Autonomous Vehicle Alert and Environmental Labeling System
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Solution Overview
Problem
In autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, there is a need to ensure driver alertness while the vehicle is under autonomous control, as human intervention may be required in case of system errors or specific events, and simultaneously, there is a requirement for training the vehicle's perception system to recognize and respond to various environmental objects, which can be labor-intensive and distracting for the driver.
Innovation Solution
An integrated system that combines driver alertness monitoring and training data labeling, where the vehicle sends alert prompts to the driver and receives responses through cockpit input devices, while also using these inputs to generate training data for the perception system, thereby reducing the burden on the driver and enhancing vehicle autonomy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle sends frequent alert prompts to monitor driver alertness, then driver safety is improved, but driver distraction and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines driver alertness monitoring with environmental labeling tasks by integrating both functions into a single unified system. The driver performs environmental labeling (describing objects in the driving environment) which simultaneously serves as both training data generation for the perception system and as an alertness monitoring mechanism. This merging eliminates the need for separate alert prompts while maintaining safety monitoring and reducing driver burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the driver's environmental descriptions serve multiple purposes: (1) training data for the perception system, (2) alertness monitoring indicator, and (3) contextual awareness verification. This multi-functionality allows the same driver input to fulfill multiple safety and training objectives without requiring additional separate tasks or increasing operational burden.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle collects extensive training data for perception system training, then vehicle autonomy capability is improved, but driver distraction and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the perception system training data collection with the driver alertness monitoring task. The driver's natural environmental descriptions, provided as part of the alertness monitoring protocol, are simultaneously used as training data for the perception system. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated training data collection tasks, reducing driver time consumption while maintaining comprehensive training data acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the driver to perform environmental labeling as a self-service activity during normal operation. The driver naturally describes environmental objects while monitoring the driving environment, and this information is automatically captured and used for training without requiring additional dedicated training sessions or taking time away from primary driving responsibilities.
3Reliability
If the vehicle implements both driver alertness monitoring and environmental labeling separately, then both functions are achieved, but system complexity and driver burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates driver alertness monitoring and environmental labeling into a single unified system where the same hardware components (microphone, speaker, processor) and the same driver input (environmental descriptions) serve both functions simultaneously. This integration reduces system complexity by eliminating redundant components and simplifying the overall architecture while maintaining both safety monitoring and training data collection capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Various examples are directed to systems and method operating an autonomous vehicle. A vehicle system may receive a plurality of inputs from a user of a vehicle, where the plurality of inputs includes a first labeling input received from the user and a first alert input received from the user. After determining that no user input has been received for an input threshold time, the vehicle system provides an alert prompt to the cockpit output device. This may cause the cockpit output device to provide the alert prompt to signal to the user to provide an alert input indicating that the user is alert.