Vehicle Occupant Sensor Fusion for Preference Arbitration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle systems fail to provide a convenient and personalized experience for occupants by not effectively utilizing sensor data to adjust operations based on individual needs and preferences, leading to suboptimal comfort and safety.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device that obtains sensor data from within a vehicle to determine occupant status and prioritize operations, such as temperature control and seating adjustments, by fusing interior and exterior sensor data and using machine learning to arbitrate between multiple occupants' preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle systems utilize sensor data to adjust operations based on individual occupant needs and preferences, then occupant comfort and personalization are improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments occupants into different priority levels (driver, front passenger, rear passengers) and processes their preferences hierarchically. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple occupants' needs without requiring complex real-time negotiation between all occupants, thereby improving adaptability while controlling system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary arbitration mechanism that mediates between conflicting occupant preferences. The system uses sensor data (temperature, humidity, occupancy detection) as an intermediary to objectively determine optimal settings rather than directly negotiating between occupants, reducing the complexity of preference coordination.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensor data sources are fused to determine occupant status and preferences, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing sensor data to identify occupied seats and establish occupant priorities before actual climate control adjustments are needed. This preliminary segmentation of occupants based on seat occupancy sensors reduces the computational load during real-time decision-making, maintaining measurement precision while reducing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using different sensor types and processing methods for different zones (driver area vs. passenger areas). The driver's preferences receive higher priority processing with more comprehensive sensor fusion, while other areas use simplified processing, thereby optimizing the balance between detection accuracy and processing time for different vehicle zones.
3Ease of operation
If the system automatically adjusts vehicle settings based on real-time sensor data, then ease of operation is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial action by adjusting climate controls only for occupied seats rather than the entire vehicle cabin. The arbitration mechanism determines the minimum necessary adjustments to satisfy the highest-priority occupant's needs without over-adjusting other areas, reducing energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation for occupied zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by adjusting climate control settings incrementally based on sensor data thresholds rather than making large continuous adjustments. The system monitors temperature and humidity parameters and only activates adjustments when thresholds are exceeded, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining automatic control convenience for occupants.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining sensor data corresponding to multiple occupants from an interior of a vehicle. The method also includes obtaining, by a processor, at least one occupant status for at least one of the occupants based on a first portion of the sensor data. The method further includes identifying, by the processor, at least one vehicle operation in response to the at least one occupant status. The method additionally includes determining, by the processor, based at least on a second portion of the sensor data, whether to perform the at least one vehicle operation. The method also includes performing the at least one vehicle operation in a case that it is determined to perform the at least one vehicle operation.