# US 2023/0274591 A1 · Autonomous driving system component fault prediction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0274591 A1 - Document ID: US20230274591A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/298,152 - Filed: 2023-04-10 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-23 - Assignees: Tesla, Inc. - Applicants: Tesla, Inc. - Inventors: Atchyuth Gorti; David Glasco; Daniel William Bailey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230274591A1 ## CPC - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - B60W 60/001: {Planning or execution of driving tasks} - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - G07C 5/0808: {Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005)} - G05B 23/0235: {based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold} - G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)} - G07C 5/006: {Indicating maintenance} - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A vehicular autonomous driving system includes a fault prediction unit, including a processor and memory, configured to predict a potential future fault condition by: monitoring performance data associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components; comparing the performance data associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components to a plurality of performance thresholds; and determining the potential future fault condition for one of the plurality of autonomous driving components, when the performance data associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components compare unfavorably to corresponding one of the plurality of performance thresholds. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicular autonomous driving system comprising: a plurality of autonomous driving components including: a plurality of autonomous drive units that control motion of a vehicle; an autonomous driving controller configured to control the plurality of autonomous drive units of the vehicle; a plurality of autonomous driving sensors coupled to the autonomous driving controller and configured to collect autonomous driving data and transmit the autonomous driving data to the autonomous driving controller; a fault prediction unit, including a processor and memory, configured to predict a potential future fault condition by: monitoring life accelerating events data associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components; updating an expected component life associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components; and determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components based on when a service time of the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components exceeds the expected component life associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein the life accelerating events data includes an indication of one of a plurality of life accelerating events and an indication of one or more of the plurality of autonomous driving components associated with the life accelerating event. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of life accelerating events includes an indication of an over-voltage condition, a voltage spike or a current spike. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of life accelerating events includes an indication of a high operating temperature or a low operating temperature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein, determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components includes: executing a stress test, when the service time of the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components exceeds the expected component life associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components; and determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components when stress test results compare unfavorably to a stress test threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, further comprising executing a stress test to generate stress test results; and comparing stress test results to a stress test threshold; wherein determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components is further based on the stress test results compare unfavorably to the stress test threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein updating the expected component life associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components includes decreasing the expected component life associated with a selected one of the plurality of autonomous driving components in response to the life accelerating events data indicating a life accelerating event associated with the selected one of the plurality of autonomous driving components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein an indication of the potential future fault condition is transmitted to a diagnostic unit via a wireless communication link. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein an indication of the potential future fault condition is transmitted to a diagnostic unit via a charging port of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicular autonomous driving system of claim 1, wherein plurality of autonomous driving components further include components of at least one vehicle accessory. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: monitoring life accelerating events data associated with a plurality of autonomous driving components of an autonomous vehicle; updating an expected component life associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components; and determining a potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components based on when a service time of the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components exceeds the expected component life associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the life accelerating events data includes an indication of one of a plurality of life accelerating events and an indication of one or more of the plurality of autonomous driving components associated with the life accelerating event. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of life accelerating events includes an indication of an over-voltage condition, a voltage spike or a current spike. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of life accelerating events includes an indication of a high operating temperature or a low operating temperature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein, determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components includes: executing a stress test, when the service time of the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components exceeds the expected component life associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components; and determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components when stress test results compare unfavorably to a stress test threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising executing a stress test to generate stress test results; and comparing stress test results to a stress test threshold; wherein determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components is further based on the stress test results compare unfavorably to the stress test threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein updating the expected component life associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components includes decreasing the expected component life associated with a selected one of the plurality of autonomous driving components in response to the life accelerating events data indicating a life accelerating event associated with the selected one of the plurality of autonomous driving components. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein an indication of the potential future fault condition is transmitted to a diagnostic unit via a wireless communication link. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein an indication of the potential future fault condition is transmitted to a diagnostic unit via a charging port of the autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 20 A vehicular autonomous driving system comprising: a memory; a fault prediction unit, including a processor coupled to the memory, configured to predict a potential future fault condition by: monitoring life accelerating events data associated with a plurality of autonomous driving components; updating an expected component life associated with the plurality of autonomous driving components; and determining the potential future fault condition of one of the plurality of autonomous driving components based on when a service time of the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components exceeds the expected component life associated with the one of the plurality of autonomous driving components.