Remote Vehicle Stop Command Verification During Autonomous Parking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing autonomous driving and parking systems lack effective verification mechanisms for user-initiated cancellation or stop commands during operations, potentially leading to misuse or inconvenience to other traffic participants, as users can inadvertently or intentionally stop the vehicle from a distance without proper verification.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that verify user-initiated vehicle-operation-commands by determining the user's direction of movement relative to the vehicle using pre-defined threshold values, ensuring the command is only accepted when the user is within a specific proximity, and implementing a smooth braking procedure to prevent accidents, with the option to resume operation if the user does not access the vehicle within a defined time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the user can issue cancellation or stop commands from a distance during autonomous driving or parking operations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential misuse or unauthorized stoppages

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser control capabilityVSAvoidcommand authorization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the user's position and movement direction relative to the vehicle, using this feedback to dynamically verify whether a cancellation or stop command should be accepted. The control unit receives real-time position data and movement direction data, compares them against threshold values, and adjusts command acceptance accordingly, ensuring that only authorized users can stop the vehicle while maintaining ease of operation for legitimate users

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary verification mechanism between the user's stop command and the vehicle's response. Instead of directly executing the command, the system uses position and movement direction data as intermediaries to verify authorization. This intermediary layer checks whether the user is approaching the vehicle from a valid direction and within acceptable distance thresholds before allowing the stop command to take effect

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the system accepts stop commands without verification, then the ease of operation is improved, but harmful factors increase due to blocking traffic or stopping in intersections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommand executionVSAvoidtraffic disruption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing unauthorized stop commands before they can cause harmful effects. The verification mechanism using position and movement direction data acts as a preventive measure, blocking potentially harmful commands from users who are not approaching the vehicle appropriately. This preliminary verification ensures that only authorized stop commands are executed, preventing traffic blocking and unsafe stoppages before they occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Reliability

If the system implements verification based on user position and movement direction, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommand verificationVSAvoidverification system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves reliability improvement without excessive complexity by making the verification mechanism universal and multi-functional. The same position monitoring and movement direction detection infrastructure used for general vehicle control and user identification is also utilized for verifying stop commands. This multi-functional approach allows the system to perform multiple tasks (user identification, position tracking, command verification) using a unified set of sensors and processing logic, avoiding the need for separate dedicated verification hardware

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

Data Source

PatentEP4105108B1A method and system for controlling a user-initiated vehicle-operation-command
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
  • EP4105108B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4105108B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4105108B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for controlling a user-initiated vehicle-operation-command, the user of the vehicle being located external to the vehicle during an autonomous driving or parking operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle-operation-command is a cancellation- or stop command of the autonomous driving or parking operation. The invention further relates to a system equipped to perform the proposed method and to a vehicle including the proposed system. The invention allows to enhance the security-level of autonomous driving and parking operations.