Vehicle Interface System for Torque-to-Pedal Signal Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face inefficiencies and delays in controlling physical input mechanisms like gas and brake pedals due to the reactive tuning process, especially in loaded environments, as existing systems are optimized for pedal position signals rather than direct computer instructions.
Innovation Solution
A universal interface system that mimics signals from physical input mechanisms, allowing the vehicle's computer to control components like the gas pedal, brake pedal, and turn signal stalk by generating and transmitting control signals to the engine control unit, enabling immediate gear selection and reducing the tuning process time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If transmission control unit uses reactive tuning process to find correct gear based on computer instructions, then the system can operate without physical pedal input, but there are significant delays and inefficiencies in achieving desired torque and gear
Solution Approach 1:
The interface system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing the relationship between torque requests and corresponding pedal positions in lookup tables. When the autonomous vehicle computer sends a torque request, the system immediately retrieves the pre-determined pedal position rather than performing real-time reactive tuning, eliminating delays and enabling instantaneous gear selection.
2Speed
If transmission control unit optimizes gearing based on pedal position, then gear selection is accurate and responsive, but autonomous vehicles cannot directly provide pedal position from computer instructions
Solution Approach 1:
The interface system acts as an intermediary between the autonomous vehicle computer and the transmission control unit. It receives torque requests from the computer, translates them into equivalent pedal position signals using lookup tables, and forwards these signals to the transmission control unit. This mediator approach enables the transmission system to operate as if receiving direct pedal input while accommodating autonomous computer-controlled operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface system creates copies of physical pedal position signals based on torque requests. Instead of directly controlling the transmission, it generates artificial pedal position data that replicates what a human driver would produce, allowing the transmission control unit to function normally without modification while supporting autonomous operation.
3Productivity
If the system translates torque values to pedal position values using lookup tables and interpolation, then vehicle response time is significantly decreased, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs complex calculations in advance by pre-populating lookup tables with torque-to-pedal-position mappings during system initialization or calibration. This preliminary action moves the computational burden from real-time operation to setup phase, enabling fast real-time retrieval without complex calculations during critical response moments.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system and method for interfacing with physical input mechanisms of a vehicle and electrically controlling signals from the physical input mechanisms to a computer of the vehicle. Examples of such physical input mechanisms include a gas pedal, a brake pedal, a turn signal stalk, a button, and the like. In one example, the method may include receiving, via a first interface, a request to actuate a component of a vehicle that is controlled by a physical input mechanism, generating, via a processor, a control signal that corresponds to an actuation signal from the physical input mechanism, and transmitting, via a second interface, the generated control signal to a control unit of the vehicle for actuating the component of the vehicle.