Centralized AV Control With Remote Expert Handover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in navigating anomalous situations, such as irregular road signs, inclement weather, and construction zones, due to limited ability to respond to spatial and temporal variations in regulatory frameworks, requiring human intervention and diminishing the benefits of autonomous driving.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows an autonomous control system to pass control to an offboard panel of experts for anomaly resolution, reducing driver engagement and enhancing safety by providing additional information to the panel, which can assess and address anomalies remotely, and a regulatory entity can proactively distribute rules and requirements to autonomous vehicles operating within regulated spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If autonomous vehicles rely solely on onboard control systems, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to handle anomalous situations and adapt to regulatory variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized server as an intermediary between autonomous vehicles and the external environment. This server receives data from vehicle sensors, processes anomalous situations, and provides guidance to the onboard control system, enabling the vehicle to handle edge cases without increasing onboard complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a cloud-based dimension to the autonomous vehicle system architecture. By moving complex processing to a centralized server and using communication networks as the connecting dimension, the system achieves higher adaptability without proportionally increasing onboard device complexity
2Reliability
If human drivers are engaged to resolve anomalies, then safety is improved, but the extent of automation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the autonomous vehicle system to service itself by implementing an automated anomaly resolution process. The centralized server analyzes sensor data, identifies anomalous situations, and generates appropriate responses without requiring human driver intervention, thus maintaining high automation levels while ensuring safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where sensor data from the vehicle is continuously transmitted to the centralized server, which processes the information and sends control commands back to the vehicle. This closed-loop feedback system enables automated safety responses to anomalies without driver engagement
3Adaptability or versatility
If onboard control systems have extensive internal representations of traffic regulations, then adaptability to regulatory frameworks is improved, but device complexity and information storage requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts regulatory framework processing from the onboard control system and relocates it to a centralized server. The server maintains comprehensive regulatory information and provides relevant guidance to vehicles based on their location and situation, reducing the information storage burden on individual vehicles while maintaining adaptability to regulatory variations
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for centralized control of autonomous vehicles. In some embodiments, a system and method allow an autonomous control system on-board an autonomous vehicle to pass control of the autonomous vehicle to an offboard panel of experts upon encountering an anomaly. In some embodiments, a system and method allow a regulatory entity to proactively distribute rules and requirements to autonomous vehicles while operating within a regulated space.