Braking Control Architectures For Autonomous Vehicles

Patent No. US11884284 (titled "Braking Control Architectures For Autonomous Vehicles") was filed by Tusimple Inc on Oct 26, 2020.

’284 is related to the field of autonomous vehicle control systems, specifically focusing on redundant braking systems. The background acknowledges the increasing reliance on onboard computing power for vehicle operation, especially in autonomous vehicles. Existing braking systems, including anti-lock braking systems, are deemed insufficient for fully autonomous vehicles requiring more precise and reliable braking solutions.

The underlying idea behind ’284 is to create a fail-operational braking architecture for autonomous vehicles. This is achieved by implementing redundant vehicle control units (VCUs) and brake controllers, creating multiple independent paths for braking commands. The system ensures that even if one or more components fail, the braking system can still receive and execute valid commands, maintaining vehicle safety.

The claims of ’284 focus on a braking system that receives four sets of braking commands. These commands are generated by different combinations of a primary VCU, a secondary VCU, a primary brake controller, and a secondary brake controller. The system then uses arbitration logic to select one of these command sets to operate the brakes. This selection process is designed to ensure that a valid and safe braking command is always available, even in the event of component failures.

In practice, the system continuously monitors the health of the VCUs and brake controllers. If a failure is detected in one of the primary components, the arbitration logic will switch to using commands generated by the redundant secondary components. The VCUs operate in a master/slave configuration, with the secondary VCU ready to take over control if the primary VCU fails. This transition is designed to occur rapidly, within the processing time of the brake controllers, to minimize any disruption to braking performance.

This approach differs from traditional braking systems by providing multiple, independent command paths and a robust arbitration mechanism. Instead of relying on a single controller and communication channel, ’284 uses redundancy to ensure that braking commands can always reach the braking system. Furthermore, the secondary brake controller can incorporate sensor data like steering angle and yaw rate, allowing for more sophisticated braking decisions in certain failure scenarios. This multi-path redundancy and intelligent arbitration are key to achieving the high levels of safety required for autonomous vehicles.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2020s when ’284 was filed, autonomous vehicle systems commonly relied on redundant sensors and control units to ensure safety and reliability, at a time when vehicle control systems were typically implemented using a combination of microcontrollers and embedded software, and when hardware and software constraints made real-time fault detection and recovery non-trivial.

Novelty and Inventive Step

Claims 1-8 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA) as being indefinite. The drawings were objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). Claims 9-20 were allowed. The prior art of record was considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.

Claims

This patent includes 20 claims, with independent claims 1, 9, and 14. The independent claims focus on a system, method, and computer-readable medium for controlling vehicle braking using multiple controllers and an arbitration logic to select commands. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific components, configurations, and functionalities related to the system, method, or computer-readable medium described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)	Support for Specification	Interpretation
Arbitration Logic (Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 14)	“Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for redundant braking systems and architectures. In an example, this is achieved by implementing redundant components (e.g., vehicle control units, base controllers, etc.) and configuring multiple paths that provide multiple copies of braking commands to a braking system to ensure that the accurate and safe control of the autonomous vehicle.”	A logic that selects one of the sets of commands to operate the braking system.
Primary Brake Controller (Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 14)	“In an example, this is achieved by implementing redundant components (e.g., vehicle control units, base controllers, etc.) and configuring multiple paths that provide multiple copies of braking commands to a braking system to ensure that the accurate and safe control of the autonomous vehicle.”	A brake controller that generates a set of commands for the braking system, and is paired with a primary VCU to provide redundancy.
Primary Vehicle Control Unit (Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 14)	“In an example, this is achieved by implementing redundant components (e.g., vehicle control units, base controllers, etc.) and configuring multiple paths that provide multiple copies of braking commands to a braking system to ensure that the accurate and safe control of the autonomous vehicle.”	A vehicle control unit comprising multiple processors that generates a set of commands for the braking system, and is paired with a primary brake controller to provide redundancy.
Secondary Brake Controller (Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 14)	“In an example, this is achieved by implementing redundant components (e.g., vehicle control units, base controllers, etc.) and configuring multiple paths that provide multiple copies of braking commands to a braking system to ensure that the accurate and safe control of the autonomous vehicle.”	A brake controller that generates a set of commands for the braking system, and is paired with a secondary VCU to provide redundancy.
Secondary Vcu (Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 14)	“In an example, this is achieved by implementing redundant components (e.g., vehicle control units, base controllers, etc.) and configuring multiple paths that provide multiple copies of braking commands to a braking system to ensure that the accurate and safe control of the autonomous vehicle.”	A vehicle control unit that generates a set of commands for the braking system, and is paired with a secondary brake controller to provide redundancy.

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US11884284

TUSIMPLE INC

Application Number: US17080330
Filing Date: Oct 26, 2020
Status: Granted
Expiry Date: Aug 10, 2042
External Links: Slate, USPTO, Google Patents

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