Stationary EV Operation Safety Using Surrounding Entity Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric vehicle systems pose safety risks when using active suspensions for stationary operations, such as during camping or parking, as they can inadvertently harm individuals or animals outside the vehicle and distract passengers inside.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method that uses environment sensors to detect entities around the vehicle and modify the normal operation procedure to ensure safety, including checking for passengers and external entities, and adjusting the active suspension system to prevent harm or distraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If active suspension system is used for stationary operations to enhance entertainment experience, then passenger entertainment and comfort is improved, but safety risks to external entities and passengers increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveentertainment functionVSAvoidsafety risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary safety checks before enabling stationary operations. It determines whether passengers are inside the vehicle and checks for entities in the surrounding environment before allowing the active suspension to operate, preventing potential harm from occurring in the first place

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the environment around the vehicle using sensors and adjusts or disables stationary operations based on detected entities. If entities are detected within a predefined distance, the system modifies or stops the operation to prevent harm, providing real-time feedback control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If environment monitoring is added to detect entities around the vehicle, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses existing vehicle environment sensors for multiple purposes - both for driving assistance and for monitoring entities during stationary operations. This multi-functional approach enables safety monitoring without adding dedicated new hardware specifically for this purpose

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system leverages the vehicle's own existing sensor infrastructure and processing capabilities to perform safety monitoring during stationary operations, rather than requiring entirely separate monitoring systems. The vehicle serves its own safety monitoring needs using its built-in resources

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4389472A1Functional safety for an electrical vehicle in stationary mode
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD
  • EP4389472A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4389472A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4389472A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method (S1) is disclosed for operating an electric vehicle (100). The method (S1) comprises: determining (S12) if at least one passenger is inside the electric vehicle (100), enabling (S13) a starting command of a stationary operation function (S20) if at least one passenger is inside the vehicle, the stationary operation function (S20) including a normal operation procedure (S30) and a safety procedure (S40), activating (S14) the stationary operation function (S20) upon triggering (S16) of the starting command by a user of the electric vehicle (100), wherein the safety procedure (S40) comprises: operating (S42) at least one environment sensor (150) of the electric vehicle (100) for checking if an entity is present in an environment surrounding the electric vehicle (100), stopping (S50) at least a part of the normal operation procedure (S30) if an entity having dimensions above a predefined dimension threshold is detected within a predefined distance from the electric vehicle (100) for a time above a predefined time threshold.