Vehicle Control Using Emergency Vehicle Sound Path Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated lane keeping systems (ALKS) lack the capability to effectively determine the location of emergency vehicles and create a passage for them, as they rely solely on visual data and do not efficiently filter unnecessary information when forming a passage.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that utilize sound output from emergency vehicles to determine their location and route, allowing the host vehicle to take evasive actions and create a passage by integrating sensors, cameras, and a controller to analyze sound patterns and road information, enabling efficient operation of the ALKS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If automated lane keeping system relies solely on visual data, then device complexity is reduced, but the capability to determine emergency vehicle location and create passage is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing modalities (visual data from cameras and sound data from microphones) into a unified detection system. The controller integrates both camera images and microphone signals to determine the presence, location, and route of emergency vehicles, thereby improving detection reliability without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs multiple functions using the same sensor array: it detects both general traffic conditions through visual data and specifically identifies emergency vehicles through sound patterns. The controller universally processes both camera and microphone inputs to execute various driving assistance functions including emergency vehicle detection, location determination, and passage creation.
2Loss of information
If the system processes all sensor data without filtering, then information completeness is improved, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller extracts only the essential and relevant information from the sensor data. It specifically identifies sound patterns characteristic of emergency vehicles from the microphone input and extracts key visual features from camera data. This selective extraction of critical information reduces processing time while maintaining the completeness of useful data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary filtering and classification of sensor data before full processing. The controller pre-identifies potential emergency vehicle sounds and visual indicators, separating them from normal traffic data. This preliminary action prepares the data for faster subsequent processing and decision-making.
3Speed
If the system determines emergency vehicle location using sound output, then detection speed is improved, but accuracy may be affected by environmental noise
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges sound-based detection with visual verification. The controller uses microphone input to quickly detect potential emergency vehicles and determine their approximate location, then cross-references this with camera visual data to confirm the detection and refine the location accuracy, thereby maintaining both speed and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors and adjusts its detection based on feedback from both sound and visual sensors. When sound indicates a potential emergency vehicle, the system uses visual feedback to verify and refine the location determination. This feedback loop compensates for environmental noise interference and improves overall measurement precision.
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
Enables quick and accurate determination of emergency vehicle locations, distinguishing between host and emergency vehicle routes, and filtering unnecessary information to facilitate the formation of a passage, thereby enhancing the efficiency and safety of emergency vehicle passage creation.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor for obtaining sound associated with a target vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A device for controlling a host vehicle includes a sensor for obtaining sound associated with a target vehicle, and a controller configured to determine, based on the sound associated with the target vehicle, an estimated path of the target vehicle, determine, based on a map of an area associated with the host vehicle, road information associated with the estimated path of the target vehicle, determine, based on the road information, whether the target vehicle is anticipated to merge onto a route of the host vehicle, and, based on a determination that the target vehicle is anticipated to merge onto the route of the host vehicle, cause the host vehicle to take an evasive action.