Vehicle Information Transfer Device for Mixed Traffic Uncertainty

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Solution Overview

Problem

It is challenging for drivers to determine whether nearby vehicles are automatically driven or manually driven, leading to uncertainty and difficulty in performing appropriate controls, which can cause unease and affect driving operations.

Innovation Solution

An information transfer device that acquires and provides information about the driving status, functions, and schedules of other vehicles to both the driver and the driving control system, enabling informed decisions and optimized control modes based on the acquired data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If vehicles under automatic driving control and manually driven vehicles mix on the same road, then traffic flow diversity increases, but driver uncertainty and unease increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraffic flow diversityVSAvoiddriver certainty

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an information transfer device as an intermediary between automatically driven vehicles and manually driven vehicles. This device transmits information about the automatic driving status, functions, and schedules of automatically driven vehicles to manually driven vehicles, serving as a mediator that reduces uncertainty and enables informed interaction between the two types of vehicles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously transmitting information about the status and intentions of automatically driven vehicles to manually driven vehicles. This feedback loop allows manually driven vehicles to adjust their behavior based on real-time information about automatically driven vehicles, reducing uncertainty and improving overall traffic reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If automatic driving vehicles move differently from manually driven vehicles, then automation efficiency improves, but driver understanding and predictability worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation efficiencyVSAvoiddriver understanding

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The information transfer device transmits schedule information and planned movements of automatically driven vehicles in advance to manually driven vehicles. This preliminary action allows manually driven drivers to anticipate future movements of automatically driven vehicles, maintaining predictability even as automation efficiency improves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The information transfer device acts as an intermediary that translates the complex behavior patterns of automatically driven vehicles into understandable information for manually driven drivers, preserving driver understanding while allowing automation to operate efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If drivers cannot determine whether nearby vehicles are automatically driven or manually driven, then vehicle anonymity is maintained, but appropriate control decisions become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle anonymityVSAvoidcontrol decision-making

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by providing differentiated information treatment: automatically driven vehicles maintain their anonymity in terms of physical appearance, but transmit specific informational qualities (status, functions, schedules) through the information transfer device. This allows manually driven drivers to make appropriate control decisions based on the received information without compromising the anonymity or aesthetic design of automatically driven vehicles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10875544B2Information transfer device, electronic control device, information transmission device, and electronic control system

Publication Date: 2020.12.29 DENSO CORP

AI summary

In an information transfer device (5) installed in a vehicle (3), the vehicle carrying the information transfer device (5) is referred to as a subject vehicle, and an information acquisition unit (9) acquires through communications with another vehicle (a) information indicating whether the other vehicle is being automatically driven, (b) information indicating functions of the other vehicle related to automatic driving, and (c) information indicating a schedule of the other vehicle related to automatic driving. An information processing unit (11) provides the information acquired by the information acquisition unit to the driver of the subject vehicle (3) or outputs the same to a driving control device (7) of the subject vehicle (3).