Autonomous Vehicle Sensor Envelope Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face limitations in sensor coverage due to environmental obstructions, leading to undetectable areas, which can be costly to mitigate with multiple sensors at various angles.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that determine road features using sensor and map data to compute a required viewing angle and operational envelope for sensors, generating control signals to enable or disable autonomous vehicle control based on sensor capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sensors at various viewing angles are implemented to minimize undetectable areas, then sensor coverage is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes operational envelopes and required viewing angles based on map data and sensor profiles before actual autonomous operation. This allows the vehicle to know in advance where sensor coverage limitations will occur and plan accordingly, avoiding the need for expensive multi-angle sensor arrays by using intelligent prediction and selective autonomous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the operational parameters of autonomous control based on computed operational envelopes. When the vehicle enters regions outside the operational envelope, the system transitions from autonomous to manual control mode, effectively adapting the degree of automation to match sensor capability limitations without requiring additional hardware.
2Productivity
If autonomous control is continuously enabled, then productivity is improved, but safety is compromised when sensors cannot detect all areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the vehicle's position relative to the pre-computed operational envelope and provides feedback to the autonomous control system. When the vehicle approaches or enters regions outside the operational envelope, the system automatically reduces or disables autonomous control, creating a feedback loop that maintains safety while maximizing autonomous operation within safe boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the level of autonomous control based on real-time conditions and pre-computed operational envelopes. Rather than using a static on/off approach, the system creates a dynamic operational envelope that can be updated and adapts the degree of autonomous engagement to match current sensor capabilities and environmental conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by a processor, road features of an upcoming road based on at least one of sensor data and map data; computing, by the processor, a required viewing angle of a sensor based on the road features; computing, by the processor, an operational envelope based on the required viewing angle and a sensor profile, wherein the operational envelope includes points along a map where the sensor can sense; and generating a control signal to disable autonomous control of the vehicle based on the operational envelope.