Telematics Impact Detection Low Power Mode

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing telematics systems in vehicles cannot detect impacts while parked with the ignition off due to high power consumption, which drains the battery and prevents continuous monitoring for impact events.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle telematics device with a configurable low-power accelerometer that reconfigures its parameters to operate in a sleep mode, generating interrupts upon detecting acceleration events exceeding a threshold, allowing for minimal power consumption and continued impact detection without draining the vehicle's battery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the telematics device operates in normal active mode to continuously monitor for impact events, then the detection capability is improved, but the power consumption increases and drains the vehicle battery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact detection capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The accelerometer dynamically switches between normal operation mode and low power mode based on vehicle ignition state. When the vehicle ignition is off, the system transitions to low power mode with reduced sampling rate and smaller data buffer, maintaining impact detection capability while minimizing power consumption. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between continuous monitoring reliability and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters of the accelerometer based on vehicle state. In low power mode, the sampling rate is reduced from the normal rate, and the data buffer size is adjusted. These parameter changes enable the device to maintain sufficient impact detection capability while significantly reducing power consumption when the vehicle is parked with ignition off.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If the accelerometer operates at normal sampling rate to capture all impact events, then the measurement precision is improved, but the data processing load and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacceleration data accuracyVSAvoidprocessing power

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

In low power mode, the system uses partial action by reducing the sampling rate below the normal rate. This reduction is sufficient to detect impact events while consuming less power. The system processes only the essential data needed for impact detection, avoiding excessive data collection and processing that would increase power consumption unnecessarily.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the telematics device remains in sleep mode to conserve power, then the power consumption is reduced, but the response time to detect impact events increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidwake-up response time

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The accelerometer continues to monitor acceleration events even in low power mode, maintaining a reduced but active monitoring state. This preliminary action ensures that impact events are detected promptly without requiring a complete wake-up of the processor, thus minimizing response time while keeping power consumption low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables the detection of impacts to parked vehicles while minimizing battery drain, allowing for notifications and further analysis of potential crash events, thereby enhancing safety and operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

an accelerometer that generates acceleration data at a normal sample rate during an active operation mode

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAccelerometer: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentUS11472361B2Systems and methods for detecting an impact event in a parked vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 CALAMP CORP

AI summary

Embodiments of the invention include a vehicle telematics system including a telematics device, wherein the telematics device detects, using a processor of a telematics device, a vehicle ignition off event and reconfigures at least one parameter of an accelerometer for a low power mode of operation while in the vehicle ignition off state, and places the telematics device in a sleep mode of operation, wherein an accelerometer generates an interrupt to wake the processor of the telematics device from the sleep mode of operation upon detecting an acceleration event that exceeds a threshold, and the processor of the telematics device analyzes the accelerometer data stored in a FIFO buffer of the accelerometer.