Vehicle Interface Device Driver Status Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicles lack the ability to differentiate between primary and secondary drivers, leading to a lack of control over safety and notification features, and fail to monitor and report on driving behaviors effectively, particularly for new drivers like teenagers who may not adhere to safe driving practices.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize a vehicle interface device to identify and differentiate between primary and secondary drivers, recording vehicle events such as potential collisions, speed, and safety features usage, generating reports to educate secondary drivers on safer driving practices and provide feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If keys are shared between multiple drivers, then ease of operation is improved, but control over safety features and monitoring capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of vehicle accessVSAvoidcontrol over safety features
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments drivers into primary and secondary categories, with each type having different levels of access control and monitoring. Primary drivers have full control while secondary drivers have restricted access to certain features, allowing differentiated management of safety features based on driver type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different safety feature controls and monitoring capabilities are applied locally to different driver types. The system enables or disables specific safety features and notification capabilities based on whether the driver is identified as primary or secondary, providing localized quality control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If safety and notification features are enabled for secondary drivers, then driving safety is improved, but secondary drivers may disable them reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety feature availabilityVSAvoiddriver autonomy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system takes preliminary anti-action by preventing secondary drivers from disabling safety and notification features through software restrictions. The control system detects driver type and automatically blocks attempts by secondary drivers to turn off these critical features, ensuring they remain enabled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

Safety and notification features are automatically enabled in advance for secondary drivers when they are identified. The system proactively configures the appropriate safety feature set based on driver type before driving begins, eliminating the need for manual configuration by the secondary driver.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If driving behavior monitoring is implemented, then measurement precision of driving habits is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving behavior trackingVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The existing vehicle sensors and control systems are used for multiple purposes - both for vehicle operation control and for monitoring driving behavior. The system leverages existing data streams from vehicle sensors to track driving habits, events, and performance metrics without requiring entirely separate monitoring hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a software-based intermediary layer that processes data from existing vehicle sensors and generates driving behavior reports. This intermediary processing layer analyzes sensor data, identifies driving events, and creates feedback reports without requiring complex additional hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of information

If event recording for secondary drivers is implemented, then information about driving habits is improved, but loss of time for data processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving behavior dataVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system processes and generates driving behavior reports periodically rather than continuously. Driving events are recorded during operation, and comprehensive reports are generated at predetermined intervals (e.g., after a certain distance or time period), reducing continuous processing time while maintaining complete data capture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

Driving events are recorded and stored in memory during the driving period as preliminary data collection. The actual processing and report generation occur later during periodic intervals when the vehicle is stationary or during scheduled maintenance periods, separating data collection from data processing in time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2291733B1System and method for recording vehicle events and for generating reports corresponding to the recorded vehicle events based on driver status
Publication Date: 2015.02.25 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
  • EP2291733B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2291733B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2291733B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for recording events in a vehicle based on driver status of a driver is provided. The apparatus comprises a vehicle interface device. The device is configured to receive a driver status signal indicative of the driver being one of a primary driver and a secondary driver. The device is further configured to receive at least one vehicle event signal corresponding to vehicle events in response to the driver status signal indicating that the driver is the secondary driver and to store the at least one vehicle event signal to record the vehicle events. The device is further configured to generate a report indicating the recorded vehicle events for transmission to at least one of the primary driver and the secondary driver.