Autonomous Delivery Driving Modes for Item-Sensitive Route Segments
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles lack an efficient method to select optimal driving modes for delivery based on the characteristics of items being transported and the conditions of delivery routes, leading to potential damage or inefficiencies in delivery processes.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent delivery system that uses sensing devices and mapping information to characterize route segments and select appropriate driving modes for each segment based on item characteristics and route conditions, incorporating user and vehicle feedback to update mapping data for improved delivery planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous vehicles use a single fixed driving mode for all deliveries, then the system is simple to operate, but delivery safety and item protection are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic driving mode selection that adapts to different delivery scenarios. The system automatically adjusts driving modes based on real-time analysis of item characteristics (fragile, liquid, perishable, etc.), route conditions (road quality, traffic, weather), and delivery constraints (time windows, temperature requirements). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system complex only when and where needed, rather than using a fixed simple mode for all situations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (driving mode, speed, acceleration, route selection) based on the specific characteristics of each delivery task. By adjusting these parameters dynamically according to item sensitivity and route conditions, the system achieves high delivery safety without requiring permanently complex hardware, instead using software-based parameter adaptation.
2Productivity
If autonomous vehicles select optimal driving modes for each route segment, then delivery efficiency and item safety are improved, but the computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the delivery route into multiple segments and selects appropriate driving modes for each segment independently. This segmentation allows the system to process complex route analysis in manageable portions, reducing computational burden while still achieving optimal overall delivery efficiency. Each segment can be evaluated and assigned a driving mode without requiring complete re-analysis of the entire route.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of route characteristics and pre-determines optimal driving modes for different route segments before actual delivery execution. By pre-processing route data and establishing driving mode sequences in advance, the system reduces real-time computational requirements while maintaining high delivery efficiency during actual operation.
3Reliability
If the system tailors driving modes to item characteristics and route conditions, then item damage risk is reduced, but energy consumption and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous vehicle system performs self-analysis of item characteristics and route conditions using its own sensors and onboard computing resources. By autonomously evaluating delivery requirements and selecting appropriate driving modes without external intervention, the system achieves high item protection while minimizing additional energy consumption that would result from external monitoring and control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a method comprising identifying at least one of a characteristic and an identity of an item for delivery from an origin to a destination and selecting one of a plurality of possible routes between the origin and the destination. For each of a plurality of route segments of the selected route, mapping information is used to characterize the route segment and one of a plurality of driving modes is selected for the route segment based on the characterization of the route segment and the at least one of the item characteristic and the item identity. A driving plan comprising a collection of the selected driving modes corresponding to the plurality of route segments comprising the selected route is provided to a vehicle and the vehicle delivers the item from the origin to the destination via the selected route using the driving plan.