Autonomous Vehicle Sensor Redundancy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in maintaining effective redundancy between sensors due to obstructions from external objects, which can lead to insufficient data overlap and reduced accuracy in navigation, causing limitations or disabling of navigational actions.
Innovation Solution
A method for autonomous navigation that records images from multiple sensors, calculates field of view, and characterizes spatial redundancy, adjusting navigational actions based on the level of redundancy to ensure accurate data verification and execution of safe maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the autonomous vehicle uses multiple sensors to maintain effective redundancy, then the reliability of navigation data is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the sensor array into multiple independent sensor units, each with its own field of view. By analyzing and comparing data from individual sensors rather than treating them as a monolithic system, the patent enables verification of data integrity through cross-sensor comparison while managing complexity through modular processing of each sensor's contribution to the overall redundancy assessment.
2Reliability
If the autonomous vehicle disables navigational actions due to insufficient sensor redundancy, then the safety is improved, but the productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely disabling navigational actions when redundancy is insufficient, the system applies partial action by selectively enabling or disabling specific navigational maneuvers based on the level of redundancy available. The patent allows the vehicle to continue with navigational actions that have sufficient sensor coverage while restricting only those that would operate in areas with inadequate redundancy, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring safety.
3Measurement precision
If the autonomous vehicle verifies data integrity through sensor alignment, then the measurement precision is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment and calibration of sensor fields of view during periods when the vehicle is operating in conditions with good redundancy. By pre-establishing the spatial relationships and alignment parameters between sensors, the patent reduces the computational burden during critical verification phases, allowing faster data integrity checks when needed without sacrificing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
One variation of a method for autonomous navigation includes, at an autonomous vehicle: recording a first image via a first sensor and a second image via a second sensor during a scan cycle; calculating a first field of view of the first sensor and a second field of view of the second sensor during the scan cycle based on surfaces represented in the first and second images; characterizing a spatial redundancy between the first sensor and the second sensor based on an overlap of the first and second fields of view; in response to the spatial redundancy remaining below a threshold redundancy, disabling execution of a first navigational action—action informed by presence of external objects within a first region of a scene around the autonomous vehicle spanning the overlap—by the autonomous vehicle; and autonomously executing navigational actions, excluding the first navigational action, following the scan cycle.