Vehicle Sensor Error Detection via Velocity Vector Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle environment sensor systems face challenges in accurately diagnosing errors, particularly in components like lidar and radar units, which can lead to hazardous consequences due to errors in range, azimuth, and elevation measurements, making it difficult to determine the source and magnitude of errors.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine a vehicle true velocity vector using onboard sensors and compare it to a monitored sensor velocity vector to identify component errors in lidar or radar units, involving calculations of error values and test vehicle velocity vectors to determine sensor errancy, with remedial actions taken based on error thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vehicle environment sensors (lidar/radar) are used to measure range and azimuth, then measurement capability is improved, but error detection and diagnosis capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary diagnostic system that uses multiple sensors (GPS, IMU, wheel speed sensors) as mediators to indirectly detect errors in the primary measurement system (lidar/radar). Instead of directly monitoring lidar/radar errors, the system uses these intermediary sensors to calculate expected vehicle velocity and compare it with velocity derived from lidar/radar measurements, thereby identifying sensor errors without requiring direct error detection capability in the original sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously comparing the vehicle velocity calculated from lidar/radar measurements with the vehicle velocity calculated from independent sensors (GPS, IMU, wheel speed sensors). When discrepancies exceed a threshold, the system generates error signals that trigger diagnostic routines, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism for error detection and diagnosis.
2Device complexity
If component errors in monitored vehicle sensors are not accurately diagnosed, then system simplicity is maintained, but safety and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system segments the error detection process into distinct components: velocity calculation from lidar/radar measurements, velocity calculation from independent sensors, error comparison, threshold evaluation, and diagnostic routine execution. This segmentation allows the complex diagnostic function to be broken down into manageable modules while maintaining overall system reliability without requiring a completely complex monolithic diagnostic system.
3Reliability
If comprehensive error detection and diagnosis is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The diagnostic system uses multi-functionality by employing a single integrated diagnostic routine that can detect errors in multiple sensor types (lidar, radar, cameras) and multiple error modes (range errors, azimuth errors, velocity errors). This universal diagnostic approach improves reliability across all sensors while avoiding the complexity of having separate diagnostic systems for each sensor type.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of carrying out a remedial vehicle action in response to determining an error in a monitored vehicle sensor, the method include: determining a vehicle true velocity vector based on measurements from vehicle operations sensors; determining a monitored sensor velocity vector based on measurements from the monitored vehicle sensor; when it is determined that the vehicle true velocity vector is different than the monitored sensor velocity vector, then testing for a first component error, wherein the testing for the first component error includes calculating a first component error value based on a first component measured value and a first component corrected value, and when one or more measured vector components of the monitored sensor velocity vector are determined to be erroneous, them carrying out a remedial vehicle action.