Vehicle Sensor Activation for Parking Collision Reconstruction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Transport vehicles often collide during parking due to limited space, making it difficult to reconstruct incidents and requiring infrastructure that may not be available.

Innovation Solution

A monitoring system for transport vehicles that determines the start of a parking maneuver and transmits an activation signal to activate sensors in nearby vehicles to track the parking process, using a control unit and telematics unit to manage sensor activation and data recording.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sensors are continuously activated to monitor parking areas, then incident detection capability is improved, but energy consumption and resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveincident detection capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system determines the start of a parking maneuver in advance and activates sensors before the actual parking action occurs. This preliminary activation ensures that sensors are ready to capture incident data immediately when parking begins, while avoiding continuous operation that would waste energy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor activation state changes dynamically based on the detected parking maneuver status. Sensors are activated only during detected parking maneuvers and deactivated during normal operation, creating a dynamic energy management system that adapts to operational needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If monitoring infrastructure is permanently installed in parking areas, then incident tracking capability is improved, but infrastructure requirements and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveincident tracking capabilityVSAvoidinfrastructure requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Parked transport vehicles themselves serve as the monitoring infrastructure by activating their own sensors when a parking maneuver is detected. This eliminates the need for separate permanently installed monitoring systems, as the vehicles provide their own monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor system serves multiple functions: it monitors parking maneuvers, detects incidents, and reconstructs collision data. By making the sensor system multi-functional, the invention reduces the need for specialized monitoring infrastructure while maintaining comprehensive incident tracking capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If sensors remain activated during all operations, then continuous monitoring is improved, but resource usage and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous monitoringVSAvoidresource usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous sensor activation, the system uses periodic activation triggered by detected parking maneuvers. Sensors are activated only during relevant periods when parking occurs, ensuring that incident data is captured without the energy waste of continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the determination of parking maneuver start to control sensor activation. When a parking maneuver is detected, feedback triggers sensor activation; when parking ends, feedback triggers deactivation. This closed-loop control ensures sensors operate only when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4679400A1Parking monitoring
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 SCHMITZ CARGOBULL AG
  • EP4679400A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4679400A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4679400A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Among other things, a method is disclosed, comprising: - determining the start of a parking process of the parking transport vehicle, - transmitting an activation signal to at least one other transport vehicle, wherein the activation signal is configured to activate at least one sensor of the other transport vehicle.