Analyzing in-vehicle safety based on a digital twin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420783-B2
Application number	US-202117520809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods of a safety system for monitoring the in-vehicle safety of internal objects within a vehicle. The safety system generates a digital twin of the interior objects from vehicle configuration data indicating a configuration of an interior environment of the vehicle, from interior object data associated with the interior object within the interior environment of the vehicle, and from vehicle situation data that indicates an operating status of the vehicle. The digital twin is an abstract model of the interior objects within the interior environment of the vehicle, and the safety system generates, based on the digital twin, a safety score associated with an operating behavior of the vehicle. Based on the safety score, the safety system determines a target level for the operating behavior.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive vehicle configuration data that indicates a configuration of an interior environment of a vehicle;
receive interior object data associated with an object within the interior environment of the vehicle;
receive vehicle situation data that indicates an operating status of the vehicle;
generate, based on the vehicle configuration data, the interior object data, and the vehicle situation data, a digital twin of the object, wherein the digital twin comprises an abstract model of the object within the interior environment;
determine a set of data differences between the digital twin and a previously-transmitted version of the digital twin;
transmit the set of data differences to a safety scoring generator that determines a safety score for an operating behavior of the vehicle, wherein the safety score is based on the previously-transmitted version of the digital twin and the set of data differences;
receive the safety score from the safety scoring generator;
determine, based on the safety score, a target level for the operating behavior; and
generate an instruction configured to conform operation of the vehicle to the target level for the operating behavior.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operating behavior comprises an acceleration of the vehicle, a jerk of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, and/or a trajectory of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a warning message if a current operating level for the operating behavior exceeds the target level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to receive the safety score comprises the processor configured to receive the safety score from the safety scoring generator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety scoring generator is located on a server that is remote from the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the object from the interior object data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising a sensor configured to collect the interior object data, wherein the sensor comprises a camera, a LiDAR, or a radar directed to the interior environment of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety score comprises a plurality of safety scores, wherein each safety score of the plurality of safety scores is based on the digital twin and is for a respective operating range of a plurality of operating ranges of the operating behavior.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety score is based on a probability that the vehicle will be operated at the target level of the operating behavior.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety score is based on a magnitude of a safety impact associated with operating the vehicle at the target level of the operating behavior.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety scoring generator comprises a lookup table containing a plurality of previously calculated safety scores for the digital twin, wherein each previously calculated safety score is associated with a previous configuration of the interior environment of the vehicle and a previous operating status of the vehicle, wherein the safety scoring generator is configured to select from the lookup table the safety score from the plurality of previously calculated safety scores based on matching the configuration to the previous configuration and matching the operating status to the previous operating status.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety score is based on a scoring model of scoring data from a plurality of digital twins associated with other vehicles.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety score is based on a scoring model of simulated scoring data.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a driver, a passenger, an animal, a bag, a purse, a backpack, and/or a suitcase.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising instructions which, if executed, cause a processor to:
receive vehicle configuration data that indicates a configuration of an interior environment of a vehicle;
receive interior object data associated with an object within the interior environment of the vehicle;
receive vehicle situation data that indicates an operating status of the vehicle;
generate, based on the vehicle configuration data, the interior object data, and the vehicle situation data, a digital twin of the object, wherein the digital twin comprises an abstract model of the object within the interior environment;
determine a set of data differences between the digital twin and a previously-transmitted version of the digital twin;
transmit the set of data differences to a safety scoring generator that determines a safety score for an operating behavior of the vehicle, wherein the safety score is based on the previously-transmitted version of the digital twin and the set of data differences;
receive the safety score from the safety scoring generator;
determine, based on the safety score, a target level for the operating behavior; and
generate an instruction configured to conform operation of the vehicle to the target level for the operating behavior.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle configuration data comprises a unique vehicle identifier, a vehicle model, a vehicle type, a vehicle variant, a seat configuration of the vehicle, a luggage rack configuration of the vehicle, and/or a cargo area configuration of the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle situation data comprises a vehicle pose, a geographical location of the vehicle, a map location in relation to the geographical location, a speed of the vehicle, an acceleration of the vehicle, a target speed of the vehicle, a planned route of the vehicle, a weather condition, a road condition, a road geometry, a traffic condition, and/or a condition of exterior objects.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the interior object data associated with the object comprises a unique object identifier, a position of the object within the interior environment, a size of the object, a weight of the object, an orientation of the object within the interior environment, a shape of the object, an outline of the object, a classification of the object, a safety-related attribute of the object, and/or a restraint status of the object.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Gassmann Bernd
• Scholl Kay-Ulrich
• Pasch Frederik
• Buerkle Cornelius
• Oboril Fabian

Classifications

• B60W2420/408

  Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar · CPC title

• G06V20/59

  inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions · CPC title

• B60W40/09 Primary

  Driving style or behaviour · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title