Autonomous Vehicle Supervisory Monitoring for Control Redundancy

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Solution Overview

Problem

As vehicles become increasingly complex with automated operation components, there is a need for systems that can autonomously monitor and provide supervisory redundancy to ensure safe and effective decision-making, especially in unexpected circumstances where automated systems may fail to mimic human control responses.

Innovation Solution

A monitoring system that receives sub-system data, contextual data, and control data from autonomous vehicles, analyzes this information to determine a control result, and provides an assessment to a management system, mimicking the role of a human pilot monitoring system to offer recommendations and suggestions for improved control operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If automated operation components are added to vehicles, then productivity and automation extent are improved, but device complexity increases and reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomated operationVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is divided into distinct functional modules: a data reception module that collects sub-system data, contextual data, and control data; an analysis module that processes the received data; and an assessment module that generates control status assessments. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in specific tasks, managing complexity while maintaining high automation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system acts as an intermediary between the vehicle's control systems and the management system. It receives data from multiple vehicle sub-systems, analyzes this information, and provides assessments to the management system, thereby mediating the complex interactions between various automated components and simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If automated operation components are added to vehicles, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential system failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational efficiencyVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system continuously receives control data from the vehicle's control system and sub-system data from various vehicle components. It analyzes this feedback information in real-time and generates assessments that are sent back to the management system, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that enhances reliability by enabling continuous monitoring and assessment of automated operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring system performs preliminary analysis of control data and sub-system data before critical failures occur. By continuously assessing the control status and analyzing trends in the received data, the system can identify potential issues early and provide warnings or recommendations, preventing reliability deterioration before it impacts productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive data collection is implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol status assessment accuracyVSAvoiddata collection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring system is designed with multi-functionality to handle diverse data types: it receives sub-system data from various vehicle components, contextual data about operational conditions, and control data from the control system. A single integrated monitoring device performs multiple functions including data collection, validation, analysis, and assessment generation, thereby achieving comprehensive measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.

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

Data Source

PatentUS11366468B2System and method for autonomously monitoring highly automated vehicle operations
Publication Date: 2022.06.21 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
  • US11366468B2 patent drawing
  • US11366468B2 patent drawing
  • US11366468B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring operations of an autonomous vehicle. For instance, a monitoring device receives sub-system data from one or more sub-systems of the autonomous vehicle. The device receives contextual data of the vehicle that comprises one or more situational circumstances of the vehicle during operation. The device receives control data from a control system of the vehicle and analyzes the sub-system data, the contextual data, and the control data to determine a control result. The device provides an assessment to a management system of the overall control status of the vehicle.