Autonomous Vehicle Logic Redundancy by Safety Level
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional logic design tools for autonomous vehicles lack the ability to automatically insert redundancy based on functional safety levels and provide dynamic swap functionality, which is crucial for ensuring the reliability and safety of autonomous driving systems.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to automatically add redundant logic blocks to logic designs based on safety levels, including fully and partially redundant blocks, and reconfigurable logic blocks, along with a functional control block for voting and selection logic, to enhance safety and performance in autonomous vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant logic blocks are added to improve safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The logic design is segmented into multiple safety levels (e.g., ASIL A, ASIL B, ASIL D), with different redundancy requirements for each segment. Critical functions are divided into independent logic blocks that can be individually replicated and voted upon, allowing targeted redundancy without uniformly complicating the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and switches between primary and redundant logic blocks based on operational status and safety requirements. A controller actively manages the switching between different logic block configurations, enabling the system to adapt its complexity level based on real-time safety needs rather than maintaining fixed high complexity throughout.
2Reliability
If fully redundant logic blocks are implemented for high safety levels, then functional safety is improved, but loss of time for system reconfiguration increases
Solution Approach 1:
Redundant logic blocks are pre-configured and pre-validated during system design and manufacturing phases. The redundant blocks are prepared in advance with all necessary configuration data and validation results stored, so that when switching is needed, the system can activate pre-prepared redundant blocks without time-consuming configuration or validation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses identical copies of logic blocks for redundancy, where the redundant block is a precise duplicate of the primary block. This copying approach ensures that the redundant block is already validated and requires no additional configuration time, only simple activation and switching, dramatically reducing reconfiguration time while maintaining full safety redundancy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If logic blocks are made reconfigurable for dynamic swap functionality, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A universal controller is designed that can manage multiple logic blocks across different safety levels and functions. This single multi-functional controller handles configuration, validation, monitoring, and switching for all logic blocks, eliminating the need for separate control mechanisms for each block and reducing overall system complexity despite the reconfigurable nature of the components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (such as enabling/disabling specific logic blocks, switching between primary and redundant configurations) rather than physically reconfiguring the hardware architecture. This parameter-based approach allows dynamic adaptability through software-controlled parameter adjustments, avoiding the complexity of physical reconfiguration mechanisms while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system and method that retrieves a plurality of logic blocks and a plurality of safety levels corresponding to the plurality of logic blocks. The system and method determines, by a processor, which of the plurality of logic blocks require one or more redundant logic blocks based on their corresponding safety level. The system and method produces a logic design based on the plurality of logic blocks and the one or more redundant logic blocks.