Autonomous Vehicle Unauthorized Occupant Detection via Sensor Fusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous taxi vehicles lack a mechanism to ensure they are empty of unauthorized occupants and objects before picking up passengers, which can compromise safety and user expectations.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle system equipped with sensors and an autonomous mode controller that scans the vehicle for unauthorized occupants or objects, preventing operation in autonomous mode if any are detected and navigating the vehicle to a secure facility for investigation if necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If autonomous vehicles operate without manual inspection, then productivity and service efficiency improve, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to undetected unauthorized occupants or objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice efficiencyVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous vehicle performs self-inspection using onboard sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors, microphones) to automatically detect unauthorized occupants or objects before each trip, eliminating the need for manual inspection while maintaining safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual inspection by human operators is replaced with automated sensor-based detection systems that continuously monitor the vehicle interior, exterior, and cargo areas to identify unauthorized presence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If comprehensive scanning is performed to detect all unauthorized occupants or objects, then safety improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single sensor system performs multiple detection functions including visual inspection via cameras, depth sensing via LIDAR, acoustic detection via microphones, and proximity sensing via ultrasonic sensors to detect both occupants and objects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple sensor types (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors, microphones) are integrated into a unified detection system that processes data from all sensors to comprehensively identify unauthorized presence

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If manual inspection is required before each trip, then safety improves, but productivity and service efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidservice efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle autonomously performs pre-trip inspection without human intervention, allowing immediate deployment and eliminating idle time associated with manual checking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor system automatically conducts detection scans before each trip to identify unauthorized occupants or objects, ensuring safety is verified in advance without requiring manual inspection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10150448B2Autonomous vehicle unauthorized passenger or object detection

Publication Date: 2018.12.11 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A vehicle system includes a sensor programmed to output an occupant or object detection signal indicating a presence of an unauthorized occupant or unauthorized object in a host vehicle. An autonomous mode controller is programmed to determine, from the occupant or object detection signal, whether to operate the host vehicle in an autonomous mode.