Vehicle Sensor Malfunction Detection and Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In automatic driving and driving assistance systems, there is a need to detect and address errors in the position or speed of peripheral objects sensed by sensors, as axis-shaking or malfunction can lead to errors exceeding the sensor's guarantee scope, potentially causing collisions.

Innovation Solution

A malfunction detecting device that compares state quantities from multiple sensors and standard information to identify sensors with errors exceeding a prescribed value, using a processing unit to determine measurement success or failure and automatically correct sensor outputs to ensure safe operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sensor output is used without verification, then automatic driving can continue operation, but safety is compromised when errors exceed guarantee scope

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of sensor outputs by checking whether detected objects fall within predetermined guarantee scopes before using the sensor data for automatic driving control. This preventive approach ensures safety by identifying and excluding unreliable sensor readings before they can cause harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A determination unit acts as an intermediary between the sensor and the automatic driving control system. This intermediary component verifies sensor outputs against guarantee scope criteria, filtering out unreliable data while allowing valid data to pass through to the control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If multiple sensors are used to verify sensor outputs, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor output accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a virtual model (copy) of the sensor's guarantee scope based on predetermined specifications. This virtual guarantee scope is then used to verify actual sensor outputs without requiring physical duplicate sensors, reducing complexity while maintaining verification capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The determination unit serves multiple functions: it verifies sensor outputs, determines whether objects fall within guarantee scopes, and identifies unreliable sensor readings. This multi-functional component reduces the need for separate verification systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity.

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

3Reliability

If sensor guarantee scope verification is implemented, then safety is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The guarantee scope verification is performed as a preliminary check using predetermined criteria stored in advance. By having the verification rules pre-established, the system can quickly determine whether sensor outputs are reliable without requiring complex real-time calculations, thus minimizing processing time delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3534174B1Malfunction detecting device
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP3534174B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3534174B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3534174B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention provides a malfunction detecting device with which, even if an error exceeding a scope of guarantee occurs in the position or speed of a peripheral object output by a sensor which monitors the periphery of a vehicle, the output from the sensor in which the error exceeding the scope of guarantee has occurred in the position or speed of the peripheral object is detected as abnormal. This malfunction detecting device is characterized in that the malfunction detecting device detects an object using two sensors A, B, and if a difference equal to or greater than a prescribed value arises between state quantities of the detected object, the malfunction detecting device uses standard information relating to the state quantity of the object to determine in which of the two sensors A and B the measurement failure has occurred.