Mobile Sensor Activation for Low-Power Vehicle Crash Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for detecting vehicle crashes using sensors and apps are inefficient, as they often require all sensors to be active continuously, leading to power consumption issues and inaccurate crash detection due to limitations in sensor capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where a mobile computing device within a vehicle determines if base sensor data indicates a crash, and only activates additional sensors when necessary, generating an indication of the crash based on data from these sensors for a predetermined time after the event.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all sensors are activated continuously to detect vehicle crashes, then the detection coverage is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary crash assessment using base sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer) before activating additional sensors. This preliminary action allows the system to determine whether a crash event warrants full sensor activation, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining reliable crash detection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is segmented into two groups: base sensors that operate continuously at low power, and additional sensors that are activated only when needed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain crash detection coverage through base sensors while minimizing power consumption by keeping additional sensors inactive during normal operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If base sensors are used alone for crash detection, then the power consumption is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts sensor activation based on crash likelihood assessment. Base sensors operate continuously to monitor for crash conditions, and when a potential crash is detected, the system transitions to activating additional sensors for precise measurement. This dynamic approach ensures measurement precision is maintained during actual crashes while minimizing power consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Base sensors perform preliminary monitoring to assess whether a crash condition exists. Only when the preliminary assessment indicates a crash event does the system activate additional sensors for precise measurement, thereby ensuring measurement precision is available when needed while maintaining low power consumption during normal operation.
3Measurement precision
If additional sensors are activated continuously, then the crash data precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is segmented into base sensors and additional sensors with distinct functional roles. Base sensors handle continuous monitoring, while additional sensors are reserved for precise measurement during crash events. This segmentation reduces device complexity by organizing sensors into manageable groups with clear activation criteria, rather than requiring all sensors to operate continuously or be controlled as a single complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically controls sensor activation based on crash detection needs. Additional sensors are activated only when base sensors indicate a crash condition, reducing the operational complexity of managing multiple sensors. This dynamic control simplifies the system architecture compared to continuous activation, while still achieving high measurement precision during actual crashes.
4Measurement precision
If additional sensors are activated immediately upon crash detection, then the data collection is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Base sensors perform preliminary assessment to confirm crash conditions before activating additional sensors. This preliminary action ensures that additional sensors are activated only when a genuine crash event is detected, improving crash data quality while avoiding unnecessary power consumption from activating additional sensors during false alarm conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from base sensors to control the activation of additional sensors. When base sensors detect crash conditions meeting predefined criteria, this feedback triggers additional sensor activation. This feedback mechanism ensures additional sensors are activated only when necessary for high-quality crash data, thereby optimizing the balance between data quality and power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for generating an indication of whether a vehicle crash has occurred is presented. It may be determined whether data output by a base sensor(s) of a mobile computing device indicates that a vehicle crash condition has occurred. An additional sensor(s) of the mobile computing device may begin outputting additional sensor data when the data output by the base sensor(s) indicates that the vehicle crash condition has occurred. The additional sensor(s) may be caused to output the additional sensor data for an amount of time after the additional sensor(s) begins outputting the additional sensor data. An indication of whether a crash of a vehicle has occurred may be generated based on the additional sensor data output by the additional sensor(s) for the amount of time after the additional sensor(s) begins outputting the additional sensor data.