Vehicle Safety Control Unit for Hazard-Adaptive Actuator Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety systems do not effectively select and automatically activate safety measures based on the relevance and type of environmental hazards, relying solely on position and warning message data without considering sensor data for accurate hazard assessment.
Innovation Solution
A control unit that receives position and warning message data, infers hazard relevance and type using sensor data, and activates specific safety measures by selecting and implementing actuators within the vehicle, such as closing windows or activating ventilation systems, based on the determined hazard classification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If safety measures are automatically activated based on hazard assessment, then occupant safety is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple sensors and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments hazard assessment into distinct types (natural hazards, technical hazards, animal hazards) with specific sensor requirements for each type. This allows the complex system to be managed through modular, type-specific assessment protocols rather than a monolithic approach.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sensor units are selectively activated based on the specific hazard type detected. Not all sensors are continuously active; instead, the system activates only those sensors relevant to the current hazard assessment, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensor data are used to determine hazard relevance, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically configures which sensor units are active based on the hazard type being assessed. The sensor configuration changes dynamically according to the situation, allowing high measurement precision when needed while reducing complexity during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system activates only the necessary subset of sensor units required for the current hazard assessment rather than all sensors simultaneously. This partial action approach achieves sufficient measurement precision for each specific hazard type without the complexity of continuously operating all sensors.
3Productivity
If hazard classification data are used to select safety measures, then productivity of safety response is improved, but loss of information increases due to data processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of hazards into predefined types with associated safety measures. By categorizing hazards in advance and linking them to specific response protocols, the system enables rapid safety measure selection without extensive real-time data processing, thus improving productivity while minimizing information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for selecting safety measures to be taken to increase the safety of occupants of a vehicle, which safety measures relate to a hazard due to environmental influences, a relevance of the hazard is inferred from received position data and warning message data, and at least one safety measure, which includes activation of an actuator in a vehicle, is selected and taken as a function of the relevance.