Autonomous Vehicle Fallback Task Triggering for Malfunction Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in executing fallback tasks when they cannot operate normally due to malfunctions or emergencies, leading to potential stranding without a clear destination or service location.
Innovation Solution
A computing device in the autonomous vehicle includes a task overseer module and a fallback selector module that processes and manages fallback tasks, determining when to execute them based on predefined conditions or triggers, ensuring the vehicle can safely drive to a designated location for servicing or reconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the autonomous vehicle operates in fully autonomous mode without human driver, then the vehicle can operate independently and improve productivity, but the vehicle faces reliability issues when malfunctions or emergencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures fallback tasks and trigger conditions before autonomous operation begins. When malfunctions occur, the vehicle can immediately execute pre-planned fallback procedures without requiring real-time human intervention, thus maintaining reliability while operating autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous vehicle is equipped with self-diagnosis and self-response capabilities through the fallback task execution system. The vehicle can independently detect malfunctions, determine appropriate fallback actions, and execute them without external assistance, ensuring continuous autonomous operation even during emergencies.
2Reliability
If the vehicle executes fallback tasks autonomously, then the vehicle can handle emergencies and improve reliability, but the device complexity increases due to additional modules and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The fallback execution system is integrated into the existing autonomous vehicle control architecture, allowing the same hardware and software platform to serve both primary autonomous driving functions and fallback task execution. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fallback task execution system is divided into distinct modular components including trigger condition monitors, fallback task selectors, and execution controllers. This segmentation allows each component to be independently developed, tested, and maintained, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive emergency handling capability.
3Speed
If the vehicle has predefined fallback tasks and triggers, then the vehicle can respond quickly to emergencies and improve response time, but the adaptability decreases when encountering unexpected situations not covered by predefined triggers
Solution Approach 1:
The fallback task execution system incorporates dynamic trigger condition evaluation that can adapt to changing operational contexts. While predefined triggers provide fast response for known scenarios, the system can dynamically adjust trigger sensitivity and fallback task selection based on current vehicle state and environmental conditions, balancing response speed with adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A server computing device comprises: a memory configured to store information related to fallback tasks, each fallback task being a task for a vehicle to perform when conditions associated with at least one of maneuvering, refueling, recharging or maintenance of the vehicle are met; and one or more processors configured to: access the information stored by the memory; send, to the vehicle, a first set of instructions to execute a primary task of the vehicle that operates autonomously based on a task request for navigating and maneuvering the vehicle between locations; receive, from the vehicle, at least one status update report generated based on a plurality of status updates associated with the vehicle; determine, from the at least one status update report, that conditions for a given fallback task in the memory has been met; and send, to the vehicle, a second set of instructions to execute the given fallback task and a level of urgency associated with the second set of instructions for navigating and maneuvering the vehicle between locations.