Vehicle-mounted ranging system

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted ranging system is disclosed, comprising: a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one external communication transceiver; and a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers configured to transmit ranging pulses to and receive ranging pulses from at least one external UWB transceiver associated with the at least one external communication transceiver. A controller is interposed between the communication transceiver and the plurality of UWB transceivers. The controller is configured to communicate with the associated at least one external communication transceiver to schedule the transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver, and to calculate the distance between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver based on the arrival time of the ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application serial number 63 / 137,398, filed on January 14, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to vehicle-to-everything communication, and more specifically to a system for performing ranging measurements and transmitting ranging measurements between vehicles, infrastructure, and people. Background Technology

[0004] The automotive industry is constantly adopting new technologies to enhance the consumer experience, safety, and security. One of the biggest concerns today is serious traffic collisions, an area where technology can be applied to save lives. Numerous efforts are underway to define, develop, standardize, and implement best practices to improve road safety. Initially, manufacturers used standalone Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies within vehicles, such as radar and cameras. With these technologies, each manufacturer could implement its own system without standardization.

[0005] The next major leap in safety is enabling vehicles to share information and collaborate with each other. This requires standardization to ensure connectivity between vehicles from different manufacturers. Efforts are underway to provide a foundation for connected vehicles by standardizing Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) connectivity, which includes vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) protocols. Standardization efforts related to V2X have paved the way for the adoption of new technologies that enhance ADAS and connected autonomous vehicle sensor suites. However, other sensors suffer from drawbacks such as multipath echo and the inability to collaborate with other vehicles in ranging measurements. A system is needed that can provide inter-vehicle ranging collaboration while eliminating inaccurate ranging due to multipath echo. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A vehicle-mounted ranging system with a controller is disclosed, the controller utilizing a communication transceiver to wirelessly communicate with at least one external controller via its external communication transceiver. The controller interfaces between the communication transceiver and a plurality of UWB transceivers. The controller then schedules the transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver. The controller also receives data from the plurality of UWB transceivers to calculate the distance between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver based on the arrival time of the ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB ranging transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver. In at least some embodiments, the controller is also configured to establish a secure communication link between the communication transceiver and the at least one external communication transceiver, and then configure the plurality of UWB transceivers with a secure scrambling code for UWB ranging.

[0007] In another respect, any of the foregoing aspects and / or the various individual aspects and features as described herein may be combined, individually or together, to obtain additional advantages. Unless otherwise indicated herein, any of the various features and elements disclosed herein may be combined with one or more other disclosed features and elements.

[0008] Those skilled in the art will understand the scope of this disclosure and recognize other aspects of it after reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a vehicle-mounted ranging system constructed according to this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the use of exemplary embodiments to measure distances between cyclists or other vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as motorcycles or electric mobility scooters; pedestrians; infrastructure; and another vehicle.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of using an on-board ranging system to assist lane changing, according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the ranging path between two vehicles implemented using a first selected ultra-wideband transceiver during the first time slot.

[0014] Figure 5This is a diagram showing the ranging path between two vehicles implemented using a second selected ultra-wideband transceiver during the second time slot.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the ranging path between two cars implemented using a third selected ultra-wideband transceiver during the third time slot.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the ranging path between two cars implemented using the fourth selected ultra-wideband transceiver during the fourth time slot.

[0017] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the overall transmission time slot settings used for distance measurement between the leading and following vehicles.

[0018] Figure 9 It is a diagram depicting the active transmission time slots used by an active ultrawideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses between the rear side of the passenger side of the leading vehicle and the front side of the passenger side of the following vehicle.

[0019] Figure 10 It is a diagram depicting the active transmission time slots used by an active ultrawideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses in a crossover manner between the rear side of the passenger side of the leading vehicle and the driver side of the front side of the following vehicle.

[0020] Figure 11 It is a diagram depicting the active transmission time slots used by an active ultrawideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses between the rear side of the driver's side of the leading vehicle and the front side of the passenger side of the following vehicle.

[0021] Figure 12 It is a diagram depicting the active transmission time slots used by an active ultrawideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses in a crossover manner between the rear side of the driver's side of the leading vehicle and the passenger side of the front side of the following vehicle.

[0022] Figure 13 It is a timing diagram depicting the time slots that include propagation delay and the total cycle time between V2X setup and V2X finality.

