Detecting and disabling a vehicle left running while parked
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles left running in enclosed environments pose risks due to carbon monoxide poisoning and wasted energy, exacerbated by keyless starter mechanisms and quiet engine operations, which existing technologies fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms detects vehicles running in enclosed environments and emits commands to ventilate the area and disengage the ignition, using a combination of machine learning models, rule-based systems, and IoT platforms to assess vehicle and environmental states to determine when to intervene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If keyless starter mechanisms and quiet engine operations are used, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of vehicles being left running unintentionally increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors vehicle operational status through sensors detecting engine sound, exhaust presence, and environmental conditions, providing feedback to determine whether the vehicle should be running and automatically intervenes if it detects unintentional idling
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the vehicle to monitor and control its own operational status through integrated sensors and AI algorithms that detect engine operation and automatically disengage the ignition switch when unintentional running is detected
2Reliability
If vehicles are monitored continuously to detect unintentional running, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device performs multiple functions including detecting engine operation through acoustic sensors, identifying exhaust through chemical sensors, determining enclosed spaces through environmental sensors, and controlling both ventilation and ignition disengagement through a single integrated system
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines multiple detection capabilities (acoustic, chemical, environmental sensors) and control functions (ventilation control, ignition disengagement) into a single integrated sensor device with unified AI processing
3Loss of energy
If the vehicle is turned off automatically, then energy waste is reduced, but the ability to intentionally leave the vehicle running for warming or cooling is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the vehicle to run intentionally for warming or cooling by detecting the presence of occupants through sensors, and only intervenes after a threshold time period has passed without occupancy, thereby permitting legitimate pre-heating or pre-cooling while still preventing unintentional long-term idling
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its intervention behavior based on real-time detection of occupancy status and time duration, allowing flexible operation for legitimate purposes while automatically shutting down vehicles that are left running unintentionally
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor device may detect that a vehicle is running in an enclosed environment monitored by the sensor device based on one or more artificial intelligence algorithms and detect that the vehicle is emitting exhaust into the enclosed environment based on the artificial intelligence algorithms. To ventilate the exhaust, the sensor device generates a first command that causes a door in the enclosed environment to open based on detecting that the vehicle is emitting the exhaust into the enclosed environment. Furthermore, to stop the vehicle from running and/or emitting the exhaust into the enclosed environment, the sensor device may generate a second command that causes an ignition switch on the vehicle to disengage. The sensor device transmits the first command and the second command to one or more devices for execution such that the exhaust is ventilated from the enclosed environment and the ignition switch on the vehicle is disengaged.