Vehicle Sensor Activation via Human Accessory Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern vehicles equipped with advanced sensors like Lidar and Radar face resource-intensive computing demands and excessive wear due to continuous operation, necessitating a method to balance safety improvements with resource constraints and sensor longevity.

Innovation Solution

A system that activates vehicle sensors only when a human accessory object is detected, using a mapping platform to generate location-based records of such objects, triggering sensor activation upon entry into geographic areas associated with these objects, thereby reducing continuous sensor usage and wear.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If advanced sensors (Lidar, infrared) are continuously operated to improve safety, then safety detection capability is improved, but computing resources are excessively consumed and sensor hardware experiences excessive wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety detection capabilityVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection using low-power cameras to identify human accessory objects (balls, strollers, toys) before activating advanced sensors. This preliminary action filters out scenarios where advanced sensors are unnecessary, reducing overall computing resource consumption while maintaining safety when human presence is detected

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Advanced sensors are activated periodically only when triggered by human accessory detection rather than operating continuously. The system switches between low-power and high-power sensing modes based on detected conditions, optimizing the balance between safety detection and resource consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If advanced sensors are continuously operated to improve safety, then safety detection capability is improved, but sensor hardware experiences excessive wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety detection capabilityVSAvoidsensor hardware lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The camera-based preliminary detection system identifies human accessory objects before activating advanced sensors, reducing the total operational time of these sensors and thereby extending their hardware lifespan while maintaining safety when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Advanced sensors operate in periodic bursts triggered by human accessory detection rather than continuous operation, reducing cumulative wear on sensor components and extending their operational lifespan

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If sensors are activated only when human accessory objects are detected, then resource consumption is reduced, but safety detection may be missed if accessories are not detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputing resource consumptionVSAvoidsafety detection coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses camera-based human accessory detection as an intermediary trigger mechanism between passive sensing and active advanced sensor operation. This intermediary layer provides a low-cost filtering mechanism that maintains safety coverage by detecting objects associated with human presence (balls, strollers, toys) without requiring continuous advanced sensor operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a simplified copy of the advanced sensing capability using standard cameras to detect human accessory objects. This copying approach allows the system to identify potential safety scenarios using low-power sensors, triggering advanced sensors only when the simplified detection model indicates potential risk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10202115B2Method and apparatus for triggering vehicle sensors based on human accessory detection

Publication Date: 2019.02.12 HERE GLOBAL BV

AI summary

An approach is provided for triggering vehicle sensors based on human accessory detection. The approach involves receiving a location of a detection of a human accessory object in a travel network. The human accessory object is a physical object associated with a probability that a human or an animal is within a vicinity of the human accessory object. The approach also involves generating a location-based record of the human accessory object in a map database based on the location. The approach further involves a sensor of a vehicle being activated to detect the human or the animal when the vehicle is detected to enter a geographic area of the travel network associated with the location-based record of the human accessory object.