[0023] Figure 14 It is a diagram depicting the orthogonal signal matrix that completes the data polling.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a diagram depicting an exemplary arrangement of an additional UWB transceiver and / or antenna adjacent to a front-mounted UWB transceiver.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a diagram depicting an exemplary arrangement of additional UWB transceivers and / or antennas mounted on the front and rear quarter panels of the leading and following vehicles.

[0026] Figure 17 This is a diagram depicting an exemplary arrangement of a UWB transceiver having an antenna positioned for measuring the angle of arrival of a ranging pulse, and additional UWB transceivers and / or antennas mounted at the doors of the leading and following vehicles. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The embodiments described below illustrate the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and demonstrate the best manner in which the embodiments are practiced. Those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of this disclosure and recognize the application of these concepts not specifically set forth herein when reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

[0028] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated enumerations.

[0029] It should be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as "on another element" or extends "to another element," it may be directly on or directly extended onto the other element, or intermediate elements may also exist. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly on another element" or "directly extended onto another element," no intermediate elements exist. Similarly, it should be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as "on top of another element" or "extends over another element," it may be directly on or directly extended over the other element, or intermediate elements may also exist. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly on top of another element" or "extends directly over another element," no intermediate elements exist. It should also be understood that when an element is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intermediate elements may exist. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intermediate elements exist.

[0030] Relative terms such as “below,” “above,” “upper,” “lower,” “horizontal,” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element, layer, or region and another element, layer, or region as shown in the figures. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, these terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different orientations of the apparatus.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” specify the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should be further understood that the terms used herein shall be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein. For the purposes of this disclosure, the general term “vehicle-to-everything (V2X)” includes cellular V2X (C-V2X) and Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC).

[0033] This document describes embodiments with reference to schematic diagrams illustrating embodiments of this disclosure. Thus, the actual dimensions of layers and elements may differ, and shapes are expected to differ from those illustrated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. For instance, areas shown or described as squares or rectangles may have circular or curved features, and areas shown as straight lines may have some irregularity. Therefore, the areas shown in the figures are schematic, and their shapes are not intended to show the precise shape of the device areas and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, for illustrative purposes, the size of structures or areas may be exaggerated relative to other structures or areas; therefore, the sizes of said structures or areas are provided to illustrate the general structure of the subject matter and may be drawn to scale or not. Common elements between the figures may be indicated herein by common element numbers and may not be repeated subsequently.

[0034] Figure 1An exemplary embodiment of an onboard ranging system 10 with a communication transceiver 12 is depicted, the transceiver being configured to wirelessly communicate with an external communication transceiver mounted on a vehicle and infrastructure or carried by persons such as pedestrians and road workers. The onboard ranging system 10 further includes an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver 14 configured to transmit ranging pulses to and receive ranging pulses from an external UWB transceiver associated with the external communication transceiver. Figure 1 In an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 further includes other UWB transceivers 14.

[0035] The vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 also includes a controller 16 interfacing between the communication transceiver 12 and the UWB transceiver 14. The controller 16 is configured to communicate with external communication transceivers within range to schedule the transmission of ranging pulses between the UWB transceiver 14 and the external UWB transceivers within range, and to calculate the distance between each of the UWB transceivers 14 and the external UWB transceivers within range based on the arrival time of the ranging pulses transmitted between the UWB ranging transceiver 14 and the external UWB transceivers within range.

[0036] More specifically, the communication transceiver 12 includes an analog receiver 18 and an analog transmitter 20, each alternately and selectively coupled to the communication antenna 22 via a communication antenna switch 24. A digital transceiver 26 communicates with the analog receiver 18 and the analog transmitter 20. The digital transceiver 26 is configured to convert analog RF signals received by the analog receiver 18 into digital receive signals and generate digitally encoded transmission signals, which are then converted into analog transmission signals transmitted by the analog transmitter 20. A phase-locked loop (PLL) / clock generator 28 generates timing signals for the analog receiver 18, the analog transmitter 20, and the digital transceiver 26.

[0037] The state controller 30 drives the digital transceiver 26 and the communication switch 24 between communication transmit mode and communication receive mode. In communication transmit mode, analog transmission signals are transmitted from the analog transmitter 20 to the communication antenna 22 via the communication switch 24. In communication receive mode, the RF signals received by the communication antenna 22 are routed to the analog receiver 18 via the communication switch 24.

[0038] The power management block 32 is configured to provide management power, such as envelope tracking and average power tracking, to the digital transceiver 26. The power management block 32 typically receives power from a battery (not shown).

[0039] Interface 34, such as the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), communicates bidirectionally with the digital transceiver 26. Interface 34 also communicates bidirectionally with the controller 16 via the first communication bus 36.

[0040] More specifically, the UWB transceiver 14 includes an analog UWB receiver 38 and an analog UWB transmitter 40, each alternately and selectively coupled to a first UWB antenna 42 via a first UWB antenna switch 44 and a second UWB antenna switch 46. A UWB digital transceiver 48 communicates with the analog UWB receiver 38 and the analog UWB transmitter 40. The UWB digital transceiver 48 is configured to convert analog RF signals received by the analog UWB receiver 38 into digital UWB signals and generate digitally encrypted UWB signals, which are then converted into analog ranging signals transmitted by the analog UWB transmitter 40. A phase-locked loop (PLL) / clock generator 50 generates timing signals for the analog UWB receiver 38, the analog UWB transmitter 40, and the UWB digital transceiver 48.

[0041] The state controller 52 drives the UWB digital transceiver 48 and the communication switch 24 between UWB transmit mode and UWB receive mode. In UWB transmit mode, the analog UWB transmitter 40 transmits a UWB transmission signal in the form of a ranging pulse to the first UWB antenna 42 via the first UWB antenna switch 44 and the second UWB antenna switch 46. In UWB receive mode, the RF signal received by the first UWB antenna 42 and / or the second UWB antenna 54 is routed to the analog UWB receiver 38 via the second UWB antenna switch 46 and the first UWB antenna switch 44.

[0042] The power management block 56 is configured to provide management power, such as envelope tracking and average power tracking, to the UWB digital transceiver 48. The power management block 56 typically receives power from a battery (not shown).

[0043] Interface 58, such as the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), communicates bidirectionally with the UWB digital transceiver 48. Interface 58 also communicates bidirectionally with the controller 16 via the second communication bus 60.

[0044] More specifically, controller 16 includes processor 62 and memory 64, which may be a hybrid of random access memory (RAM) for storing volatile data containing processor instructions and read-only memory (ROM) for storing non-volatile data, as well as firmware containing processor instructions. Processor 62 communicates bidirectionally with memory 64 via a first internal bus 66. Controller 16 further includes a controller interface 68, such as SPI. Processor 62 communicates with controller interface 68 via a second internal bus 70. Controller interface 68 is communicatively coupled to both a first communication bus 36 and a second communication bus 60, both of which may be wired or wireless buses. Examples of suitable wired and wireless buses include, but are not limited to, controller area network (CAN) buses in both hardwired and wireless forms.

[0045] Processor 62 communicates with UWB transceiver 14 via controller interface 68 and a second communication bus 60. Processor 62 also communicates with transceiver 12 via controller interface 68 and a first communication bus 36. Processor 62 further communicates with navigation control unit 72 via controller interface 68 and the first communication bus 36, the navigation control unit controlling the movement of the vehicle equipped with onboard ranging system 10. Navigation control unit 72 may include, but is not limited to, cameras, radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors, steering angle sensors, odometers, inertial management units (IMUs), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. Navigation control unit 72 typically also includes an extended Kalman filter. Navigation control unit 72 communicates with vehicle control actuator 74 via control bus 76, which may be a CAN bus.

[0046] Memory 64 may include an encryption generator 78 configured to encrypt communication packets between the communication transceiver 12 and other communication transceivers associated with other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure elements. Memory 64 also includes a ranging calculator 80 configured to calculate distance based on the time of arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the UWB transceiver 14 and other UWB transceivers associated with other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure elements. The ranging calculator 80 may be further configured to calculate distance based on the angle of arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the UWB transceiver 14 and other UWB transceivers associated with other vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure elements. In at least some embodiments, the UWB transceiver 14 is configured to encrypt packets accompanying ranging pulses to thwart malicious spoofing attempts.

