Vehicle Material Accumulation Detection via Environmental Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current material accumulation detection devices on vehicles do not effectively detect whether material accumulation from the external environment, such as snow, ash, or sand, has occurred or will occur on the vehicle, which can impede smooth driving and safety.
Innovation Solution
A material accumulation detection device equipped with a computer system, including a central processing unit, sensors, and an information control part, that acquires external environment information and detects when material accumulation prevents smooth driving, providing warnings to the vehicle's information device to inform the user of the risk and potential for material accumulation on the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If material accumulation detection is implemented using external environment information, then detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses external environment information (snowfall amount, temperature, road surface temperature) as an intermediary to indirectly detect material accumulation on the vehicle. Instead of directly sensing material on the vehicle body, the system measures environmental parameters that correlate with accumulation risk, thereby improving detection accuracy while avoiding complex direct sensing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or direct physical sensing systems with an information-processing-based detection system. By using sensors to gather environmental data and processing this information through control units, the system achieves material accumulation detection without requiring complex mechanical sensors that would directly contact or measure material on the vehicle.
2Reliability
If comprehensive external environment information is acquired, then detection reliability is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the detection system into multiple functional modules: an acquisition unit that gathers external environment information (snowfall amount, temperature, road surface temperature), a detection unit that processes this information, and a control unit that generates warnings. This segmentation allows comprehensive data collection while distributing processing complexity across specialized modules, improving reliability without overwhelming the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes environmental information, determines material accumulation states, generates warnings, and can control other vehicle systems. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating processing tasks into a single versatile unit rather than requiring separate dedicated systems for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
In an ECU mounted on an own vehicle having a display device or a speaker device, a first acquisition part acquires external environment information outside of the own vehicle. A detection part detects whether the own vehicle has entered a first state based on the acquired external environment information, the first state represents accumulation of snowfall which prevents the own vehicle from performing smooth driving. An information control part instructs the display unit or the speaker device to provide information that the own vehicle has entered the first state to a user of the own vehicle.