Adaptive Thermal Cooling for Vehicle Processor via Application Deactivation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling methods for vehicle processors, such as air cooling and water cooling, are costly and prone to component failure, and do not effectively manage heat generation during autonomous driving, which can compromise the reliability of autonomous driving services by reducing operating frequency and causing heterogeneity in operation.
Innovation Solution
A cooling mechanism apparatus that uses a processor to adaptively control the deactivation and activation of applications driving an in-vehicle controller based on predetermined functional safety levels, transitioning applications from idle to thermal fail-safe modes when heat is generated, and monitoring temperatures to restore normal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If operating frequency is lowered to control heat generation, then chip temperature is reduced, but software performance and real-time processing capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments autonomous driving applications into different functional safety levels (ASIL-D, ASIL-C, ASIL-B, ASIL-A, QM) and selectively deactivates only the lower-priority applications when thermal limits are reached. This allows the system to maintain high-priority real-time processing performance while reducing heat generation through selective application deactivation, rather than uniformly lowering the operating frequency which would degrade all software performance.
2Temperature
If controller is shut down to prevent chip failure when temperature does not drop, then chip failure is prevented, but reliability of autonomous driving service is reduced due to abrupt transfer of control authority
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic thermal management strategy that adaptively adjusts application deactivation based on real-time temperature conditions. When thermal limits are reached, the system dynamically deactivates only specific lower-priority applications rather than shutting down the entire controller. This dynamic approach maintains service reliability by preserving critical high-priority functions while managing thermal conditions, avoiding abrupt complete shutdowns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters selectively by deactivating specific applications based on their functional safety levels rather than uniformly changing the operating frequency or shutting down the controller. This parameter change approach allows the system to respond to thermal conditions while maintaining the reliability of critical autonomous driving services.
3Temperature
If air cooling or water cooling is used to relieve heat, then heat generation is controlled, but manufacturing cost increases and component failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cooling systems (air cooling fans or water cooling pumps) with a software-based thermal management approach. The system uses processor-controlled application deactivation based on functional safety levels to manage heat generation, eliminating the need for additional mechanical cooling components. This substitution reduces manufacturing costs and eliminates the reliability issues associated with mechanical cooling system failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor itself provides thermal management by selectively deactivating applications, making the system self-regulating without requiring external cooling mechanisms. The processor monitors its own thermal conditions and autonomously adjusts application execution to control heat generation, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and their associated costs and failure risks.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling mechanism apparatus, system, and method for adaptively controlling heat of a vehicle processor, includes a processor configured to control deactivation or activation of an application driving the in-vehicle controller depending on grades of a predetermined functional safety level of the application and to determine an order of the deactivation or the activation of the application when heat is generated in the controller.