Vehicle Warning Zone Control for Relevant Collision Alerts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle warning systems generate unnecessary alerts, reducing driver acceptance due to frequent warnings, and fail to ensure high traffic safety without distracting the driver with excessive signals.

Innovation Solution

A device with a sensor system that dynamically adjusts warning and danger areas based on vehicle speed and object trajectory, generating a cascade of warning signals corresponding to the level of danger, ensuring only relevant alerts are provided to prevent collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the sensor detection range is extended to improve safety coverage, then more objects can be detected, but unnecessary warning signals increase and driver acceptance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety coverageVSAvoidunnecessary warning signals
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The detection range is segmented into multiple zones: a first detection zone for objects requiring immediate attention and a second detection zone for objects with lower priority. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate between critical and non-critical detections, generating warning signals only for objects in the first zone, thereby maintaining safety coverage while reducing unnecessary alerts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different evaluation criteria and warning thresholds are applied to different spatial zones. Objects in the first detection zone trigger warning signals with specific characteristics, while objects in the second zone are monitored but do not generate the same level of alerts. This local differentiation ensures that warnings are context-appropriate and reduce driver distraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If warning signals are generated for all detected objects to ensure high safety, then collision risk is reduced, but driver distraction increases due to excessive signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision risk reductionVSAvoiddriver distraction
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the detection zones and warning thresholds based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and other driving parameters. At higher speeds, the first detection zone is reduced and warning thresholds are raised, generating fewer warnings. At lower speeds, the zones expand and thresholds lower, allowing more warnings. This dynamic adaptation maintains collision protection while minimizing driver distraction across different operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes multiple parameters including detection zone boundaries, warning signal thresholds, and evaluation criteria based on real-time driving conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between safety monitoring and driver information overload, ensuring warnings are generated only when truly necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the warning range is reduced to minimize false alerts, then driver acceptance improves, but safety coverage in critical situations is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver acceptanceVSAvoidsafety coverage in critical situations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of detected objects to determine whether they belong in the first or second detection zone before generating warning signals. This preliminary classification ensures that only objects posing genuine collision risks trigger warnings, maintaining driver acceptance while preserving safety coverage for critical situations through proactive risk assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3510420B1Device for warning a vehicle driver of a vehicle about an object, and vehicle having such a device
Publication Date: 2024.01.03 KNORR BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHIZEUGE GMBH
  • EP3510420B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3510420B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3510420B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for warning a vehicle driver of a vehicle (1) about an object (4), containing a sensor apparatus (6), which has a front sensing region (12) and a side sensing region (16), a control apparatus (30), which interacts with the sensor apparatus (6) and which is designed to evaluate the signals from the sensor apparatus (6) for objects (4) standing or moving within the sensing region (8) and to define a warning region (A_info), which can be varied dynamically at least in accordance with the speed (v_ego) of the vehicle (1), and a warning apparatus (32), which is controlled by the control apparatus (30) in such a way that the warning apparatus produces a warning signal for warning the vehicle driver only if an object (4) is sensed in the dynamically variable warning region (A_info) by the sensor apparatus (6). According to the invention, the sensor apparatus (6) is also arranged and designed in such a way that the sensing region (8) continues from the side sensing region (16) into a rear sensing region (18) behind the vehicle rear (20) including the rear sensing region (18), and the control apparatus (30) is also designed to extend the dynamically variable warning region (A_info) in the direction of the longitudinal center axis (34) of the vehicle (1) into the rear sensing region (18) if an object (4) is sensed in the rear sensing region (18) by the sensor apparatus (6) and/or into the front sensing region (12) if an object (4) is sensed by the sensor apparatus (8) in the front sensing region (12), if the sensor apparatus (6) senses that the vehicle (1) and the object (4) are moving toward each other.