How Car Safety Systems Turn Off When Sensors Disagree
This patent describes a car safety system that uses both a camera and a radar sensor to detect objects, and if their detections don't match up, it can disable parts of the driving assistance for safety.
Original patent title: “Vehicular driving assist system with sensor offset correction”
This patent describes a car safety system that uses both a camera and a radar sensor to detect objects, and if their detections don't match up, it can disable parts of the driving assistance for safety. Granted to Magna Electronics in 2023 with 65 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2040.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This system helps a vehicle stay safe by using two different types of sensors: a camera and a radar sensor, both looking forward. An electronic control unit (ECU) processes the information from both sensors to detect objects, like other cars or pedestrians, in front of the vehicle. The clever part is that the ECU then compares what the camera sees with what the radar sees. If there's a big difference, meaning one sensor detects an object and the other doesn't (as described in claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 8 and 10), or if the sensors are misaligned (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 12), the ECU determines there's an "error in object detection." If this error is too large, the system will disable at least part of the driving assist function, such as automatic emergency braking or forward collision warning (claims 2 and 3), and can alert the driver (claim 5).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover driving assist systems that rely on only a single type of sensor, such as only a camera or only a radar.
- Does not cover systems that use sensor disagreement primarily to correct or fuse data, rather than to disable a driving assist function.
- Does not cover systems that use different combinations of sensors, like lidar and cameras, without a radar sensor.
- Does not cover systems where the 'error in object detection' is determined by internal sensor diagnostics rather than a direct comparison of object detections between a camera and a radar.
- Does not cover systems that continue to provide full driving assist functionality even when there is a significant discrepancy between camera and radar object detections.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The truly clever part is using the *discrepancy* between two different types of object detection – visual from a camera and range-based from radar – as a direct trigger to *disable* or reduce the functionality of a driving assist system, rather than just trying to reconcile or fuse the conflicting data. This prioritizes safety by defaulting to a more cautious state when sensor reliability is in doubt.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Automatic Emergency Braking systems in cars
Forward Collision Warning systems
Pedestrian detection systems in vehicles
Adaptive Cruise Control systems that rely on multi-sensor input
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Modern vehicles increasingly rely on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for safety, but these systems need to be reliable. This patent addresses a critical safety concern: what happens when sensors provide conflicting information. By disabling functions when there's a significant disagreement between a camera and a radar, the system aims to prevent potentially dangerous actions based on unreliable data, enhancing overall vehicle safety.
Filed
September 14, 2020
Granted
July 18, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Magna Electronics Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a major global automotive supplier that develops and manufactures advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Other companies in the ADAS space, such as Bosch, Continental, and Mobileye (an Intel company), are also actively working on multi-sensor fusion and safety mechanisms for autonomous and semi-autonomous driving.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the ongoing development of safer and more reliable advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). As ADAS features become standard in new vehicles, ensuring their robustness against sensor discrepancies is crucial. This type of safety mechanism helps build trust in automated driving functions and is an important component in the broader market trend towards higher levels of vehicle autonomy.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This system helps a vehicle stay safe by using two different types of sensors: a camera and a radar sensor, both looking forward. An electronic control unit (ECU) processes the information from both sensors to detect objects, like other cars or pedestrians, in front of the vehicle. The clever part is that the ECU then compares what the camera sees with what the radar sees. If there's a big difference, meaning one sensor detects an object and the other doesn't (as described in claims 8 and 10), or if the sensors are misaligned (claim 12), the ECU determines there's an "error in object detection." If this error is too large, the system will disable at least part of the driving assist function, such as automatic emergency braking or forward collision warning (claims 2 and 3), and can alert the driver (claim 5).
The clever bit
The truly clever part is using the *discrepancy* between two different types of object detection – visual from a camera and range-based from radar – as a direct trigger to *disable* or reduce the functionality of a driving assist system, rather than just trying to reconcile or fuse the conflicting data. This prioritizes safety by defaulting to a more cautious state when sensor reliability is in doubt.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover driving assist systems that rely on only a single type of sensor, such as only a camera or only a radar.
- Does not cover systems that use sensor disagreement primarily to correct or fuse data, rather than to disable a driving assist function.
- Does not cover systems that use different combinations of sensors, like lidar and cameras, without a radar sensor.
- Does not cover systems where the 'error in object detection' is determined by internal sensor diagnostics rather than a direct comparison of object detections between a camera and a radar.
- Does not cover systems that continue to provide full driving assist functionality even when there is a significant discrepancy between camera and radar object detections.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$65K – $207K
Midpoint $130K · 14.1 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
65 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Jr., W. J. C., & Raudszus, D. (2023). How Car Safety Systems Turn Off When Sensors Disagree (U.S. Patent No. 11,702,088). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11702088/vehicular-driving-assist-system-with-sensor-offset-correction
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Car Safety Systems Turn Off When Sensors Disagree cover?
This patent describes a car safety system that uses both a camera and a radar sensor to detect objects, and if their detections don't match up, it can disable parts of the driving assistance for safety.
Who owns patent US 11702088?
Magna Electronics owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 14, 2040, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11702088 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Modern vehicles increasingly rely on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for safety, but these systems need to be reliable. This patent addresses a critical safety concern: what happens when sensors provide conflicting information. By disabling functions when there's a significant disagreement between a camera and a radar, the system aims to prevent potentially dangerous actions based on unreliable data, enhancing overall vehicle safety.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover driving assist systems that rely on only a single type of sensor, such as only a camera or only a radar.
Same assignee
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