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US 10,471,829 B2Granted
Self-destruct zone and autonomous vehicle navigation
AssigneeNIO USA, Inc.
InventorsYadunandana Yellambalase, Austin L. Newman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems of an electrical vehicle are provided that recognize a power system fault with the vehicle and in response autonomously drive the vehicle to an identified safe location to self-destruct. Upon reaching the location, the vehicle can evaluate the location using imaging sensors to determine whether the location is free of objects, animals, or people. If not, the vehicle may autonomously drive to another safe location. Prior to destruction, the vehicle sends messages, including information about the power system fault, to at least one device or third party. The messages include location information for the vehicle or information about the power system fault.
Claims20
A vehicle control system, comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- and
- a computer readable medium coupled to the microprocessor and comprising instructions stored thereon that cause the microprocessor to:
- receive output from sensors associated with a power system in a vehicle monitoring a state of the power system while the vehicle is in a connected charging state with an external charging system at a parked location, wherein the vehicle is in park and a charging connector of the external charging system is physically connected with a charging receptacle of the vehicle in the connected charging state;
- determine, based on at least one output from the sensors exceeding a predetermined threshold value, that the state of the power system includes a power system fault;
- determine that a user of the vehicle is outside of the vehicle;
- eject, in response to determining that the state of the power system includes the power system fault, the charging connector of the external charging system from the charging receptacle of the vehicle physically separating the vehicle from the external charging system;
- determine whether the parked location of the vehicle is in a safe destruction location;
- and
- autonomously drive the vehicle from the parked location to an identified safe vehicle destruction location when the parked location of the vehicle is determined not to be in a safe destruction location.
7 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, via a processor, output from sensors associated with a power system in a vehicle monitoring a state of the power system while the vehicle is in a connected charging state with an external charging system at a parked location, wherein the vehicle is in park and a charging connector of the external charging system is physically connected with a charging receptacle of the vehicle in the connected charging state;
- determining, via the processor and based on at least one output from the sensors exceeding a predetermined threshold value, that the state of the power system includes a power system fault;
- determining, via the processor, that a user of the vehicle is outside of the vehicle;
- ejecting, in response to determining that the state of the power system includes the power system fault, the charging connector of the external charging system from the charging receptacle of the vehicle physically separating the vehicle from the external charging system;
- determining, via the processor, whether the parked location of the vehicle is in a safe destruction location;
- and
- autonomously driving the vehicle from the parked location to an identified safe vehicle destruction location when the parked location of the vehicle is determined not to be in a safe destruction location.
4 more elements
A vehicle, comprising:
- a power system comprising one or more electrical components;
- at least one sensor associated with the power system, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor a state of the power system while charging;
- a location module configured to determine a geographical location or position of the vehicle;
- and
- a vehicle control system, comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- and
- a computer readable medium coupled to the microprocessor and comprising instructions stored thereon that cause the microprocessor to:
- receive output from the at least one sensor associated with the power system while the vehicle is in a connected charging state with an external charging system at a parked location, wherein the vehicle is in park and a charging connector of the external charging system is physically connected with a charging receptacle of the vehicle in the connected charging state;
- determine, based on at least one output from the at least one sensor exceeding a predetermined threshold value, that the state of the power system includes a power system fault;
- determine that a user of the vehicle is outside of the vehicle;
- eject, in response to determining that the state of the power system includes the power system fault, the charging connector of the external charging system from the charging receptacle of the vehicle physically separating the vehicle from the external charging system;
- determine, based at least partially on information received from the location module, whether the parked location of the vehicle is in a safe destruction location;
- and
- autonomously drive the vehicle from the parked location to an identified safe vehicle destruction location when the parked location of the vehicle is determined not to be in a safe destruction location.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.