Autonomous Vehicle Component Layout for Regulatory Compliance

Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in complying with regulations that require components such as seat belts, windshields, and wiper systems, which are not essential for the safe operation of occupantless vehicles.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a components arrangement within the autonomous vehicle that includes a frame, a panel, a wiper arrangement, and a fluid distribution system, which are not critical for safe operation but are necessary to meet regulatory requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If seat belts and other safety components are installed in autonomous vehicles to comply with regulations, then regulatory compliance is improved, but vehicle weight and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregulatory complianceVSAvoidvehicle complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes non-essential safety components (seat belts, windshield wipers, fluid distribution systems) from autonomous vehicles that do not carry occupants. This extraction principle directly resolves the contradiction by eliminating components that add complexity and weight but provide no safety benefit to driverless vehicles, while maintaining compliance with regulations through selective retention of essential safety features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating which safety components are retained or removed based on the specific operational context of the autonomous vehicle. Essential components for autonomous operation are maintained, while components relevant only to human occupants (seat belts, wipers) are removed. This localized approach to safety component distribution resolves the contradiction by optimizing the vehicle configuration for its actual use case.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If seat belts and other safety components are installed in autonomous vehicles to comply with regulations, then regulatory compliance is improved, but vehicle weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregulatory complianceVSAvoidvehicle weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes non-essential safety components (seat belts, windshield wipers, fluid distribution systems) from autonomous vehicles that do not carry occupants. This extraction principle directly resolves the contradiction by eliminating components that add complexity and weight but provide no safety benefit to driverless vehicles, while maintaining compliance with regulations through selective retention of essential safety features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If safety components are removed from autonomous vehicles to reduce weight and complexity, then vehicle efficiency is improved, but regulatory compliance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle complexityVSAvoidregulatory compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes non-essential safety components (seat belts, windshield wipers, fluid distribution systems) from autonomous vehicles that do not carry occupants. This extraction principle directly resolves the contradiction by eliminating components that add complexity and weight but provide no safety benefit to driverless vehicles, while maintaining compliance with regulations through selective retention of essential safety features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating which safety components are retained or removed based on the specific operational context of the autonomous vehicle. Essential components for autonomous operation are maintained, while components relevant only to human occupants (seat belts, wipers) are removed. This localized approach to safety component distribution resolves the contradiction by optimizing the vehicle configuration for its actual use case.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12319244B2Methods and apparatus for providing components in an autonomous vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.06.03 NURO INC

AI summary

According to one aspect, a vehicle includes a chassis, a propulsion system carried on the chassis, a control system carried on the chassis, and a components arrangement carried on the chassis. The propulsion system configured to propel the vehicle, and the control system is configured to enable the vehicle to operate autonomously. The components arrangement includes at least a frame, a panel having a surface, a wiper arrangement having at least one wiper, and a fluid distribution arrangement. The frame is configured to interface with the chassis and to support the panel, the wiper arrangement, and the fluid distribution arrangement. The fluid distribution arrangement is configured to dispense a fluid onto the surface and the wiper is configured to sweep over the surface.