Mobile Body Inspection Using Internal and External Sensor Cross-Checks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current inspection systems for autonomously or remotely controlled movable bodies, such as vehicles, lack effective methods to detect and address abnormalities in physical quantities related to operation, sensor data, and environmental conditions, leading to potential operational issues and safety concerns.

Innovation Solution

An inspection system that utilizes a processor to generate control instructions and execute abnormality processes based on differences in physical quantities calculated from internal and external sensors, allowing for remote or autonomous detection and response to abnormalities in vehicles and their environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple physical quantities are compared to detect abnormalities, then inspection accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinspection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection system segments the abnormality detection process into three distinct physical quantity comparisons: (i) commanded vs. actual position, (2) actual position vs. map position, and (3) map position vs. commanded position. Each comparison targets specific abnormality types, allowing comprehensive inspection while maintaining clear system architecture and avoiding overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a map position as an intermediate reference dimension between commanded position and actual position. This additional dimensional layer enables more sophisticated abnormality detection by comparing positions across multiple reference frames, thereby improving inspection accuracy without directly increasing hardware complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If autonomous or remote inspection is implemented, then operational safety is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring abnormalities increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational safetyVSAvoidabnormality detection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection system implements continuous feedback loops where the mobile body transmits position information to the inspection device, which compares it against map data and commanded positions. Abnormalities are detected through this feedback mechanism, enabling autonomous safety monitoring while simplifying the detection process through automated data exchange and comparison algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection device acts as an intermediary between the mobile body's control system and the actual position measurement. It receives position information, compares it with map data and commanded positions, and determines abnormalities without requiring direct complex measurements from the mobile body itself, thereby reducing detection difficulty while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If real-time abnormality determination is performed, then response time is improved, but processing requirements and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the relationship between map positions and commanded positions before inspection begins. The inspection device is pre-configured with the map data and comparison criteria, enabling real-time abnormality determination through simple look-up and comparison operations rather than complex real-time calculations, thus reducing processing complexity while maintaining fast response.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4524854A1Inspection system, server device, and inspection method
Publication Date: 2025.03.19 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4524854A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4524854A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4524854A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An inspection system (50) of remotely or autonomously inspecting a mobile body (100) movable through unattended operation includes: a processor (201) that generates and outputs a control instruction that causes the mobile body (100) to operate; and executes an abnormality process in a case where a difference obtained by comparing at least two of physical quantities for the mobile body (100) as a target is more than a criterion value, the physical quantities including (i) a first physical quantity related to operation of the mobile body (100) achieved according to the control instruction, the first physical quantity being calculated using the control instruction, (ii) a second physical quantity related to the operation, calculated using a detection result from an internal sensor (161) mounted on the mobile body (100), and (iii) a third physical quantity related to the operation, calculated using a detection result from an external sensor (301) positioned outside the mobile body (100).