Vehicle Touch Detection for Person-Vehicle Interaction Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for vehicle-person interaction outside the vehicle do not adequately ensure safety, particularly in scenarios where vehicles intend to turn and cyclists or other non-motorized road users are involved, as they lack effective communication and collision prevention mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A touch detection device with touch-sensitive areas on the vehicle's outer contour and a movement detection system that allows individuals to communicate their intentions to the vehicle, which coordinates its movement to prevent collisions, providing feedback and output signals to both the vehicle and the person, ensuring safe interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If touch-sensitive areas are added to the vehicle's outer contour to enable person-vehicle communication, then safety of persons outside the vehicle is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of persons outside the vehicleVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive areas are integrated into existing vehicle components such as side mirrors, door handles, or body panels, allowing these components to serve both their original functions and the additional function of detecting touch inputs from persons outside the vehicle. This multi-functionality approach adds safety capabilities without requiring completely separate dedicated systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit integrates multiple functions including touch signal detection, interpretation of movement intentions, generation of output signals to prevent collisions, and coordination with the vehicle's motion control system. By merging these functions into a single control unit, the system achieves the desired safety improvements while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the vehicle's control unit generates output signals to prevent collision based on detected touch input, then collision prevention is improved, but loss of time in vehicle operation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidloss of time in vehicle operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit is pre-programmed with algorithms that interpret touch patterns and predict movement intentions of persons outside the vehicle. When a touch is detected, the system immediately evaluates the potential collision risk and generates appropriate output signals to prevent collision, rather than waiting for a collision to actually occur. This preliminary action approach minimizes the time loss by preparing the system in advance to respond quickly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies countermeasures in advance by generating output signals that prevent the vehicle from continuing movement when a collision is anticipated. The control unit coordinates with the motion control system to apply braking forces or adjust vehicle trajectory before a collision would occur, thereby preventing the harmful effect while minimizing operational disruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Ease of operation

If touch-sensitive areas are made accessible at various heights around the vehicle, then ease of operation for different persons is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operation for different personsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch-sensitive detection system is divided into multiple discrete touch-sensitive areas distributed at different heights and locations around the vehicle's outer contour. Each area can be independently integrated into specific vehicle components, allowing persons of different heights and positions to easily access and interact with the system without requiring a single complex centralized structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3744588B1Method for interaction between a vehicle and a person, a touch detection device for a vehicle and a vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3744588B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3744588B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3744588B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to methods for interaction between a vehicle (10) and at least one person (12) located outside the vehicle (10) comprising the following steps: - touching at least one touch-sensitive area (18, 20, 24) of the vehicle (10) by at least one person (12), - transmitting a signal through the at least one sensitive area (18, 20, 24) to a control unit (28) of the vehicle (10), - outputting an output signal by the control unit (28) for at least one device (36, 40) of the vehicle (10). It is provided that the at least one person (12) communicates an intention to move relative to the vehicle (10) through the interaction, and - the output signal of the control unit (28) coordinates the movement of the vehicle (10) with the intention to move of the at least one person (12).