Vehicle Ground Projection Control for Turn Path Warning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional safety systems for commercial vehicles cannot proactively indicate potential collision risks or clearly associate with the vehicle while in motion, and existing systems are not immediately obvious to approaching road users, especially when changing lanes or turning.

Innovation Solution

A commercial vehicle equipped with a light source that projects a controllable pattern onto the floor surface adjacent to the vehicle, controlled by a unit that detects the vehicle's operating state and road users, to warn of impending maneuvers and indicate the vehicle's path or danger areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional laser emitters project lines spaced apart from the vehicle, then passengers are protected from careless cyclists, but approaching road users cannot immediately identify the danger zone or vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger protectionVSAvoidvisibility of danger zone to road users
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from projecting lines only laterally (2D side view) to projecting patterns that extend both laterally and longitudinally along the vehicle's path (3D spatial coverage). The light projection system now covers the future occupied traffic area in multiple dimensions, making the danger zone immediately identifiable to approaching road users while maintaining passenger protection zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system projects light patterns indicating the future occupied traffic area before the vehicle actually enters that space. By using the forecasted future occupied traffic area based on current steering angle and speed, the system warns road users in advance of the vehicle's intended path, allowing them to take preventive action before danger arises.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If conventional safety systems are used when the vehicle is stationary, then boarding and alighting areas are marked, but the systems cannot proactively indicate potential collision risks during motion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveboarding and alighting safetyVSAvoidcollision risk indication during motion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic light projection system that continuously adapts the projected patterns based on real-time vehicle operating conditions. The control device forecasts the future occupied traffic area using current steering angle, speed, and trajectory, dynamically adjusting the light projection to match the vehicle's changing path during motion, thereby providing proactive collision risk indication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses sensor data from the vehicle's operational state (steering angle, speed, trajectory) as feedback to continuously update the light projection patterns. This closed-loop approach ensures the projected danger zones accurately reflect the vehicle's current and forecasted position, maintaining reliability during dynamic motion conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If projected lines are spaced apart from the danger zone, then passengers are protected, but it becomes impossible to immediately identify the vehicle in multiple lanes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger safetyVSAvoidvehicle identification in multiple lanes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the passenger protection function with the vehicle identification function by projecting light patterns that simultaneously define the safe boarding area and extend along the vehicle's path to indicate its position in multiple lanes. The longitudinal extension of the light projection serves dual purposes: maintaining protection zones near the vehicle while also making the vehicle's position and intended path visible to road users in adjacent lanes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution effectively reduces collision risks by proactively making the vehicle's future path visible to other road users, enhancing safety during lane changes, turns, and passenger access, by projecting patterns that indicate the vehicle's intended path and danger areas before they are occupied.

Implementation Method 1

a light source (102) arranged on at least one side of the commercial vehicle (100), which is configured to project a controllable pattern (106) onto a ground surface (108)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight projection: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3434522B1Utility vehicle with controlled pattern projection
Publication Date: 2024.09.04 MAN TRUCK & BUS SE
  • EP3434522B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3434522B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3434522B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A commercial vehicle (100) with controlled pattern projection is described. The commercial vehicle includes a light source (102) arranged on at least one side (104) of the commercial vehicle (100). The light source (102) projects a controllable pattern (106) onto a ground surface (108) adjacent to the respective side (104) of the commercial vehicle (100). Furthermore, the commercial vehicle (100) includes a control unit (114) that is in signal communication with the light source (102). The control unit (114) detects an operating state of the commercial vehicle (100) and controls the light source (102) to signal the detected operating state by means of the projected pattern (106).