Teleoperated Vehicle Viewing Control for Low-Bandwidth Driving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing teleoperated vehicle control systems face data transmission bottlenecks and delays due to high data volumes from environmental sensors, particularly in regions with inadequate network coverage, affecting stable and reliable control.

Innovation Solution

The method reduces environmental sensor data resolution outside the teleoperator's focus area, utilizing human visual perception principles to maintain data quality and reduce transmission volume, with dynamic adjustments based on network conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If environmental sensor data is transmitted with high spatial resolution, then the teleoperator's visual perception quality is improved, but data transmission volume increases causing bottlenecks and delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual perception qualityVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by transmitting environmental sensor data at high spatial resolution only in the focus area where the teleoperator is currently viewing, while reducing resolution in peripheral areas. This resolves the contradiction by making data quality spatially variable - high where needed for perception accuracy, low where sufficient detail is not required, thereby reducing overall data volume while maintaining essential visual perception quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If environmental sensor data is transmitted with high spatial resolution, then the detail accuracy of vehicle surroundings is improved, but transmission latency increases in regions with inadequate network coverage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetail accuracyVSAvoidtransmission latency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By applying local quality, the system transmits high-detail data only in the currently viewed focus area rather than uniformly across the entire field of view. This reduces the total data volume requiring transmission, thereby decreasing transmission latency in regions with inadequate network coverage while preserving detail accuracy where the teleoperator needs to perceive it.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the focus area based on the teleoperator's current viewing direction detected through visual sensor data. This dynamic adaptation allows the high-resolution transmission region to move with the teleoperator's attention, ensuring detail accuracy is maintained in the relevant area while minimizing overall data transmission requirements and latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If data transmission volume is reduced, then transmission bottlenecks and delays are minimized, but the teleoperator's visual perception quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission efficiencyVSAvoidvisual perception quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves this contradiction by applying local quality - transmitting reduced resolution data in peripheral areas improves transmission efficiency, while maintaining high resolution in the focus area preserves visual perception quality. The combination achieves both goals: efficient data transmission overall, and sufficient perception quality where the teleoperator is actually looking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If the focus area is dynamically adjusted, then the relevance of transmitted data to teleoperator attention is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata relevance to attentionVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies dynamics by continuously adjusting the focus area based on real-time visual sensor data detecting the teleoperator's viewing direction. This dynamic adjustment improves adaptability - the transmitted data remains relevant to the teleoperator's current attention - while the complexity increase is managed through automated visual tracking algorithms rather than manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from visual sensors that detect the teleoperator's eye position and viewing direction to continuously update the focus area definition. This feedback loop ensures data transmission remains adapted to current attention without requiring complex predictive models, achieving adaptability through responsive adjustment based on measured teleoperator behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4621516A1Method, vehicle control device, teleoperation control device, and system for teleoperated driving of vehicle, and vehicle comprising the vehicle control device
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 STELLANTIS AUTO SAS
  • EP4621516A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4621516A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4621516A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for teleoperated control of a vehicle is provided. The method (400) comprises providing (410) environmental sensor data for detecting a current vehicle environment of the vehicle, providing (420) visual sensor data for detecting a current viewing direction of a teleoperator of the vehicle operating from a teleoperation station, and evaluating (430) the visual sensor data and the environmental sensor data to determine a focus area (10) of the vehicle environment currently viewed by the teleoperator, based on the teleoperator's current viewing direction. The method further comprises reducing (440) the environmental sensor data to provide reduced environmental sensor data so that the vehicle environment can be reconstructed with a reduced spatial resolution outside the focus area (10), and transmitting (450) the reduced environmental sensor data to the teleoperation station.Furthermore, a vehicle control device, a teleoperation control device and a system for teleoperated control of a vehicle are specified.