Vehicle Turn-Intent Alerts Using Wireless Lane-Change Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems rely on audible and visual signals like horns and turn signals, which are often missed due to driver distraction or ignorance, leading to accidents during lane changes or turns.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular communication system that uses wireless communication devices and electronic control units to transmit and display alerts of impending lateral movements between vehicles, utilizing sensors and GPS for accurate distance calculation and automatic alert generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If audible and visual signals like horns and turn signals are used for vehicle communication, then driver awareness of nearby vehicles' intentions is improved, but these signals are often missed due to driver distraction or ignorance, leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wireless communication device as an intermediary between vehicles to transmit lateral movement indications. Instead of relying on traditional audible/visual signals that drivers may miss, the system uses wireless communication to directly convey information about impending lane changes or turns to nearby vehicles, ensuring the information is received reliably regardless of driver attention state
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/acoustic optical system of traditional turn signals and horns with an electronic wireless communication system. This substitution allows for more reliable and direct transmission of vehicle intention data without relying on physical signal propagation that can be missed or misinterpreted by drivers
2Reliability
If wireless communication devices and electronic control units are used to transmit alerts of impending lateral movements, then accident reduction is improved through timely alerts, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the wireless communication device and electronic control unit into the existing vehicle communication infrastructure, allowing the same system to handle multiple functions including lateral movement indication transmission, reception of alerts from other vehicles, and integration with existing vehicle sensors and GPS. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects lateral movement indications from vehicle sensors and GPS data, generates alerts without requiring manual intervention, and autonomously determines when and to which vehicles to transmit the information. This self-service capability reduces the complexity of manual control systems while maintaining high reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular communication system includes a wireless communication device disposed at an equipped vehicle and operable to wirelessly communicate with other vehicles near the equipped vehicle. A control includes electronic circuitry and associated software. The control, responsive to receiving an indication of an impending lane change or turn by the equipped vehicle, generates an alert and the wireless communication device communicates the alert to at least one other vehicle within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle. The wireless communication device may receive from another vehicle remote from the equipped vehicle an alert of an impending lateral movement by the other vehicle, and may, responsive to determining that the other vehicle is within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle, display that alert on a display device disposed within the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle.