Vehicle Control Interface for Brake Intervention Signal Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for an appropriate interface between autonomous driving systems and vehicle platforms, especially when developed by different entities, to ensure seamless cooperation and communication.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control interface is provided that includes a vehicle control interface box (VCIB) to relay commands and information between the autonomous driving kit (ADK) and the vehicle platform (VP), ensuring compatibility and redundancy in systems like brake and steering, even when developers are different.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a brake pedal position sensor is used to detect brake pedal depression amount, then the autonomous driving system can acquire brake pedal information, but the system cannot detect abnormal brake pedal operations (such as sudden depression or holding at specific positions)

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebrake pedal operation informationVSAvoidbrake pedal operation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates a brake pedal operation value by comparing the current brake pedal position with historical position data, and feeds back this calculated value to determine whether abnormal operation occurred. This feedback mechanism enables the system to detect abnormal brake pedal operations that a simple position sensor cannot detect alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit acts as an intermediary that processes the raw brake pedal position signal from the sensor, calculates the operation value based on predetermined conditions, and determines abnormal operations. This intermediary processing layer bridges the gap between simple position detection and reliable operation assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the vehicle control interface outputs only the brake pedal position signal from the sensor, then the interface structure remains simple, but the autonomous driving system cannot determine whether abnormal brake pedal operation has occurred

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle control interface complexityVSAvoidbrake pedal operation determination reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit preliminarily calculates the brake pedal operation value based on the position signal before outputting it to the autonomous driving system. This preliminary processing ensures that the operation determination can be made reliably without adding complex hardware, as the calculation is performed in advance within the existing control unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The vehicle control interface is designed to output multiple types of signals (brake pedal position signal, brake pedal operation value, and other vehicle state signals) through a single interface structure. This multi-functionality allows the interface to provide comprehensive information for abnormal operation detection without increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4403433B1Vehicle and vehicle control interface
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4403433B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4403433B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4403433B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle (1) on which an autonomous driving system (3) is mountable, the vehicle comprising: a vehicle platform (5) configured to control the vehicle (1) in accordance with an instruction from the autonomous driving system (3); and a vehicle control interface (4) configured to serve as an interface between the autonomous driving system (3) and the vehicle platform (5), wherein the vehicle platform (5) is configured to output, to the autonomous driving system (3) through the vehicle control interface (4), a brake pedal position signal that provides an amount of depression of a brake pedal (50) detected by a sensor which is configured to detect a position of the brake pedal (50), and to output, to the autonomous driving system (3) through the vehicle control interface (4), a brake pedal intervention signal which provides a value generated from the brake pedal position signal that may indicate a value outside a range of the amount of depression.