Server-Relayed Remote Viewing for Self-Driving Vehicle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-driving vehicles operate in environments that are unsafe for human operators and difficult to access, making it impractical to demonstrate or control them remotely without line-of-sight or direct communication.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for remote viewing and control of self-driving vehicles, comprising an execution subsystem with a capture assembly for multimedia data, a server for transmitting data, and an operator subsystem with a display assembly and computing device to present and control the vehicle operations from a distant location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If operators are co-located with self-driving vehicles for direct control and viewing, then real-time control and monitoring are achieved, but operator safety is compromised and access to certain environments becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the self-driving vehicle and the remote operator. The server receives multimedia data from the vehicle and transmits it to the operator location, while also relaying operational commands back to the vehicle. This mediator enables real-time control and monitoring without requiring operator presence in the execution environment, thus ensuring operator safety while maintaining ease of operation.
2Reliability
If operators are placed in remote locations for safe viewing and control, then operator safety is improved, but real-time control and viewing capabilities deteriorate due to network transmission delays
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous transmission of multimedia data from the capture assembly through the server to the display assembly, ensuring uninterrupted real-time viewing. Similarly, operational commands are continuously relayed through the server to the vehicle. This continuous data flow minimizes transmission delays and maintains the responsiveness needed for effective remote control, while the operator remains safely located remotely.
3Ease of operation
If direct line-of-sight communication is used between operators and vehicles, then control simplicity is maintained, but applicability to various environments is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical requirement of direct line-of-sight communication with an electronic data transmission system. Instead of requiring physical visibility and direct radio frequency communication, the system uses a server-based architecture that receives multimedia data from the vehicle and transmits it over networks to remote operators. This substitution eliminates the line-of-sight constraint while maintaining simple control interfaces, enabling operation in diverse environments including warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other challenging locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for remote viewing and control of self-driving vehicles includes: an execution subsystem for deployment at an execution location containing a self-driving vehicle. The execution subsystem includes: a capture assembly to capture multimedia data depicting the execution location, and a server to receive the multimedia data and transmit the multimedia data for presentation at an operator location remote from the execution location. The server relays operational commands and operational status data between the self-driving vehicle and the operator location. The system includes an operator subsystem for deployment at the operator location, including: a display assembly, and a computing device to: (a) establish a connection with the server; (b) receive the multimedia data from the server and control the display assembly to present the multimedia data; and (c) receive control commands and transmit the control commands to the server for execution by the self-driving vehicle.