Autonomous Vehicle Control System with Safe Input Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems face challenges in seamlessly integrating automated control with operator input, particularly in ensuring safe vehicle operation by preventing unsafe control inputs that could lead to loss of control or collisions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that includes sensors and a controller to monitor operator inputs and determine if they fall within a safe range, modifying or overriding inputs if necessary to maintain safe operation, using a combination of vehicle dynamics and environmental threat modules to assess the safety of control inputs and adjust vehicle speed and direction accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the automated system allows operator control inputs to modify vehicle commands, then operator flexibility and control are improved, but vehicle safety deteriorates due to potential unsafe inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system acts as an intermediary between the operator and vehicle controls. It receives operator inputs, evaluates them against safety criteria using vehicle dynamics and environmental threat assessments, and only permits commands that satisfy safety requirements. This mediator approach allows operator flexibility while preventing unsafe inputs from reaching the vehicle controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors operator inputs and provides feedback by either permitting or blocking commands based on real-time safety assessments. When unsafe inputs are detected, the system prevents them from executing and maintains safe autonomous commands, creating a feedback loop that ensures safety while allowing operator control within safe parameters.
2Reliability
If the automated system restricts operator control inputs to ensure safety, then vehicle safety is improved, but operator control flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial restriction to operator inputs - it does not completely block all operator control, but rather selectively permits safe inputs while blocking only those that violate safety criteria. This partial action approach maintains operator flexibility for safe maneuvers while preventing unsafe ones, avoiding excessive restriction.
3Reliability
If the system continuously monitors and evaluates operator inputs for safety, then vehicle safety is improved, but system complexity and processing requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary safety assessments of operator inputs before they are executed. By evaluating inputs against pre-established safety criteria and vehicle dynamics models in advance, the system prevents unsafe commands from reaching the vehicle controls, reducing the need for complex real-time intervention mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows operator inputs outside safe range, then operator control freedom is improved, but risk of loss of control or collisions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing operator inputs that would lead to harmful outcomes before they can execute. It identifies inputs that would cause loss of control or collisions based on vehicle dynamics and environmental threats, and blocks these inputs in advance, thereby eliminating the risk rather than reacting to it afterward.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for providing autonomous control of a vehicle. A vehicle can be manually controlled by an operator. An autonomous system can monitor the operator's control inputs and the environment of the vehicle to determine whether the control inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If control inputs are not safe, then the autonomous system can modify the operator's unsafe inputs into safe inputs. In various instances, the autonomous system can operate the vehicle without operator input. In the event an operator attempts to apply control inputs to the vehicle while the autonomous system is otherwise in control, the autonomous system can check to see whether the operator's inputs result in safe operation of the vehicle. If the operator's control inputs are safe, then the autonomous system can replace its autonomous commands with the operator's commands.