Navigation Sensor Abstraction Layer for Fault Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems face challenges in efficiently detecting, isolating, and re-configuring faults in navigation sensors, which can lead to Hazardously Misleading Information (HMI) or Loss of Function (LOF), compromising vehicle safety and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that utilizes a fusion function and an abstraction layer to receive redundant sensor measurements, calculate fused navigation parameters, and provide an estimated state including safety assessment information to user systems, allowing for fault detection, exclusion, isolation, and re-configuration without requiring direct knowledge of sensor properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional navigation systems directly connect sensors to user systems, then system complexity is reduced, but fault detection and isolation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an abstraction layer as an intermediary component between the sensor level and user systems. This abstraction layer includes a fusion function that receives sensor measurements and an estimated state function that calculates navigation parameters, thereby mediating the interaction between sensors and user systems while enabling comprehensive fault detection and isolation without exposing system complexity to end users
2Reliability
If multiple redundant sensors are added to improve safety, then fault detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The abstraction layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it fuses data from multiple redundant sensors, detects faults, isolates failed sensors, and provides a unified interface to user systems. This multi-functional design enables the system to handle multiple redundant sensors effectively while maintaining manageable complexity through a single, versatile abstraction layer
3Ease of operation
If direct sensor-to-user-system connection is used, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to new sensors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the navigation system into distinct functional layers: a sensor level, an abstraction layer with fusion and estimated state functions, and user systems. This segmentation allows new sensors to be added at the sensor level without affecting user systems, as the abstraction layer handles all sensor processing and provides a consistent interface, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving adaptability
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Systems and methods for fault detection, exclusion, isolation, and re-configuration of navigation sensors using an abstraction layer are provided. In certain embodiments, a system includes a plurality of sensors that provide redundant sensor measurements, wherein redundancy of the redundant sensor measurements is achieved based on an independence between measurements from different physical sensor units in the plurality of sensors. The system additionally includes a fusion function configured to receive the redundant sensor measurements from each sensor in the plurality of sensors and calculate fused navigation parameters. Further, the system includes an abstraction layer that calculates an estimated state based on the fused navigation parameters, wherein the estimated state comprises safety assessment information for the fused navigation parameters and the fused navigation parameters. Moreover, the system includes a plurality of user systems, wherein each user system in the plurality of user systems receives the estimated state from the abstraction layer.