Autonomous Vehicle Memory Capture for Crash Data Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous vehicles do not adequately collect and store data necessary for analysis following an accident or adverse event, leading to a lack of available data for determining the cause of such incidents.
Innovation Solution
A memory device that automatically copies data from volatile memory to non-volatile memory in response to detecting an accident or adverse event, using sensors and decision-making capabilities to determine the type and scope of data to collect and store, independent of host controller control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensor data is stored in volatile memory during vehicle operation, then data can be quickly written and accessed during normal operation, but the data is lost when power is lost during an accident
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously monitoring operational parameters and pre-identifying adverse events (accidents, near-misses, system failures) before power loss occurs. When such events are detected, the system proactively triggers data transfer from volatile to non-volatile memory, ensuring data preservation before the power loss that would otherwise cause data loss.
2Loss of information
If all sensor data is continuously collected and stored, then complete data availability is achieved for accident analysis, but storage resources are wasted and data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary action by continuously monitoring operational parameters and pre-identifying adverse events (accidents, near-misses, system failures) before they occur. When such events are detected, the system proactively triggers data collection and transfer, ensuring that only relevant data is stored in non-volatile memory. This approach ensures complete data availability for analysis while avoiding the waste of storage resources on unnecessary continuous data collection.
3Ease of operation
If the host controller manages data collection during normal operation, then centralized control is maintained, but the host controller becomes unresponsive during adverse events
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by separating the data collection and transfer function from the host controller to a dedicated memory device. The memory device includes its own processor that can independently monitor operational parameters, detect adverse events, and trigger data transfer without requiring host controller intervention. This segmentation maintains centralized control architecture while ensuring the host controller remains responsive during adverse events, as the critical data preservation function operates autonomously.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for an autonomous vehicle includes: controlling at least one system of the vehicle by a host system; monitoring, by a memory device, data associated with operation of the vehicle; determining, by the memory device based on the monitoring, first data to collect from the vehicle; collecting, by the memory device independently of the host system, the first data; and storing, by the memory device, the collected first data in a non-volatile memory.