Autonomous Vehicle Passenger-Count Control for Comfort and Travel Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous vehicle systems do not account for passenger presence or count, leading to inconsistent and potentially uncomfortable driving behaviors that may affect passenger experience.
Innovation Solution
A system that adjusts vehicle operation parameters such as acceleration rate and cornering speed based on passenger count and presence, setting different values for empty and occupied conditions to enhance comfort and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the autonomous vehicle operates with fixed parameters regardless of passenger presence, then the system complexity is reduced, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to inconsistent driving behaviors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the vehicle operation parameters adjustable based on passenger presence. The system dynamically switches between empty-vehicle parameters and occupied-vehicle parameters, allowing the vehicle to adapt its driving behavior (acceleration, deceleration, cornering) according to whether passengers are present, thereby improving comfort without requiring a completely complex new system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying operation parameters (acceleration rate, deceleration rate, cornering speed) based on the detected passenger count. When passengers are detected, the system changes parameters to provide smoother acceleration and deceleration, and when the vehicle is empty, it uses optimized parameters for faster travel, directly addressing the comfort issue through parameter adjustment
2Loss of time
If the autonomous vehicle uses optimized parameters for empty travel, then travel time is reduced, but passenger comfort worsens due to aggressive driving behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts operation parameters based on passenger presence. When the vehicle is empty, it uses aggressive optimized parameters for faster travel. When passengers are detected, it dynamically switches to smoother parameters with reduced acceleration and deceleration rates, ensuring comfort is maintained while still allowing efficient empty vehicle operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operation parameters based on passenger detection. For empty vehicle operation, it uses parameters optimized for speed and efficiency. When passengers are present, it changes to different parameter sets with lower acceleration rates and smoother deceleration, directly resolving the contradiction between travel time and comfort
3Ease of operation
If the autonomous vehicle uses smooth parameters for occupied travel, then passenger comfort is improved, but travel time increases due to conservative driving behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamics to apply smooth parameters only when passengers are present, and switches to faster parameters when the vehicle is empty. This dynamic adjustment ensures that comfort is improved during occupied travel without permanently increasing travel time, as the vehicle can operate efficiently during empty periods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes that apply conservative smooth parameters (lower acceleration, smoother deceleration) specifically when passengers are detected, while using optimized faster parameters when empty. This resolves the contradiction by applying different parameter sets to different operational conditions
4Device complexity
If the autonomous vehicle operates without passenger-count consideration, then the device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to inconsistent operation modes
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making operation parameters adjustable based on passenger count. This allows the vehicle to optimize its operation mode dynamically - using aggressive efficient parameters when empty and comfortable parameters when occupied - thereby improving overall productivity without requiring excessive system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operation parameters based on detected passenger count. When the vehicle is empty, it uses parameters optimized for speed and efficiency. When passengers are present, it changes to parameters optimized for comfort. This parameter adaptation improves operational efficiency and productivity by matching the operation mode to the actual vehicle state
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (10) for operating an autonomous vehicle includes a passenger-detector (18) and a controller-circuit (32). The passenger-detector (18) is operable to determine a passenger-count (20) of passengers (22) present in a host-vehicle (12). The controller-circuit (32) is in communication with the passenger-detector (18) and vehicle-controls (26) of the host-vehicle (12). The controller-circuit (32) is configured to operate the host-vehicle (12) in an autonomous-mode (14) and in accordance with a parameter (40). The parameter (40) is set to an empty-value (46) when passenger-count (20) is equal to zero, and the parameter (40) is set to an occupied-value (48) different from the empty-value (46) when the passenger (22) count is greater than zero.