Vehicle Collision Prevention via Operational Priority

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing collision prevention systems for heavy work vehicles at construction or mine sites fail to effectively prevent accidents while minimizing disruptions to productivity, as they cannot prioritize warnings based on the operational importance of individual vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle collision prevention method using onboard terminal devices that perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication to assess collision risks and prioritize warnings based on the operational modes and priorities of vehicles, ensuring that less critical vehicles receive warnings to avoid collisions without interrupting critical operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a warning system is implemented to prevent collisions between heavy work vehicles, then collision prevention capability is improved, but productivity may deteriorate due to interruptions in critical operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision prevention capabilityVSAvoidexcavation work efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter of warning priority by dynamically adjusting it based on the operational mode of each vehicle. Vehicles in critical operational modes (loading, dumping, hauling) are assigned higher warning priorities, while vehicles in non-critical modes (idling, waiting) receive lower priorities. This parameter change allows the system to prevent collisions while minimizing interruptions to productive operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The warning priority is made dynamic rather than static. The system continuously monitors the operational mode of each vehicle and adjusts the warning priority in real-time. This dynamic adjustment ensures that warnings are issued preferentially to vehicles that are not currently engaged in critical operations, thereby preventing collisions without significantly impacting overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If conventional collision prevention systems issue warnings to all vehicles equally, then collision prevention is improved, but adverse effects on overall productivity cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision prevention capabilityVSAvoidoverall mine productivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by differentiating the warning priority based on the specific operational state of each individual vehicle. Instead of treating all vehicles uniformly, the system assigns different priority levels to different vehicles according to their current work mode. This localized differentiation allows collision prevention while preserving critical operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The warning system is segmented into different priority levels based on vehicle operational modes. The system divides the fleet into segments (critical operations vs. non-critical operations) and applies different warning strategies to each segment. This segmentation enables selective warning issuance that protects both safety and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If warning priority is assigned based on vehicle operational mode, then productivity is maintained, but device complexity increases due to priority management mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidpriority management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining the relationship between operational modes and warning priorities. The priority management table is established in advance, mapping each operational mode to a specific priority level. This preliminary configuration simplifies the real-time decision-making process, as the system only needs to look up the pre-defined priority rather than performing complex calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system achieves self-service by automatically determining the operational mode of each vehicle and assigning the corresponding warning priority without requiring manual intervention. The onboard terminal devices self-report their operational status, and the warning issuance system automatically adjusts priorities based on this information, reducing the need for complex external management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3309769B1Vehicle-mounted device and vehicle collision prevention method
Publication Date: 2022.12.28 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP3309769B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3309769B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3309769B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Onboard terminal device includes an own vehicle information acquisition section, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication section, and a collision risk determination section. The own vehicle information acquisition section acquires own vehicle information including position information of an own vehicle. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication section performs wireless communications with another vehicle to communicate the own vehicle information to the another vehicle and to receive another vehicle information, which includes position information of the another vehicle, from the another vehicle. The collision risk determination section determines a risk of collision between the own vehicle and the another vehicle by using a predetermined determination algorithm. The collision risk determination section sets priority of the own vehicle and priority of the another vehicle based on details of work, which the own vehicle and the another vehicle are performing, respectively, and changes the determination algorithm based on the priority of the own vehicle and the priority of the another vehicle.