Autonomous Vehicle Emergency Response Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles lack the ability to effectively modify their operation in emergency situations, leading to inefficiencies and potential safety hazards as they do not account for emergency events, unlike conventional vehicles.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that detect emergency events, assess the operation of autonomous vehicles, determine a planned operation for emergency vehicles, and generate vehicle control instructions to modify the operation of autonomous vehicles to facilitate efficient access and clearance for emergency vehicles, minimizing disruptions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If autonomous vehicles operate according to standard protocols without emergency awareness, then their operation is predictable and manageable, but they cannot respond effectively to emergency situations causing safety hazards and inefficiencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency response effectivenessVSAvoidoperation adaptability in emergency situations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting emergency events and determining planned operations of emergency vehicles before the autonomous vehicle needs to modify its operation. This advance detection and planning enables the autonomous vehicle to proactively adapt its operation to facilitate emergency vehicle access and clearance, resolving the contradiction between maintaining predictable operation and achieving effective emergency response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the autonomous vehicle's current operation and comparing it with the determined vehicle operation modification. This feedback loop enables the autonomous vehicle to adjust its operation in real-time based on emergency situation requirements, achieving both reliability in emergency response and adaptability in operation modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If autonomous vehicles modify operation to facilitate emergency vehicle access, then emergency response efficiency improves, but it requires complex detection and coordination systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency response efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity for detection and coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies universality by implementing a multi-functional platform that performs emergency event detection, emergency vehicle operation determination, autonomous vehicle operation assessment, and control instruction generation within a single integrated system. This universal approach consolidates multiple functions into one system, improving emergency response efficiency while managing complexity through functional integration rather than separate dedicated systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If autonomous vehicles pull over or change operation during emergencies, then emergency vehicle access is improved, but it may cause delays or disruptions to the autonomous vehicle's scheduled operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency vehicle accessVSAvoidautonomous vehicle schedule delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the autonomous vehicle's operation parameters (such as position, speed, or route) based on the determined vehicle operation modification. This enables the vehicle to temporarily modify its operation to facilitate emergency vehicle access while the system calculates and implements appropriate parameter adjustments that minimize disruption to the overall schedule and operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10332396B1Technology for managing autonomous vehicle operation in association with emergency events

Publication Date: 2019.06.25 STATE FARM MUTAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY

AI summary

Systems and methods for modification of autonomous vehicle operation in association with emergency events are disclosed. According to aspects, a computing device may detect the occurrence of an emergency event and may determine a current operation of an autonomous vehicle as well as a planned operation of an emergency vehicle. The computing device may determine a modification to the operation of the autonomous vehicle, where the modification may direct the autonomous vehicle to operate in a way that enables the emergency vehicle to more effectively or efficiently address or handle the emergency event. The computing device may generate a set of instructions for the autonomous vehicle to execute to cause the autonomous vehicle to undertake the operation modification.