Vehicle Safety Urging System with Adaptive Communication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional road-vehicle communication systems fail to consistently alert drivers of potential hazards at all intersections, leading to complacency and inefficient power consumption, as they are not universally deployed and often inactive in areas where they are not needed.

Innovation Solution

A safety urging system for self-propelled vehicles that includes an on-vehicle communication unit, a safety urging information output unit, and an on-vehicle computation controller, which communicates with roadside equipment to determine communication availability and outputs safety information based on travel conditions, even in areas where communication is impossible, thereby enhancing driver awareness and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the on-vehicle communication unit is always activated to receive safety information at all intersections, then driver safety awareness is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety information provisionVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The communication unit dynamically changes its operational state based on location and communication availability. It is activated only when approaching intersections where roadside equipment is available, and deactivated otherwise, making the system adaptive rather than static

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The communication unit operates periodically rather than continuously - it is activated at specific intervals when the vehicle approaches intersections with available communication infrastructure, and remains inactive during other periods, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining safety information provision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the communication system is deployed only in specific areas with roadside equipment, then power consumption is reduced, but driver safety awareness is compromised at intersections without coverage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidsafety information provision

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary checks using stored map information to identify upcoming intersections with available communication coverage before the vehicle reaches them. This allows the communication unit to be activated in advance only when necessary, ensuring safety information is available while avoiding unnecessary activation in areas without coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Map information serving as an intermediary layer bridges the gap between limited communication infrastructure and vehicle safety needs. The system uses pre-stored geographic data about communication availability to predict and prepare for safe intersections, compensating for the incomplete physical deployment of roadside equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If safety information is provided only where communication infrastructure exists, then system complexity is reduced, but driver complacency occurs at uncovered intersections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication infrastructureVSAvoiddriver safety awareness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses pre-stored map information about communication coverage to proactively identify and prepare for safe intersections before the vehicle arrives. This preliminary preparation ensures that safety information can be provided at covered intersections while the system maintains simplicity by not activating communication unnecessarily at uncovered locations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS7545286B2Self-propelled vehicle safety urging system, self-propelled vehicle safety urging method, and safety urging information processing program

Publication Date: 2009.06.09 NEC CORP

AI summary

Information to urge safety driving is outputted to a driver in dangerous areas including intersections. When a vehicle reaches near an intersection, an on-vehicle system refers to communication availability information previously stored by using a car navigation system, and recognizes whether on-vehicle communication equipment is capable of communicating with roadside communication equipment. If it is recognized that the on-vehicle communication equipment is not capable of communicating with the roadside communication equipment based on information from the car navigation system, it outputs an instruction to output safety urging information to an output device, and the output device outputs safety urging information corresponding thereto.