Vehicle Sensor Inspection Blockchain for Peer Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Self-driving vehicles equipped with sensors face increased risks of traffic violations or accidents due to potential sensor malfunctions, and the current vehicle inspection system's infrequent scheduling and time-consuming inspection process lead to inefficient use and potential safety issues.

Innovation Solution

A distributed transaction verification system utilizing a blockchain to manage and verify the inspection results of sensors across multiple vehicles, allowing for real-time detection of malfunctions and ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of inspections through peer-to-peer verification and reward mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the current vehicle inspection system is used with infrequent scheduling (every 2-3 years), then the inspection process is simple and manageable, but the reliability of sensor operation deteriorates due to undetected malfunctions between inspections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor operation reliabilityVSAvoidinspection cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements continuous sensor inspection through blockchain-based distributed transactions between vehicles, replacing the traditional periodic inspection model. Sensors are continuously monitored through peer-to-peer verification transactions as vehicles travel, eliminating the 2-3 year gap between inspections while maintaining manageable complexity through automated smart contract execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Vehicles autonomously perform sensor inspections by executing transactions with nearby vehicles without requiring centralized coordination or manual intervention. The inspection system serves itself through distributed peer-to-peer verification, where each vehicle acts as both inspector and inspected, eliminating the need for external inspection facilities and reducing time loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If traditional centralized inspection facilities are used, then inspection authority is centralized and controllable, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need to move vehicles to inspection sites

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinspection accessibilityVSAvoidvehicle downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional inspection model by making mobile vehicles the inspection facilities rather than requiring vehicles to move to fixed inspection sites. Nearby vehicles perform inspections on target vehicles through distributed transactions, eliminating the need to move inspected vehicles and enabling inspections to occur wherever vehicles are naturally located

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

Any vehicle in the network can serve as an inspection facility, giving every vehicle multiple functions: normal operation, sensor execution, and inspection provider. This universal capability eliminates the need for specialized inspection facilities and allows any vehicle to perform inspections, dramatically improving accessibility while reducing downtime

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If distributed transaction verification is implemented across multiple vehicles, then the measurement precision of sensor malfunction detection is improved through peer-to-peer verification, but the device complexity increases due to blockchain integration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemalfunction detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses blockchain to create immutable copies of sensor data and inspection results across the distributed network. Each vehicle maintains a copy of the blockchain ledger containing verification history, enabling precise malfunction detection through cross-verification without requiring complex centralized coordination. The copying mechanism simplifies the architecture by providing automatic data consistency and trust verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12025463B2Server, vehicle, distributed transaction verification system, and distributed transaction verification method

Publication Date: 2024.07.02 PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYST CO LTD

AI summary

A server holds a blockchain in which transaction information related to an inspection of each of the plurality of vehicles is recorded in a chain manner; selects a target vehicle of inspection from the plurality of vehicles and adds transaction information related to an inspection of the selected target vehicle to the blockchain; and transmits an execution instruction of a transaction related to the inspection to the target vehicle. The server registers an inspection result in the added transaction information related to the inspection of the target vehicle based on an execution result of the transaction related to the inspection of the target vehicle based on the execution instruction and an execution result of a transaction related to the inspection of a peripheral vehicle other than the target vehicle.