Vehicle sensor health monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11100731-B2
Application number	US-201916275083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Jan 19, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

Techniques and examples pertaining to vehicle sensor health monitoring are described. A processor of a road-side station may receive first data from a vehicle and receive second data from one or more sensors associated with the road-side station. The processor may compare the first data and the second data. In response to a result of the comparing indicating a difference between the first data and the second data, the processor may generate a report.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a mode setting circuit of a processor, a user command;
selecting, by the mode setting circuit of the processor, one of a plurality of modes as an operational mode of the processor according to the received user command;
receiving, by a control circuit of the processor via one or more scanning sensors, first data from a vehicle responsive to the operational mode being an interactive mode or a hybrid mode;
receiving, by the control circuit of the processor via one or more sensors embedded in a road on which the vehicle travels, second data indicating at least ground truth positioning of the vehicle responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode;
comparing, by the control circuit of the processor, the first data and the second data responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode;
generating, by the control circuit of the processor, a health score responsive to a result of the comparing indicating a difference between the first data and the second data responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode; and
broadcasting, by the control circuit of the processor, the first data or the second data, or both, responsive to the operational mode being a broadcast mode or the hybrid mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises data related to vehicle positioning, weather monitoring, precipitation monitoring, anomaly detection, malevolent intention detection, or a combination thereof, collected by one or more sensors associated with the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second data comprises data related to vehicle positioning, weather monitoring, precipitation monitoring, anomaly detection, malevolent intention detection, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the health score to the vehicle, a remote location, or both.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a health report from at least one vehicle of the one or more vehicles responsive to the broadcasting.

6. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a mode setting circuit of a processor, a user command;
selecting, by the mode setting circuit of the processor, one of a plurality of modes as an operational mode of the processor according to the received user command;
receiving, by a control circuit of the processor via one or more scanning sensors, first data from a vehicle responsive to the operational mode being an interactive mode or a hybrid mode;
receiving, by the control circuit of the processor via one or more sensors embedded in a road on which the vehicle travels, second data indicating at least ground truth positioning of the vehicle responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode;
determining, by the control circuit of the processor, a condition with respect to one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, one or more algorithms utilized by the vehicle, or a combination thereof, using the first data and the second data responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode;
generating, by the control circuit of the processor, a health report indicating a result of the determining, the health report indicating inaccuracy or anomaly with respect to the one or more sensors associated with the vehicle, the one or more algorithms utilized by the vehicle, or a combination thereof responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode; and
broadcasting, by the control circuit of the processor, the first data or the second data, or both, responsive to the operational mode being a broadcast mode or the hybrid mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first data comprises data related to vehicle positioning, weather monitoring, precipitation monitoring, anomaly detection, malevolent intention detection, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second data comprises data related to vehicle positioning, weather monitoring, precipitation monitoring, anomaly detection, malevolent intention detection, or a combination thereof.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a wireless transceiver capable of establishing wireless communications with one or more vehicles;
one or more embedded sensors embedded in a road on which the one or more vehicles travel and configured to collect station sensor data from the one or more vehicles;
one or more scanning sensors configured to receive vehicle sensor data from the one or more vehicles; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more embedded sensors, the one or more scanning sensors and the wireless transceiver, the processor comprising a mode setting circuit and a control circuit, the mode setting circuit configured to receive a user command and select one of a plurality of modes as an operational mode of the processor according to the received user command, the control circuit configured to receive the station sensor data from the one or more embedded sensors responsive to the operational mode being an interactive mode or a hybrid mode, the control circuit also configured to communicate with the one or more vehicles through the wireless transceiver responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode, the control circuit further configured to generate a health score indicating a condition associated with at least one vehicle of the one or more vehicles responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode or the hybrid mode, the control circuit additionally configure do broadcast the station sensor data to one or more vehicles responsive to the operational mode being a broadcast mode or the hybrid mode,
wherein the station sensor data indicates at least ground truth positioning of the at least one vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the station sensor data comprises data related to vehicle positioning, weather monitoring, precipitation monitoring, anomaly detection, malevolent intention detection, or a combination thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more embedded sensors and the one or more scanning sensors comprise a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, an infrared camera, a visible light camera, a road pressure sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a precipitation sensor, a ground condition sensor, a temperature sensor, a wind speed sensor, a wind direction sensor, a spectrum sensing device, or a combination thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the wireless transceiver is capable of establishing the wireless communications with the one or more vehicles via a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication technology.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further capable of transmitting the health score via the wireless transceiver to the at least one vehicle, a remote location, or both.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein, responsive to the operational mode being the interactive mode, the control circuit is further configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving vehicle sensor data from the at least one vehicle of the one or more vehicles;
comparing the vehicle sensor data and the station sensor data;
generating the health score responsive to a result of the comparing indicating a difference between the vehicle sensor data and the station sensor data; and
transmitting, via the wireless transceiver, the health score to the at least one vehicle, a remote location, or both.

15. The apparatus of claim

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Smith Joshua Scott

Classifications

• G01L9/00

  Measuring steady of quasi-steady pressure of fluid or fluent solid material by electric or magnetic pressure-sensitive elements {(G01L11/004 takes precedence)}; Transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements, used to measure the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or fluent solid material, by electric or magnetic means (measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00) · CPC title

• G07C5/08

  Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time · CPC title

• G01M17/00

  Testing of vehicles (testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00) · CPC title

• G06F7/00

  Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled (logic circuits H03K19/00) · CPC title

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title