Redundant Autonomous Vehicle Interface System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles lack a robust and user-friendly interface system that allows passengers to interact with the vehicle using multiple devices, leading to potential single-point failures and inconvenience, especially in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A computing system with multiple interface devices, including a fixed in-vehicle device and a portable user device, providing redundant vehicle commands that can be selected by passengers, ensuring continued functionality and convenience, even if one device fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single interface device is used in the autonomous vehicle, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to single-point failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different interface devices with different characteristics in different locations within the vehicle. The fixed interface device is integrated into the vehicle structure, while the portable device can be held by the passenger. Each device has optimized qualities for its specific use case, and together they provide redundant access points for command input, improving reliability without requiring a single complex device.
2Reliability
If multiple interface devices with redundant commands are provided, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by enabling both the fixed and portable interface devices to execute the same vehicle commands. The command set is universal across devices, allowing either device to perform the same functions. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability through redundancy while managing complexity by using a standardized command interface across different device types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by replicating the command interface from the fixed device to the portable device. The portable device receives and displays a copy of the available commands, allowing the passenger to input commands on either device. This copying approach ensures consistency and reliability while the system manages the complexity of synchronizing command states across multiple devices.
3Ease of operation
If commands are available on multiple devices, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of information increases due to potential command state synchronization issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by having the portable device communicate command selection status back to the fixed interface device. When a command is selected on either device, the system provides feedback to synchronize the command state across both interfaces. This feedback mechanism ensures that command information is not lost and that both devices reflect the current command state, maintaining ease of operation while preventing information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an autonomous vehicle and associated interface system that includes multiple vehicle interface computing devices that provide redundant vehicle commands. As one example, an autonomous vehicle interface system can include a first vehicle interface computing device located within the autonomous vehicle and physically coupled to the autonomous vehicle. The first vehicle interface computing device can provide a first plurality of selectable vehicle commands to a human passenger of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle interface system can further include a second vehicle interface computing device that provides a second plurality of selectable vehicle commands to the human passenger. For example, the second vehicle interface computing device can be the passenger's own device (e.g., smartphone). The second plurality of selectable vehicle commands can include at least some of the same vehicle commands as the first plurality of selectable vehicle commands.