Vehicle Operator Control Feedback System for Driving Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Drivers of motor vehicles often cannot access and understand the operating instructions of their vehicles while driving, leading to inefficient use of vehicle functions due to lack of familiarity with available options, which can result in unnecessary actions to achieve desired effects.

Innovation Solution

A method that records operator actions, determines desired effects, and identifies more advantageous operating options or actions, providing feedback to the driver after the journey, utilizing vehicle-specific data and environmental conditions to suggest optimal functions and actions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the driver consults the operating manual while driving, then the driver can understand vehicle functions better, but the driver's attention is diverted from the traffic situation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUnderstanding of vehicle functionsVSAvoidDriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system records operator actions and determines desired effects during the drive, then provides feedback about more advantageous operating options after the journey has ended. This preliminary recording during driving followed by post-drive feedback eliminates the need for drivers to consult manuals while driving, as they receive the information afterward when attention is not required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the driver after the journey about operating actions that could have been performed more efficiently using available vehicle functions. This feedback loop allows drivers to learn about vehicle capabilities without being distracted during actual driving, as the information is delivered after the driving task is complete.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the driver tries different operating actions to achieve desired effects, then the driver can eventually achieve the desired effect, but time is wasted and operations become inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveAchievement of desired effectVSAvoidTime to achieve desired effect
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system analyzes recorded operator actions and provides feedback about more advantageous operating options that could have achieved the same desired effect more efficiently. By comparing actual actions against available vehicle functions, the system identifies time-wasting behaviors and suggests optimized alternatives for future operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically records operator actions, determines desired effects, and identifies optimization opportunities without requiring external intervention. The vehicle's own operating data is used to generate feedback, allowing the system to self-improve operational efficiency based on observed driver behavior patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If the driver is familiar with all vehicle functions, then operating efficiency is improved, but the complexity of learning and remembering all functions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveOperating efficiencyVSAvoidNumber of vehicle functions
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides targeted feedback about specific vehicle functions that the driver has not yet discovered or is using inefficiently. Rather than requiring the driver to learn all functions upfront, the system gradually introduces information about available functions based on observed operational patterns, reducing the cognitive load while improving efficiency over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The feedback system acts as an intermediary between the complex vehicle functions and the driver. Instead of requiring the driver to directly manage all vehicle functions, the system mediates by observing actions, determining desired effects, and suggesting optimized approaches, thereby simplifying the interaction despite the underlying complexity of available functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2953810B1Detecting possibilities for improving the operator control of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2017.06.21 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A method for detecting possibilities for improving operator control of a vehicle is disclosed, comprising: receiving an indication of the operator control possibilities of the vehicle; recording operator control actions which are performed at the vehicle; determining the effect desired by the operator for each operator control action or group of recorded operator control actions, identifying a recorded operator control action or a group of recorded operator control actions whose desired effect can be achieved using the operator control possibilities of the vehicle by means of another operator control action or a group of other operator control actions in an improved way; or outputting an indication of the one other operator control action or of the group of other operator control actions.