Vehicle Application Simulation Environment for Real-Time Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing applications for vehicle computing devices and navigation units is challenging due to proprietary communication protocols and the lack of access to real-time vehicle data, making it difficult for developers to test and visualize how applications will function during vehicle operation.
Innovation Solution
An application development environment that allows simulation of vehicle parameter signals, enabling developers to test applications as if they had real-time access to a vehicle, by generating or using recorded vehicle data to provide simulated inputs and visualize user interfaces accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary communication protocols and data formats are used in vehicle computing devices and components, then vehicle control and communication functionality is maintained, but application development difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a simulation environment that acts as an intermediary between the application developer and the vehicle computing device. This simulation environment emulates the proprietary communication protocols and data formats, allowing developers to write and test applications without direct access to the actual vehicle system. The simulation environment translates and adapts the proprietary protocols into accessible forms for development while maintaining compatibility with the actual vehicle system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy or replica of the vehicle computing device's communication interface through the simulation environment. This copy includes simulated vehicle parameters, data formats, and communication protocols that mirror the actual vehicle system. Developers can interact with this copy to test applications, and the same application can then be deployed to the actual vehicle with minimal modification.
2Productivity
If application developers work without access to actual vehicles, then development can proceed independently, but testing and visualization of real-time vehicle data functionality becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing a simulation environment that allows developers to test and validate applications before deploying them to actual vehicles. The simulation environment pre-generates vehicle parameter data, emulates real-time data streams, and allows comprehensive testing of application logic, user interfaces, and data processing capabilities in advance, ensuring functionality before real-world deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The simulation environment creates a copy of the real-time vehicle data system, generating simulated vehicle parameters that mimic actual vehicle behavior. This includes copying data formats, communication protocols, and parameter structures, allowing developers to test applications against realistic data without needing physical vehicle access.
3Ease of operation
If simulated vehicle parameter signals are used instead of real vehicle data, then application testing can proceed without vehicle access, but data authenticity and realism may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The simulation environment employs parameter changes by allowing dynamic adjustment of simulated vehicle parameter values to match various driving conditions, scenarios, and edge cases. The simulation can modify parameters such as speed, temperature, pressure, and other vehicle metrics to reflect realistic variations, ensuring comprehensive application testing across different operational states while maintaining data realism.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for facilitating simulation of an application used to access features of a vehicle. For example, an application developer may use an application development environment to develop an application that is used to display information through a vehicle display, obtain telemetry data from the vehicle, and/or modify vehicle features of the vehicle. However, the application development environment may not have real-time access to a vehicle (e.g., while the vehicle is being driven), which significantly reduces the ability to test the application. Accordingly, vehicle parameter signals may be simulated and provided to application code of the application (e.g., the application developer may specify a fan speed as “high”, preprogrammed vehicle speed data may be supplied to the application code, etc.). In this way, the application can be tested as though the application had access to an operational vehicle.