone while maintaining full turning detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the angular parameter of light emission and detection to achieve turning detection. By configuring the transmission lens to emit light in multiple angular directions and analyzing the angular distribution of reflected light intensity, the single sensor system can distinguish turning movements from straight-line motion through parameter analysis rather than requiring multiple physical sensors.
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
Enables accurate detection of an object vehicle's turning direction, enhancing the functionality of vehicle safety systems such as collision mitigation and adaptive cruise control by providing critical data on object vehicle dynamics.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor system may include a sensor unit located on the host vehicle and having a transmitter that can emit a number of infra-red (IR) light pulses
Implementation Method 2
receives reflected signals to calculate relative distances or velocities between the host vehicle and the object vehicle's rear portions
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system for a host vehicle may detect whether another in-path vehicle is turning. The sensor system may include a transmitter, a receiver and a controller. Signals may be emitted by the transmitter over a detection area. The emitted signals may reflect off an object vehicle in the detection area and be received by the receiver. The receiver may include a number of channels, each corresponding to a different region of the detection area. The sensor system may determine whether the in-path vehicle is turning and in what direction based on the reflected signals received at each channel.