Vehicle Occupant Detection During Sensor Wake-Up Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Occupant detection sensors in vehicles face initial setup latency, leading to power consumption issues and potential false detections during vehicle operation, as they activate slowly and are not immediately ready to collect data.
Innovation Solution
A computer system in the vehicle manages sensor activation and deactivation based on vehicle state transitions, reducing power consumption by deactivating sensors during operation and reactivating them when parked, and providing outputs to operators about potential occupants using data collected before full sensor activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the sensor is activated slowly during vehicle operation, then power consumption is reduced, but detection reliability deteriorates due to potential false detections and delayed occupant detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary occupant detection using camera images before the radar sensor is fully activated. The computer captures images with the camera and processes them to detect occupants during the sensor activation period, providing early detection results without waiting for the radar sensor to be fully ready.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera serves as an intermediary detection device that bridges the gap during sensor activation. While the radar sensor is activating and cannot yet provide reliable detection, the camera captures images that the computer processes to provide interim occupant detection results, ensuring continuous detection capability.
2Loss of energy
If the sensor is deactivated during vehicle operation, then power consumption is reduced, but detection capability is lost until reactivation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection using the camera before the radar sensor is reactivated after deactivation. The computer captures and processes images during the period when the radar sensor is inactive, providing detection results without requiring the radar sensor to be active.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses camera images as a substitute or copy of radar detection data during periods when the radar sensor is deactivated. The computer processes these image copies to provide occupancy detection information that replaces what would otherwise require the active radar sensor.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor activation time is extended to ensure accurate detection, then detection precision is improved, but response time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The computer captures images with the camera and begins processing them immediately upon vehicle stop, before the radar sensor completes its activation. This preliminary detection using images provides early occupancy information without waiting for the full sensor activation period to elapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic camera captures during the sensor activation period to provide continuous detection updates. Rather than waiting for a single prolonged sensor activation, the system takes multiple periodic images and processes them to provide timely detection results.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces power consumption by occupant detection sensors and enhances detection reliability by providing timely alerts about vehicle occupants, minimizing false positives and negatives during sensor activation.
Implementation Method 1
a radar sensor can collect data to detect occupants in the passenger cabin
Data Source
AI summary
Data are received from a vehicle sensor detecting a vehicle passenger and then determine that a vehicle has transitioned to a parked state from a non-parked state. Upon determining that the vehicle is in the parked state, a first output is provided to a user interface based on the data detecting the vehicle passenger prior to elapsing of an activation time of the vehicle sensor that collected the data of the vehicle passenger.