Vehicle Length Sensor Radar Echo Detection for Lane Change Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle length sensors and blind spot detectors fail to accurately determine the length of variable length vehicles and assess safe lane changes, particularly in situations where trailers of different lengths are involved, as they do not provide sufficient information on the proximity of adjacent vehicles during lane changes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle length sensor system using a detection circuit with a transmitter and receiver for echo-detection, capable of measuring the length of the vehicle and nearby objects by emitting and receiving radio frequency or light radiation, and determining speed through Doppler shift, integrated with vehicle speed and turn angle inputs to continuously update length measurements and assess safety for lane changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If blind spot detectors are used to detect vehicles in the blind spot area, then the driver can be alerted to the presence of nearby vehicles, but the driver cannot determine the length of the vehicle or judge whether there is sufficient space to move into a given lane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual estimation and judgment with an automated radar-based detection system. The radar apparatus transmits electromagnetic waves and processes the reflected signals to automatically calculate vehicle length and determine safe lane change conditions, substituting the driver's mechanical judgment process with an electronic measurement and decision-support system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a radar apparatus as an intermediary between the driver and the surrounding environment. This intermediary device actively probes the space around the vehicle, measures the reflected signals, and provides processed information about vehicle length and lane change safety, bridging the gap between the driver's limited visibility and the actual spatial conditions.
2Reliability
If lane change assist detectors are used to alert drivers to fast-approaching vehicles, then potential hazards can be identified, but the detectors do not provide accurate measurement of vehicle length or precise assessment of available space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the radar apparatus multi-functional by using the same transmitter and receiver system for multiple purposes: detecting blind spot vehicles, measuring vehicle length, assessing lane change safety, and identifying fast-approaching vehicles. This universal approach achieves high reliability across multiple functions without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the core radar infrastructure serves all measurement and detection needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple detection functions into a single integrated radar system. Instead of using separate devices for blind spot detection, vehicle length measurement, and lane change assessment, the invention merges these functions into one unified apparatus that processes reflected radar signals to provide comprehensive spatial awareness and measurement data simultaneously.
3Productivity
If the sensor mounted on the side of a vehicle is used to measure vehicle length, then the measurement can be continuously updated, but the sensor has limited visibility of the trailer when the vehicle is not turning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic measurement strategies by adjusting the radar beam direction and measurement parameters based on the vehicle's turning state. When the vehicle turns, the side-mounted sensor gains better visibility of the trailer, and the system actively exploits this dynamic geometric relationship to perform accurate length measurements, rather than relying on a fixed measurement geometry that would be limited when the vehicle is straight.
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
The system effectively determines the length of the vehicle and nearby objects, providing real-time safety assessments for lane changes by distinguishing moving targets and updating measurements during turns, enhancing driver safety by indicating safe or unsafe conditions for lane changes.
Implementation Method 1
a detection circuit comprising a transmitter circuit, which is arranged to transmit radiation along the length of the vehicle, and a receiver circuit that is arranged to receive radiation that was transmitted by the transmitter circuit and reflected from the vehicle
Implementation Method 2
typically the radiation may comprise radio frequency electro-magnetic radiation (with the detection circuit therefore defining a radar apparatus)
Implementation Method 3
The detection circuit is arranged to determine the speed at which a target reflecting the transmitted radiation back to the receiver circuit is moving. Where an echo-detection system is involved, this could be, for example, by measuring a Doppler shift in the received radiation
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
A vehicle length sensor (10) for a vehicle such as a variable length truck (1), the sensor being provided with a mount (11) for mounting the sensor on a vehicle (1) and being arranged with a detection circuit (12, 14, 16) arranged to measure, in use, a length of a vehicle (1) to which the sensor (10) is mounted. Typically, the detection circuit comprises a transmitter (12) circuit, which is arranged to transmit radiation along the length of the vehicle (10), and a receiver circuit (14) that is arranged to receive radiation that was transmitted by the transmitter circuit (12) and reflected from the vehicle, and in which the detection circuit (16) is arranged to determine from the reflected radiation the length of the vehicle (1). The sensor may also act as a lane change assistant, comparing the range of other vehicles to the length of the vehicle (1) to which it is mounted.