Synthetic Sensor Validation Using Semantic Signal Identifiers

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Solution Overview

Problem

The lack of standardization in vehicle data sources and signals complicates the development of synthetic sensors, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors due to semantic differences in signal catalogs of different provenance and version, and the need for secure access to signals is not adequately addressed.

Innovation Solution

The use of Extended Universally Unique Identifiers (EUUIDs) based on the Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance (COVESA) Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS) to identify and validate signal semantics, ensuring secure access and efficient normalization of data across different signal catalogs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If synthetic sensors are deployed without validation, then deployment speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to unexpected data semantics

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidsensor functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs validation of synthetic sensors before deployment by comparing the signal catalog against a reference catalog. This preliminary action identifies semantic mismatches in advance, ensuring reliability is established prior to deployment while maintaining efficient rollout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If comprehensive validation is performed, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional validation steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata semantic compatibilityVSAvoidvalidation process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a signal catalog as an intermediary layer between the synthetic sensor and the data source. This catalog contains semantic metadata about signals and enables automated validation by comparing against a reference catalog, simplifying the validation process while ensuring reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If signal semantics are standardized, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase for data normalization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplatform compatibilityVSAvoiddata normalization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter representation by introducing semantic metadata in the signal catalog that describes data characteristics (units, data types, valid ranges). This allows synthetic sensors to adapt to different platforms by querying the catalog for correct parameter interpretations rather than requiring precise pre-normalization of all data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4517567B1Synthetic sensor validation for deployment in vehicles

Publication Date: 2026.04.29 BLACKBERRY LTD

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AI summary

There is provided a method to validate that a synthetic sensor or other application can operate in a computing environment of a vehicle. The synthetic sensor specifies, in a manifest, which sensors of the vehicle it will be reading signals from. The synthetic sensor manifest is enhanced by adding to it an extended universal identifier that carries semantic information. This identifier may then be compared to unique identifiers in a signal catalog of a vehicle to ensure that the sensors of the vehicle will provide information with semantics that are expected by the synthetic sensor.