Vehicle Visibility Obstruction Assistance With Automatic Surrounding Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver assistance systems struggle to effectively assist drivers during visibility obstructions, such as snowfall or snowstorms, as they fail to adequately notify surrounding vehicles of the presence of the vehicle and maintain safe travel conditions.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance apparatus equipped with an environment information obtainer, visibility value measurer, and control processor that executes a driver assistance mode when visibility obstruction occurs, including a surrounding notification process to alert other vehicles and a traveling assistance process to maintain vehicle stability, using adjustable horn sound pressure and hazard lamp flashing cycles based on visibility values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver assistance control is cancelled due to visibility obstruction, then the driver takes over the driving operation, but the driver is likely to forget to perform operations to make other vehicles recognize the presence of the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically executes notification operations (horn sounding, lighting device activation) without requiring driver intervention. The driver assistance apparatus detects visibility obstruction and autonomously performs the necessary actions to notify surrounding vehicles, eliminating the burden on the driver to remember and execute these operations manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors visibility conditions and provides feedback to the driver through notifications. When visibility obstruction is detected, the system activates notification devices and can provide feedback to the driver about the current visibility status and the actions being taken, helping the driver maintain situational awareness without requiring constant manual intervention.
2Reliability
If the driver focuses attention on the front environment during visibility obstruction, then the driver can navigate through the obstruction, but the driver is likely to forget to perform operations to make other vehicles recognize the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically handles the notification function without requiring driver attention. The driver assistance apparatus autonomously activates horn or lighting devices to notify surrounding vehicles, allowing the driver to focus entirely on navigating through the visibility obstruction while the system manages the communication with surrounding vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively activates notification devices before or during visibility obstruction events. By automatically sounding the horn or activating lighting devices when visibility obstruction is detected, the system ensures that surrounding vehicles are notified in advance or simultaneously with the driver's navigation actions, preventing information loss about the vehicle's presence.
3Reliability
If the horn sound pressure is increased to notify surrounding vehicles, then the notification effectiveness is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts horn sound pressure based on real-time visibility conditions. When visibility obstruction is detected, the horn sound pressure is increased to maximum or higher levels to ensure effective notification. When visibility improves, the sound pressure is reduced or the horn is turned off, optimizing energy consumption while maintaining notification effectiveness when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the horn sound pressure parameter according to visibility conditions. By adjusting the sound pressure level dynamically based on detected visibility obstruction, the system achieves effective notification only when necessary, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining reliability during critical visibility obstruction events.
4Reliability
If the hazard lamp flashing cycle is shortened to improve notification, then the visibility of the vehicle to surrounding objects is improved, but the energy consumption of the lighting device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the hazard lamp flashing cycle based on visibility conditions. When visibility obstruction is detected, the flashing cycle is shortened to increase the frequency of light emission, improving vehicle recognition by surrounding objects. When visibility improves, the flashing cycle is lengthened or the lighting device is turned off, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate recognition only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the lighting device operating parameters (flashing cycle duration) according to visibility conditions. By adjusting the flashing cycle dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between vehicle recognition effectiveness and energy consumption, ensuring that the lighting device operates at high intensity only when visibility obstruction requires enhanced notification.
Data Source
AI summary
A driver assistance apparatus includes an environment information obtainer, a visibility value measurer, and a control processor. The environment information obtainer acquires information on a traveling environment around a vehicle. The visibility value measurer measures a visibility value of the vehicle in the traveling environment based on the information on the traveling environment. The control processor determines whether visibility obstruction has occurred based on the visibility value and, when determining that the visibility obstruction has occurred, executes a driver assistance mode against the visibility obstruction. When determining that the visibility obstruction has occurred, the control processor executes one or both of a first process adapted to notify surrounding objects present around the vehicle of the presence of the vehicle depending on the visibility value, and a second process adapted to assist a traveling state of the vehicle.