Vehicle Terminal Device Direction Estimation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle collision prevention systems inaccurately determine the traveling direction before a right or left turn due to variations in the timing of direction indicator activation, leading to potential confusion and incorrect collision prevention alerts.
Innovation Solution
A terminal device that acquires and stores the initial traveling direction when the direction indicator is activated, updates this information if the direction changes, and maintains it if the change is in the same direction, ensuring accurate determination of the traveling direction irrespective of the activation timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the traveling direction is stored at the timing of direction indicator activation, then the system can detect turn actions, but the accuracy of traveling direction estimation deteriorates due to variations in activation timing
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores the traveling direction at the timing when the direction indicator is activated (right-winker-ON) as a reference value before the actual turn begins. This preliminary storage allows the system to later compare current traveling direction against this pre-stored reference to determine whether a turn is occurring, rather than relying on the direction at the moment of indicator activation which may not reflect the intended turn direction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the traveling direction is continuously updated, then the system adapts to direction changes, but incorrect updates occur when the direction changes during lane changes or before turn initiation
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously compares the current traveling direction against the stored reference direction (from when the indicator was activated) and only updates the reference when the current direction becomes opposite to the winker direction. This feedback mechanism prevents incorrect updates during lane changes or premature direction changes, as the system waits for confirmation that the vehicle has actually begun the intended turn by detecting the opposite direction relationship.
3Device complexity
If the system uses the traveling direction at indicator activation timing, then processing is simplified, but erroneous determination of positional relationship with other vehicles occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores the traveling direction at indicator activation as a preliminary reference value, then uses this stored reference for subsequent positional relationship determinations with other vehicles. This approach maintains simplicity by storing only one reference value while improving reliability, as the stored reference direction accurately represents the intended turn direction rather than the direction at the moment of indicator activation which may be during lane changes or straight travel.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal device is disclosed that is mountable in a vehicle. The terminal device comprises an acquirer, storage and a controller. The acquirer acquires, from the vehicle, i) traveling direction information indicating traveling directions of the vehicle in accordance with movement of the vehicle and ii) winker direction information indicating a winker direction indicated by a direction indicator of the vehicle. The controller i) stores in the storage the traveling direction information indicating a first traveling direction of the traveling directions, the first traveling direction being acquired when the acquirer has acquired the winker direction information, and ii) updates the traveling direction information indicating the first traveling direction with the traveling direction information indicating a second traveling direction, the second traveling direction being acquired after the acquirer has acquired the winker direction information, when the second traveling direction indicates a direction opposite to the winker direction.