Automated Driving Control for Subsystem Performance Degradation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automated driving systems in motor vehicles face challenges in maintaining functionality and availability when subsystems experience reduced performance or failure, necessitating improvements in navigation and trajectory planning to ensure safe continuation of the journey.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that incorporate monitoring functions within subsystems to assess their performance levels, allowing the control unit to adapt navigation and trajectory planning dynamically, utilizing alternative systems and routes to maintain functionality, and communicate reduced performance to surrounding vehicles via Car2Car interfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If automated driving systems use redundant subsystems to maintain functionality during failures, then system reliability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem availabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring function continuously assesses subsystem performance before complete failure occurs, enabling the control unit to proactively adapt navigation and trajectory planning. This preliminary detection and adaptation approach maintains system availability by preparing alternative plans before redundancy is actually needed, rather than waiting for subsystem failure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts navigation and trajectory planning based on real-time subsystem performance assessments. The control unit modifies driving behavior, route selection, and trajectory parameters according to the current operational status of subsystems, enabling flexible response to performance degradation without requiring complete system redundancy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Duration of action of moving object

If the control unit adapts navigation and trajectory planning based on subsystem performance, then journey continuity is maintained, but computational requirements and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvejourney continuityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Alternative navigation plans and trajectory options are pre-computed and stored before subsystem failures occur. When performance degradation is detected, the control unit quickly selects from these pre-prepared alternatives rather than computing new plans in real-time, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining journey continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring function provides continuous feedback on subsystem performance to the control unit, enabling real-time adaptation of navigation and trajectory planning. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to respond promptly to performance changes while maintaining efficient processing through optimized feedback loops and real-time decision algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If monitoring functions continuously assess subsystem performance, then system reliability improves, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubsystem performance monitoringVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring function assesses subsystem performance at optimized intervals and focuses evaluation on critical parameters rather than continuously monitoring all subsystem aspects. This partial monitoring approach maintains sufficient reliability information while reducing energy consumption compared to exhaustive continuous monitoring of all system parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3377382B1Method and device for the assisted, partially automated, highly automated, fully automated or driverless driving of a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3377382B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the assisted, partially automated, highly automated, fully automated or driverless driving of a motor vehicle, by means of at least one control unit (2) for planning the navigation and trajectory of an assisted, partially automated, highly automated, fully automated or driverless journey of the motor vehicle and multiple subsystems (3-7), wherein the subsystems (3-7) implement vehicle movement dynamics requirements of the control unit (2) or supply environmental data, wherein at least one subsystem (3-7) is assigned a monitoring function by means of which the functionality of the subsystem (3-7) is determined, wherein the monitoring function transmits a currently possible performance capability to the control unit (2), wherein the control unit (2) adapts the planning of the navigation and trajectory in accordance with the transmitted performance capability in such a way that, despite a reduced performance capability, the assisted, partially automated, highly automated, fully automated or driverless journey can be continued. The invention also relates to such a device (1).