CONTINGENCY PLAN SYSTEM AND METHOD
A method, computer program product, and computing system for monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values; and calculating an initial failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more initial usage values.
1 . A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values; and
calculating an initial failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more initial usage values.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more initial usage values.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the initial failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the initial failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values; and
calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more updated usage values.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the updated failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the updated failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively monitoring, at defined intervals, the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to iteratively generate one or more updated usage values.
10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively calculating, at defined intervals, the updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.
11 . A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values; and
calculating an initial failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more initial usage values.
12 . The computer program product of claim 12 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more initial usage values.
13 . The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the initial failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the initial failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
15 . The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values; and
calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.
16 . The computer program product of claim 15 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more updated usage values.
17 . The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the updated failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
18 . The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the updated failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
19 . The computer program product of claim 15 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively monitoring, at defined intervals, the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to iteratively generate one or more updated usage values.
20 . The computer program product of claim 19 wherein calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively calculating, at defined intervals, the updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.
21 . A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values; and
calculating an initial failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more initial usage values.
22 . The computing system of claim 21 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more initial usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more initial usage values.
23 . The computing system of claim 21 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the initial failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
24 . The computing system of claim 23 wherein the initial failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
25 . The computing system of claim 21 further comprising:
monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values; and
calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.
26 . The computing system of claim 25 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
monitoring the status of one or more sensors included within the autonomous vehicle to generate the one or more updated usage values.
27 . The computing system of claim 25 further comprising:
sensing a failure of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle; and
executing the updated failure contingency plan in response to sensing the failure.
28 . The computing system of claim 27 wherein the updated failure contingency plan includes one or more of:
a cease operation portion configured to provide an orderly shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a major failure; and
a degraded operation portion configured to allow degraded operation of the autonomous vehicle when the failure sensed is a minor failure.
29 . The computing system of claim 25 wherein monitoring the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to generate one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively monitoring, at defined intervals, the operating environment of an autonomous vehicle to iteratively generate one or more updated usage values.
30 . The computing system of claim 29 wherein calculating an updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values includes:
iteratively calculating, at defined intervals, the updated failure contingency plan based, at least in part, upon the one or more updated usage values.