Autonomous Vehicle Dispatch Using Thermal Cooling Priority

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous vehicle deployment systems fail to prioritize vehicles based on thermal cooling status and environmental factors, leading to inconsistent passenger cabin temperatures and increased energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A system that identifies available autonomous vehicles, assesses their thermal cooling priority status, and cross-references this with requested routes to optimize deployment, considering vehicle and environmental parameters to ensure efficient energy use and passenger comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If autonomous vehicles are deployed without considering thermal cooling priority status, then deployment speed and service responsiveness are improved, but passenger cabin temperature consistency deteriorates and energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidcabin temperature consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of vehicle thermal cooling priority status before deployment. Vehicles are pre-evaluated and categorized based on their thermal conditions, allowing the dispatch system to make informed decisions about which vehicles are suitable for deployment under current thermal conditions, thereby maintaining cabin temperature consistency without compromising deployment speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the deployment selection parameter by incorporating thermal cooling priority status as a key criterion. Instead of deploying vehicles based solely on availability and proximity, the system now considers thermal parameters (cabin temperature, cooling system status, battery thermal state) to select appropriate vehicles, resolving the contradiction between rapid deployment and temperature consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If autonomous vehicles are deployed without thermal management optimization, then service coverage and responsiveness are improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice coverageVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary thermal assessment and routing optimization before vehicle deployment. By evaluating thermal conditions and selecting routes with favorable thermal characteristics (such as routes with higher front end air flow for passive cooling), the system reduces the energy required for active cooling during service operations, thereby lowering overall energy consumption while maintaining service coverage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system optimizes energy consumption by changing deployment parameters to include thermal efficiency metrics. Vehicles with better thermal management status are prioritized for deployment, and routes are selected based on thermal load characteristics, reducing the energy required for cooling systems and improving overall energy efficiency across the fleet

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If vehicles with high thermal cooling priority are deployed, then service responsiveness is improved, but battery life and thermal management reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice responsivenessVSAvoidthermal management reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different deployment criteria to vehicles based on their local thermal conditions. Vehicles with high thermal cooling priority status (indicating poor thermal conditions or high cooling demand) are excluded from deployment or assigned to routes with favorable thermal characteristics. This localized quality-based selection ensures that only vehicles in suitable thermal states are deployed, maintaining both service responsiveness and thermal management reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary filtering of vehicles with high thermal cooling priority status before deployment decisions are made. By identifying and excluding vehicles that would be unsuitable for deployment under current thermal conditions, the system prevents reliability issues from arising, while still maintaining service responsiveness through efficient selection of appropriate vehicles from the available fleet

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260072445A1Control systems for autonomous vehicle deployment and vehicle cooling priority

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

An example method for automated deployment of autonomous vehicles includes identifying multiple autonomous vehicles available for deployment to execute a requested automated driving route, obtaining vehicle status parameters for each of the multiple autonomous vehicles, wherein the vehicle status parameters include at least a thermal cooling priority status of each vehicle, receiving a target vehicle route associated with an autonomous vehicle service request, determining route parameters associated with the target vehicle route, wherein the route parameters include at least a vehicle thermal load value associated with the target vehicle route, selecting one of the multiple autonomous vehicles according to the route parameters and the thermal cooling priority status of said autonomous vehicle, and deploying the selected one of the multiple autonomous vehicles to execute the target vehicle route using automated driving.