Vehicle Remote Control Gating at Transit Points After Shipping

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a demand for remote control of vehicles after shipping, particularly for parking and loading at transit points, but existing systems lack the ability to enable and disable remote control effectively post-manufacturing and conveyance processes.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a remote control unit, a disabling execution unit, and a disabling instruction unit that utilizes transit point information to enable and disable remote control functionality during conveyance, ensuring appropriate timing and feasibility for remote control operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If remote control function is disabled after shipping, then security is improved, but flexibility for transit point operations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidflexibility for transit point operations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The remote control function transitions from a static enabled/disabled state to a dynamic state that can be selectively activated or deactivated based on the vehicle's location and operational requirements. The control unit receives location information and dynamically adjusts remote control availability, allowing the system to adapt between security-focused and operation-focused modes as needed during different phases of the supply chain.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If remote control is enabled after shipping, then flexibility for transit point operations is improved, but security risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility for transit point operationsVSAvoidsecurity risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously receives location information from GPS or other positioning systems and feeds this data back to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit intelligently determines whether to enable or disable remote control functionality. When the vehicle is at a registered transit point, remote control is enabled; when elsewhere, it is disabled, thus providing security while maintaining operational flexibility where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Different operational modes are applied to different locations. At specific transit points, the system allows remote control operations, while in other locations, it enforces disabled state for security. This localized approach to control enables the system to optimize security and flexibility based on the specific context of each location in the supply chain.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If remote control is disabled at all times after shipping, then security is improved, but operational capability at transit points deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidoperational capability at transit points
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Transit points are pre-registered and stored in the system before the vehicle reaches them. The control unit has advance knowledge of which locations require remote control operations. When the vehicle approaches a registered transit point, the system proactively enables remote control functionality, ensuring operational capability is available exactly when and where needed without compromising security elsewhere.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of operation

If remote control is enabled at all transit points, then operational capability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the remote control enabling/disabling logic into a dedicated control unit that operates independently based on location data. This modular approach simplifies the overall system architecture by separating the security management function from the remote control execution function. The control unit handles the complexity of decision-making, while the remote control system itself remains relatively simple and straightforward to operate when enabled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4439208A1System and server
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4439208A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4439208A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4439208A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system includes a remote control unit (312), a disabling execution unit (182) and a disabling instruction unit (316). The remote control unit (312) causes a moving object to move by remote control, the moving object being able to move by the remote control in a manufacturing process in a factory (FC) that manufactures the moving object, and in a conveyance process outside the factory, the conveyance process shipping the moving object after manufacturing from the factory (FC) and conveying the moving object to a destination. The moving object includes a communication unit (190) and a driving control unit (184). The communication unit (190) has a communication function and the driving control unit (184) executes driving control of the moving object. The disabling execution unit (182) executes disabling processing for disabling the remote control. The disabling instruction unit (316) determines whether or not to execute the disabling processing using transit point information related to the remote control at at least one transit point at which the moving object transits in the conveyance process, and instructs the disabling execution unit to execute the disabling processing when determining that the disabling processing is to be executed.