Windshield Virtual Image Display for ADAS Urgency Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) do not effectively notify drivers of the urgency or uncertainty of potential accidents, particularly when objects are uncertain in motion or not directly present in the visual field.
Innovation Solution
A display control system that generates and displays virtual images on a display medium, with specific regions and magnifications to indicate the proximity and movement range of potential collision objects, gradually moving closer to the vehicle's locus over time, thereby conveying urgency and uncertainty to the driver.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If ADAS displays detected objects and environments to call driver's attention, then driver awareness is improved, but the system cannot effectively convey urgency or uncertainty of potential accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes to virtual images displayed on the windshield to convey different levels of urgency and uncertainty. Virtual images are displayed in different colors (e.g., green, yellow, red) corresponding to different risk levels, allowing drivers to quickly perceive the severity of potential hazards without additional text or symbols. This resolves the contradiction by enriching information transmission while maintaining display simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the display by gradually moving virtual images closer to the vehicle's actual locus over time. This dynamic movement provides drivers with intuitive information about the approaching risk, transforming static object detection into a dynamic risk progression visualization. This resolves the contradiction by conveying urgency through temporal evolution rather than requiring additional information channels.
2Loss of information
If ADAS displays static traveling environments and dynamic obstacles, then driver information is improved, but the system cannot indicate urgency or uncertainty for estimated pedestrians
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded virtual images to represent different levels of uncertainty for estimated pedestrians and other detected objects. By assigning specific colors to different confidence levels or risk categories, the system provides intuitive guidance for driver response without requiring complex additional displays or controls, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms static object display into dynamic visualization by continuously updating virtual image positions to reflect real-time distance changes. Virtual images move closer to the actual object positions as the vehicle approaches, providing drivers with dynamic feedback about emerging risks. This resolves the contradiction by making risk urgency visually apparent through motion rather than requiring additional control interfaces.
3Loss of time
If ADAS provides objective information for safety driving, then driver response time is improved, but the system cannot convey the need for immediate action
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to risk communication by displaying virtual images that progressively move closer to the vehicle's actual locus over time. This dynamic progression visually represents the decreasing time available for driver response, transforming static risk information into a temporal urgency indicator. Drivers can intuitively perceive the need for immediate action through the motion trajectory without requiring additional time-critical information channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color transitions in virtual images to communicate escalating urgency levels. As risk severity increases or time for response decreases, the displayed colors change to indicate higher urgency, providing drivers with rapid visual cues about the need for immediate action. This resolves the contradiction by encoding temporal urgency in the visual properties of the display rather than requiring additional information transmission time.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A display control device includes a unit for determining whether an object recognized by a recognition unit is present in a specific region adjacent to a locus, and a control unit controlling a display source, upon determination that the object is present in the specific region, to generate a first virtual image at first timing and a second virtual image at second timing later than the first timing. The first virtual image is displayed in a first region midway in a locus approaching direction toward a locus on a display medium, which corresponds to the locus, from a position thereon corresponding to an object position. The second imaginary region is displayed in a second region, located midway in the locus approaching direction closer to the locus than the first region, in size not smaller than that of the first virtual image displayed in the first region at the second timing.