Active Parking Assist Torque Thresholds to Prevent False Deactivation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Active parking assistance systems are often incorrectly deactivated due to torque detected on the steering handle, which can occur when parking on uneven terrain or due to inertia, leading to unwanted deactivation and loss of system functionality.
Innovation Solution
A method is implemented to determine whether a torque on the steering handle is caused by the driver or not, by checking for deactivation prevention events such as vehicle inclination, steering angle, and presence of a curb, and adjusting the threshold torque or preventing automatic deactivation accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the active parking assistance system is deactivated when torque is detected on the steering handle, then safety is improved by preventing unintended autonomous operation, but false deactivation occurs on uneven terrain or during rapid steering movements
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the torque threshold parameter based on vehicle operating conditions. When uphill/downhill parking is detected via inclination sensor, or when rapid steering movements are detected via steering angle sensor, the torque threshold is increased to prevent false deactivation. This resolves the contradiction by making the deactivation condition adaptive rather than fixed, allowing the system to tolerate higher torques under specific conditions where such torque is expected and harmless.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate sensors (inclination sensor and steering angle sensor) that mediate between the torque sensor signal and the deactivation decision. These intermediaries provide additional context about the operating conditions, allowing the control unit to distinguish between harmful torque (driver input) and harmless torque (inertia or terrain effects). This resolves the contradiction by adding decision-making layers that prevent premature deactivation.
2Reliability
If the torque threshold is increased to prevent false deactivation, then system reliability improves, but sensitivity to actual driver input may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the torque threshold based on real-time operating conditions rather than using a fixed value. During normal parking operations, the threshold remains sensitive to detect driver input. When uphill/downhill conditions or rapid steering are detected, the threshold temporarily increases to prevent false deactivation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining high sensitivity when needed while preventing false deactivation when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of operating conditions (inclination, steering angle changes) before making the deactivation decision. By anticipating when high torque might be harmless (during uphill/downhill parking or rapid maneuvers), the system prepares appropriate threshold adjustments in advance. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring the threshold is already optimized before the torque event occurs, maintaining both sensitivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
During an autonomous or semiautonomous parking maneuver, a driver may typically exert manual control on the steering wheel and the autonomous maneuver will be automatically deactivated. The invention provides a method preventing unwanted deactivation of an active parking assistance system which has occurred in the prior art. During the parking maneuver, a check is made to detect the presence of a deactivation prevention event, and if a deactivation prevention event is present then either an increase is applied to a threshold torque above which the active parking assistance system is deactivated or the automatic deactivation is fully prevented. The presence of the deactivation prevention event may be checked based on a vehicle inclination, a steering angle, or a presence of a curb adjacent the vehicle.