Vehicle Control Level Switching for Window Fogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle control can be destabilized when vehicle windows fog, making it difficult to monitor surroundings and continue autonomous driving or driving assistance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle controller that determines fogging on windows using a fogginess sensor and adjusts the driving control level to increase the driver's involvement in vehicle control, preventing destabilization of vehicle control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous driving control or driving assistance is stopped when windows fog, then vehicle control stability is maintained, but driver burden increases under adverse conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the driving control level based on window fogging detection. When fogging is detected, the system transitions from autonomous driving control (level 3) to a level requiring driver involvement (level 2), and can further transition to requiring full driver operation (level 0) if fogging persists. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the control level to current environmental conditions rather than statically stopping assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of driver involvement level in response to window fogging conditions. By detecting fogging through sensors and changing the control level parameter, the system maintains reliability while managing driver burden appropriately for the adverse conditions.
2Measurement precision
If driving assistance control is paused when backlight is detected, then monitoring accuracy is improved, but productivity of autonomous driving is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely pausing driving assistance control when backlight is detected, the system applies partial action by adjusting the control level to require some driver involvement while maintaining autonomous driving functions. This allows the system to address monitoring accuracy concerns without fully stopping productivity, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to determine whether there is fogging on a window of a vehicle or a sign of fogging thereof, based on a fogginess sensor signal indicating a physical index related to the degree of fogging of the window of the vehicle or operation of a vehicle-mounted device of the vehicle capable of defogging operation. The fogginess sensor signal is obtained by a fogginess sensor provided on the vehicle. The processor is further configured to change a driving control level applicable to the vehicle so as to increase or prevent decreasing the degree of a driver's involvement in driving the vehicle, depending on the driving control level currently applied to the vehicle, upon determination that there is fogging on the window of the vehicle or a sign of fogging thereof.