Vehicle Emergency Vehicle Detection and Automatic Door Locking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle occupants often lack situational awareness due to distractions, leading to potential dangers for themselves and others, including injuries and fatalities, as they may not be aware of approaching cyclists, pedestrians, or emergency vehicles.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an automatic door-locking system and emergency vehicle alarm system using sensors to detect motion, proximity, and electromagnetic data, which trigger alerts or lock doors to prevent collisions and notify occupants of approaching hazards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If vehicle occupants use mobile phones or listen to radio with high volume, then they can maintain communication or entertainment, but their situational awareness of the exterior environment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesituational awarenessVSAvoiduse of mobile devices

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the exterior environment using sensors and provides feedback to the driver through visual displays showing detected objects, their types, distances, and velocities. This feedback loop compensates for the driver's reduced awareness due to mobile device use, allowing the driver to maintain communication while staying informed about surrounding hazards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary layer between the driver and the exterior environment. Instead of requiring the driver to directly observe and interpret visual scenes (which is impaired by distraction), the system acts as a mediator that processes sensor data and presents simplified, actionable information about potential hazards, enabling safe mobile device usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If vehicle occupants are not attentive to their surroundings, then they can focus on driving tasks or avoid distractions, but the safety of themselves and others deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidawareness of approaching objects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection and classification of potential hazards before they become immediate threats. By continuously scanning the environment and identifying cyclists, pedestrians, and other objects in advance, the system provides early warning to the driver, enabling proactive safety responses rather than reactive measures after a hazard is already present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the driver's natural visual and cognitive processing mechanisms with electronic sensors and computational analysis. Instead of relying on the driver's attention and visual acuity to detect hazards, the system uses radar, camera, and other sensors to automatically detect, classify, and track potential threats, substituting human perceptual limitations with machine capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If the vehicle doors remain unlocked for easy access, then ease of entry and exit is improved, but the risk of collision with approaching cyclists or pedestrians increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor accessVSAvoidcollision risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The door locking system transitions from a static state (either locked or unlocked) to a dynamic state where the locking status automatically adjusts based on real-time detection of approaching objects. When cyclists or pedestrians are detected within hazardous proximity, the system dynamically locks the doors; when the area is clear, the doors remain unlocked for easy access, optimizing both safety and convenience throughout the driving cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enhances situational awareness by automatically locking vehicle doors to prevent collisions and alerting occupants of approaching cyclists or emergency vehicles, thereby reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities.

Implementation Method 1

a sensor adapted to detect electromagnetic data

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation detection: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10988960B1Systems and methods for providing awareness of emergency vehicles

Publication Date: 2021.04.27 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

An automatic alarm system for a vehicle includes a sensor adapted to detect electromagnetic data, a computer system, and an automatic alarm mechanism. The computer system receives data from the sensor. A computer processor compares the electromagnetic data detected by the sensor with known patterns of electromagnetic data emitted by emergency vehicles that are stored in a library. The automatic alarm mechanism activates in response to the processor determining that the comparison matches a known pattern of electromagnetic data for an emergency vehicle resulting in the computer processor sending a first signal to activate an alarm of the vehicle.