Vehicle Impact Detection via Infrastructure Sensor Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle impact detection systems may fail to accurately detect impacts, especially when restraint systems do not deploy, leading to incomplete or inaccurate assessment of vehicle operability and safety.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing infrastructure sensors and vehicle sensors, including neural networks, to detect impacts and verify their occurrence by analyzing data from multiple sources, such as infrastructure sensors, vehicle sensors, and user devices, to provide accurate impact detection and operability assessment, even when restraint systems are not activated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional vehicle sensor data alone is used for impact detection, then the system complexity is low, but the detection accuracy and reliability are insufficient especially when restraint systems do not deploy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines infrastructure sensors (external to the vehicle) with vehicle sensors to create a fused detection system. This merging of independent detection sources enables cross-validation of impact events, significantly improving detection accuracy and reliability without placing additional burden on the vehicle's own sensor system
Solution Approach 2:
The infrastructure sensors act as an intermediary detection layer between the impact event and the vehicle's restraint system. By providing independent verification of impact occurrence, the infrastructure sensors mediate the detection process and enable accurate assessment even when vehicle restraint systems fail to deploy
2Reliability
If multiple data sources are integrated for impact verification, then the reliability of impact detection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into independent functional modules: infrastructure sensor detection, vehicle sensor detection, data communication channels, and verification logic. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently while contributing to the overall verification process, managing complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through cross-validation between infrastructure and vehicle sensors. When one sensor detects an impact, it seeks verification from the other sensor source. This feedback mechanism reliably confirms impact events while filtering out false positives, with the verification logic providing a structured approach to managing multi-source data
3Measurement precision
If infrastructure sensors are deployed for impact detection, then the measurement precision is improved, but the ease of operation and implementation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The infrastructure sensors are designed with multi-functionality, serving not only impact detection but also potentially other traffic monitoring and safety functions. This universal application justifies the implementation complexity by providing broad utility across multiple use cases
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables vehicles to self-assess their operability status by receiving verification data from infrastructure sensors. The vehicle's own system processes the combined information to determine whether it can safely continue operation or requires assistance, reducing the need for external intervention and simplifying the overall operational workflow
Data Source
AI summary
Detection of an impact to a vehicle is based on data received from one of (a) one or more infrastructure sensors included in an infrastructure element or (b) the vehicle. Verification of the impact is determined by determining that data received from the other of the infrastructure sensors or the vehicle (a) detects the impact and is verified or (b) does not detect the impact and is unverified. A message is transmitted to the vehicle including the verification of the impact and one of (a) a request to operate to a predetermined location based on the impact being verified or (b) a notification to continue a current operation based on the impact being unverified.