Vehicle Notification Device for Expressway Rest Facility Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle notification systems cannot effectively address sudden needs for rest, such as using the bathroom, while traveling on expressways, as they primarily focus on predicting congestion without considering immediate occupant needs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle notification device that acquires congestion situations of rest facilities on an expressway, determines the closest and next closest rest facilities where a rest is possible, predicts the time required to move between these facilities, and prompts the occupant to rest at the first facility if the travel time exceeds a preset threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the system only predicts congestion on expressways, then the navigation function is simple, but it cannot address sudden needs for rest such as using the bathroom
Solution Approach 1:
The notification device integrates multiple functions: it not only predicts expressway congestion but also monitors rest facility congestion, calculates travel times to alternative facilities, and provides targeted notifications. This multi-functional approach allows the system to address various occupant needs (rest, bathroom, etc.) while maintaining a unified device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of travel times between rest facilities and predicts congestion situations in advance. By pre-computing alternative routes and facility availability, the system is ready to provide immediate notifications when occupants need rest or bathroom facilities, rather than reacting after the need arises.
2Ease of operation
If the threshold value is small, then rest intervals are shortened for better convenience, but notifications become frequent and annoying
Solution Approach 1:
The threshold value is made adjustable rather than fixed. The system allows dynamic modification of the threshold parameter based on occupant preferences and specific travel conditions. This enables the notification frequency and rest interval recommendations to be optimized for different situations, balancing convenience with notification burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where notification history and occupant responses can influence future notification behavior. By monitoring whether notifications are acted upon and adjusting accordingly, the system learns to optimize the threshold value to reduce annoying frequent notifications while maintaining helpful alerts.
3Reliability
If the system considers multiple rest facilities and calculates travel times, then it can provide better rest recommendations, but the information processing becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the rest facility information processing by focusing on specific facilities (current, next, and alternative) rather than analyzing all facilities simultaneously. It divides the calculation into discrete steps: identifying the current facility, finding the next facility, calculating travel time, and comparing with threshold. This segmented approach reduces processing complexity while maintaining recommendation accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle notification device acquires a congestion situation of rest facilities existing on a guidance route on an expressway, acquires position information of a first rest facility that is the closest rest facility to a current location of an own vehicle and position information of a second rest facility that is the next closest rest facility to the current location following the first rest facility, among rest facilities for which determination is made that a rest is possible from the congestion situation, predicts time required to move from the first rest facility to the second rest facility, and when the time is more than a preset threshold value, performs notification prompting a rest at the first rest facility.