Vehicle Door Locking Control for Child Safety and Obstacle-Aware Exit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle locking systems lack the ability to adapt easily to different use scenarios, such as when adults or children are using the back seats, leading to inappropriate activation or deactivation states that affect comfort and safety.
Innovation Solution
A method that automatically adjusts the locking system based on obstacle detection in the vehicle's surroundings, seat occupancy, and occupant type, using sensors to determine if an obstacle is within the door's range and if the seat is occupied by a child, thereby activating or deactivating the locking system accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking system is activated to block door opening from interior, then child safety is improved, but adult passengers cannot exit the vehicle easily
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system dynamically adjusts its state between activated and deactivated based on real-time sensor inputs (obstacle detection, seat occupancy, occupant type detection). The system transitions from a static locking mechanism to a dynamic one that adapts to different usage scenarios, allowing adult passengers to exit easily when appropriate while maintaining child safety when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the locking system is deactivated to allow easy door opening, then passenger comfort is improved, but children may accidentally open the door causing safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors multiple parameters including seat occupancy status, obstacle presence in door range, and occupant type (adult/child) through sensors. Based on this feedback, the locking system automatically adjusts its state to balance comfort and safety requirements.
3Device complexity
If the locking system uses simple button activation, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different use scenarios is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system performs automatic self-assessment by detecting obstacles, monitoring seat occupancy, and identifying occupant types. Based on this self-detection, the system autonomously determines the appropriate locking state without requiring manual intervention from the driver, thereby achieving high adaptability while maintaining simple operation.
4Reliability
If the locking system is always activated, then child safety is ensured, but driver mental load increases due to constant monitoring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors and assesses the locking requirements by detecting obstacles, seat occupancy, and occupant types. This self-service capability relieves the driver of constant monitoring responsibilities while ensuring child safety through automated decision-making.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Claim 1 relates to a method for operating a locking system (52) for a vehicle (10) which is configured to allow opening of an associated door (28) from an interior of the vehicle (10) in a de-activated state and to block opening of the associated door (28) in an activated state. The method comprises obtaining an obstacle information indicating whether an obstacle (36) is present in the surroundings of the vehicle (10) and determining whether the obstacle (36) is at least in part located within a door range (R). Then, the locking system (52) is transferred in the de-activated state if the obstacle (36) is determined to be located outside the door range (R) or transferred in the activated state if the obstacle (36) is determined to be located at least in part within the door range (R). Furthermore, a data processing apparatus (58), a computer program (74), a computer-readable storage medium (72), and a locking system (52) for a vehicle (10) are claimed.