Virtual Lane Generation for Low-Visibility Driving
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Solution Overview
Problem
In situations with poor visibility, such as bad weather or unpaved roads, drivers may struggle to identify lanes, leading to increased risks of accidents due to unclear lane markings and communication challenges between vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance apparatus that includes a camera, processor, and communication unit to generate and display virtual lanes on the windshield or road surface, and share this information with adjacent vehicles through wireless communication, ensuring common lane recognition and safe driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual lanes are displayed to assist drivers in poor visibility, then driving safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the processor: detecting lane information from images, determining vehicle position relative to lanes, generating virtual lane representations, and controlling display devices. This integration reduces the need for separate dedicated hardware components for each function, thereby improving driving safety through comprehensive lane assistance while managing device complexity through functional consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor serves multiple purposes: it processes images from cameras, detects lane markings, calculates vehicle position, generates virtual lane data, and communicates with other vehicles. This multi-functionality allows the system to provide enhanced safety features without requiring separate specialized hardware for each task, balancing reliability improvement with controlled device complexity.
2Reliability
If lane information is shared between vehicles through communication, then negotiation on traffic lanes is improved, but loss of time occurs due to communication delays
Solution Approach 1:
The processor determines vehicle position relative to detected lanes before sharing this information with other vehicles. By pre-calculating and preparing lane position data, the system reduces the time required for lane negotiation during actual driving scenarios, improving both reliability of lane coordination and minimizing communication time delays.
3Measurement precision
If image analysis is performed to detect lanes, then measurement precision of lane position is improved, but loss of time occurs due to processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The processor extracts only the essential lane position information from the captured images rather than performing comprehensive image analysis. By focusing specifically on detecting lane markings and calculating vehicle position relative to these lanes, the system achieves sufficient measurement precision for safe driving while minimizing processing time and computational resource requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a driver assistance apparatus comprising a processor (170, 770) and an output unit (180, 740). The processor (170, 770) is configured to: access at least one of image information, distance information, sensor information, navigation information, secondary information, or adjacent vehicle information, determine whether at least one lane is identified based on the at least one of image information, distance information, sensor information, navigation information, secondary information, or adjacent vehicle information, and based on determining that at least one lane is not identified, generate virtual lane information. The output unit (180, 740) is configured to output one or more virtual lanes (L1-L3) based on the generated virtual lane information and comprises a display unit (181, 741) that is a head up display, wherein the head up display is configured to display, on a windshield (W), the one or more virtual lanes (L1-L3) as an augmented reality image that corresponds to an external image that is reflected through the windshield (W).