Vehicle Parked Mode Control for Delivery Workload Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delivery drivers face significant time and effort burdens due to repetitive procedures when parking and restarting vehicles during multiple deliveries, as existing systems require manual interaction with numerous vehicle components.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system with a secondary parked mode that automatically controls multiple vehicle components, such as engine, locking systems, and lighting, when the vehicle is parked, allowing drivers to leave the vehicle without manually setting each component to a parked state, and automatically resuming previous states upon termination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual control of multiple vehicle components is required during parking, then each component can be precisely controlled, but driver workload and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control of multiple vehicle components (lights, locks, windows, mirrors, wipers, horn, climate control) into a single automated parked mode function. When activated, this mode simultaneously controls all these components, reducing driver workload from manually controlling each component individually to a single activation action.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle system provides self-service by automatically detecting when parking is required and autonomously controlling the multiple components without driver intervention. The system monitors vehicle state and environment to determine appropriate component states, eliminating the need for manual driver control.
2Ease of operation
If all vehicle components are controlled to parked state automatically, then driver workload is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control where component states are adjusted based on real-time environmental conditions and vehicle state. For example, lights are controlled based on ambient light levels and whether the vehicle is truly parked or temporarily stopped, climate control is adjusted based on temperature and occupancy detection, allowing energy-efficient operation while maintaining driver convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters of components based on parking context. Climate control may switch to a lower power mode with adjusted temperature settings, lights may use dimmer levels or selective illumination, and other components may enter standby modes, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining essential functions.
3Productivity
If automated parked mode is activated based on vehicle position data, then productivity is improved by reducing repetitive procedures, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the parked mode parameters and component states before the driver needs to park. Vehicle position data and delivery schedules are used to anticipate parking events, pre-loading appropriate control settings and preparing the system for automated activation, thereby improving delivery efficiency without requiring complex real-time decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system for a vehicle, the vehicle control system comprising a controller, wherein the controller has an activatable secondary parked mode in which the controller automatically controls a plurality of components of the vehicle, each component also being controllable by a corresponding user control, and activation of the secondary parked mode changes the state of each component from an in-use state to a parked state when the vehicle attends a delivery or collection.