Vehicle Backup Power Switching for Controller Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with a single power system, such as those equipped with a self-driving system, a power failure can render main controllers inoperable, making it difficult to follow recommended safety protocols like moving to a safe location.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system with a battery backup power supply and a switch that monitors power states to ensure redundancy, allowing the vehicle to maintain control and move to a safe location even during a power failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single power system is used in vehicles with self-driving systems, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates because power failure renders main controllers inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into two independent parts: a main power supply for normal operation and a backup power supply for emergency situations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliability by isolating the failure impact to one segment while the other segment remains functional.
Solution Approach 2:
A backup power supply is installed in advance to cushion against the harmful effect of main power failure. The backup power supply remains standby during normal operation and activates automatically when power failure occurs, ensuring continuous controller operation and enabling safety protocols to be executed.
2Reliability
If a backup battery is added to the vehicle, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional power change devices
Solution Approach 1:
The backup power supply and main power supply are merged into a unified power system with automatic switching capability. The power change device integrates both power sources and automatically selects the appropriate source based on system needs, reducing the complexity of managing separate power systems while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The power system is designed to automatically detect power failure conditions and switch between main and backup power supplies without requiring external intervention. The system self-manages the power transition, eliminating the need for complex manual control mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If main controllers operate in ignition power state, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates when power system fails
Solution Approach 1:
The backup power supply is prepared in advance to cushion against power failure during controller operation. When the main power system fails, the backup power supply automatically activates to maintain controller operation in emergency mode, ensuring the vehicle can still execute safety protocols such as moving to a safe location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power supply parameter from main power to backup power when failure is detected. This parameter change enables the controllers to continue operating in emergency mode with modified power characteristics, maintaining ease of operation while adapting to the failure condition to preserve reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment vehicle includes a battery, a switch configured to identify whether a state of a power of the vehicle is in a normal state or an abnormal state by monitoring the power of the vehicle and to control a supply of a battery power of the battery based on the state of the power being in the abnormal state, and a controller configured to control the vehicle based on the supply of the battery power.