Vehicle Safety Switch Interface Control System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current safety control systems in vehicles often require multiple hardware switches for safety feature activation, which can lead to unintentional inputs and user confusion, and there is a desire to reduce hardware switches for design, cost, and usability reasons while meeting safety standards.

Innovation Solution

A control system that includes an input interface and a safety switch, where the safety switch must be intentionally activated to enable the input interface, and the system provides feedback to the user, ensuring that safety features can only be controlled when the switch is active, using a combination of touch-sensitive and voice-controlled inputs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If hardware switches are used for safety feature control, then safety reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple control functions into a single safety switch that integrates both the activation function and the interface enablement function. This merging reduces the number of separate hardware components while maintaining safety reliability through the dual-function design of the safety switch that controls both safety features and interface accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The safety switch is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as both a safety activation mechanism and an interface enablement control. This multi-functionality allows the system to reduce hardware complexity while maintaining the required safety standards, as one component serves multiple critical purposes in the control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If multiple hardware switches are used for safety features, then safety control precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to user confusion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety control precisionVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the interface enablement function from the safety feature control itself, placing it under the separate control of the safety switch. This separation ensures that safety features can only be accessed when the safety switch explicitly enables the interface, thereby maintaining safety control precision while simplifying the user interaction model and reducing confusion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system requires preliminary activation of the safety switch before the input interface becomes operational. This preliminary action ensures that users must consciously enable safety mode before accessing safety features, maintaining precise safety control while providing a clear, sequential operation flow that reduces user confusion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If touch screen and voice control are used instead of hardware switches, then ease of operation is improved, but safety reliability deteriorates due to unintentional inputs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidsafety reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The safety switch serves as an intermediary control element between the user and the touch screen/voice control interface. It mediates access to the interface by requiring explicit activation before the interface becomes operational, thereby preventing unintentional inputs while maintaining the ease of operation provided by touch and voice controls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements preliminary anti-action by requiring the safety switch to be activated before the input interface becomes responsive. This preliminary control action prevents unintended activation of safety features through touch or voice inputs, as the interface remains inactive until the safety switch explicitly enables it.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentEP4063165A1A control system and method for managing of a safety feature of a vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 NINGBO GEELY AUTOMOBILE RES & DEV CO LTD
  • EP4063165A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4063165A1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b
  • EP4063165A1 patent drawingFigure 3c~3d

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a control system (100) at a vehicle (1) for managing of a safety feature of the vehicle (1) by a vehicle occupant, the control system (100) comprises an input interface (10,11) configured to receive input by the vehicle occupant in order to control a safety feature of a vehicle (1), a safety switch (5) configured to be activated via input by the vehicle occupant for controlling operation of the input interface (10,11), a processing circuitry (102) operatively connected to the safety switch (5) and the input interface (10,11), the processing circuitry (102) is configured to detect activation of the safety switch (5) via input by the vehicle occupant, enable operation of the input interface (10,11), detect input by the vehicle occupant via the input interface (10,11), and control operation of the safety feature of the vehicle (1). The disclosure further relates to a method for managing of a safety feature of the vehicle (1) by a vehicle occupant and a computer program product (500).