Autonomous Vehicle Button Layout for Start-Stop and Emergency Pull-Over
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous vehicle systems lack intuitive and safe user input mechanisms for initiating and terminating trips without manual controls like steering wheels or pedals, and there is a need for efficient emergency stopping procedures.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle incorporates a set of user input buttons with multiple states for initiating and terminating trips, including a dual-purpose button for starting and stopping, and an emergency stopping button with a cover to prevent accidental activation, along with wireless network connections for communication with client and server devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a dual-purpose button is used for both trip initiation and stopping, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation may be compromised due to context-dependent functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dual-purpose button that can initiate a trip when pressed once and stop the trip when pressed again, reducing the total number of buttons in the autonomous vehicle interface while maintaining clear functional distinction through press-count differentiation
Solution Approach 2:
The button's function dynamically changes based on the current trip state and press count, allowing the same physical button to serve different purposes (start/stop) depending on contextual conditions, thereby reducing device complexity without sacrificing operational clarity
2Speed
If an emergency stopping button is made easily accessible, then emergency response time is reduced, but risk of accidental activation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency stopping button is positioned in a location that is easily accessible for quick emergency response but not easily activated by accident during normal operation, creating differentiated accessibility for different operational contexts
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides preliminary warnings and confirmations before executing emergency stopping, attempting to prevent accidental activation while still allowing quick response when genuinely needed
3Adaptability or versatility
If wireless network connections are added for communication with client and server devices, then adaptability and remote monitoring are improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless network connection serves multiple functions including real-time vehicle status monitoring, remote trip management, emergency response coordination, and data logging, thereby justifying the added complexity through enhanced versatility and adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle for maneuvering a passenger to a destination autonomously. The vehicle includes one or more computing devices and a set of user input buttons for communicating requests to stop the vehicle and to initiate a trip to the destination with the one or more computing devices. The set of user input buttons consisting essentially of a dual-purpose button and an emergency stopping button different from the dual-purpose button configured to stop the vehicle. The dual-purpose button has a first purpose for communicating a request to initiate the trip to the destination and a second purpose for communicating a request to pull the vehicle over and stop the vehicle. The vehicle has no steering wheel and no user inputs for the steering, acceleration, and deceleration of the vehicle other than the set of user input buttons.