[0047] The memory 64 further includes a vehicle signaler 82 configured to send signals to the navigation control unit 72 via the processor 62, the second internal bus 70, the controller interface 68, and the first bus 36. The signals may include, but are not limited to, signals for applying the brakes, accelerating, turning the steering wheel left and right, and activating the turn signals left and right. The signals also include values ​​calculated by the processor 62 that inform the navigation control unit 72 how much braking, acceleration, and steering to apply. In response to the signals generated by the vehicle signaler 82, the navigation control unit 72 actuates the vehicle control actuator 74 to apply braking, acceleration, and steering. The controller 16, including the processor 62, the encryption generator 78, the distance calculator 80, and the vehicle signaler 82, can be implemented in hardware using logic gates of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). In other embodiments, the controller 16, including the processor 62, the encryption generator 78, the distance calculator 80, and the vehicle signaler 82, can be implemented in logic gates of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0048] Figure 2A leading vehicle 84 employing an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 is depicted, followed by a trailing vehicle 86, also employing an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10. The leading vehicle 84 and the trailing vehicle 86... Figure 2 The exemplary depiction forms a vehicle convoy. Another embodiment of the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 is used on a bicycle 88, depicted as adjacent to the passenger side of a leading vehicle 84. A pedestrian near the bicycle 88 holds a handheld communication device 90, which can be configured to communicate with a transceiver 12 associated with the leading vehicle 84, following vehicles 86, the bicycle 88, and infrastructure 92 such as traffic lights. Infrastructure 92 can also be, but is not limited to, stop signs, yield signs, speed limit signs, traffic cones, and roadside kiosks.

[0049] The communication device 90 shown is configured to have V2X and UWB capabilities compatible with communication transceiver 12 and UWB transceiver 14. The communication device 90 may be, but is not limited to, a smartphone, smartwatch, or tablet.

[0050] The lead vehicle 84 has a front side 94, a left side 96 laterally spaced from the right side 98, and a rear side 100 coupled to the front side 94 via the left side 96 and the right side 98. The antenna 42 of the first UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the lead vehicle 84 at a first position A, adjacent to the front side 94 and the left side 96. The antenna 42 of the second UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the lead vehicle 84 at a second position B, adjacent to the front side 94 and the right side 98. The antenna of the third UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the lead vehicle 84 at a third position C, adjacent to the rear side 100 and the right side 98. The antenna of the fourth UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the lead vehicle 84 at a fourth position D, adjacent to the rear side 100 and the left side 96.

[0051] The following vehicle 86 has a front side 102, a left side 104 laterally spaced from the right side 106, and a rear side 108 coupled to the front side 102 via the left side 104 and the right side 106. The antenna 42 of the first UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the following vehicle 86 at a fifth position E, adjacent to the front side 102 and the left side 104. The antenna 42 of the second UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver is located at a sixth position F. The antenna 42 of the third UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is installed at the following vehicle 86 at the sixth position F, which is adjacent to the front side 102 and the right side 106. The antenna 42 of the fourth UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is installed at the following vehicle 86 at the eighth position H, which is adjacent to the rear side 108 and the left side 104.

[0052] In one exemplary embodiment, controller 16 is further configured to use a ranging calculator 80 to calculate the distance between a fourth position D and a sixth position F, and to use ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of UWB transceivers 14 to measure the distance between a third position C and a fifth position E when the second vehicle 86 follows the first vehicle 84. This cross-ranging, depicted by a dotted arrow, provides additional accuracy compared to the shortest path ranging depicted by a solid arrow. The dashed arrows depict the communication paths between the communication transceiver 12 and other V2X transceivers associated with the bicycle 88, pedestrian 90, and infrastructure 92. It is also shown that controller 16 simultaneously ranges the bicycle 88 using the cross-ranging of this disclosure by calculating the distance between position B and position K and the distance between position C and position J. The ranging between the pedestrian's communication device 90 and the second vehicle is depicted as being measured using ranging pulse arrival time measurements between the UWB transceiver 14 at position L and the UWB transceivers 14 at positions F and G. The distances between infrastructures 92 are shown as measurements between the UWB transceiver 14 at location A, the UWB transceiver 14 on the top side (e.g., roof) of the first vehicle 84, and the infrastructure UWB transceiver at location I. The distances between infrastructures 92 are also shown as measurements between the UWB transceiver 14 at location H, the UWB transceiver 14 on the roof of the second vehicle 86, and the infrastructure UWB transceiver at location I. The distances can be calculated by the ranging calculator 80 using ranging pulse arrival time measurements or ranging pulse arrival angle measurements, or both. It should be understood that the UWB transceiver 14 and / or antenna 42 can be located on the bumpers at the front sides 94, 102 and the rear sides 100, 108. The UWB transceiver 14 and / or antenna 42 can also be located in the door handles and / or mirrors of the leading vehicle 84 and the second vehicle 86. Furthermore, the communication transceiver 12 and / or the communication antenna 22 can be located at any location of the UWB transceiver 14 or co-located with any of those locations.

[0053] Figure 3This diagram illustrates an exemplary embodiment of using an onboard ranging system 10 to assist lane changing, according to the present disclosure. A third vehicle 110 has a front side 112, a left side 114 laterally spaced from a right side 116, and a rear side 118 coupled to the front side 112 via the left side 114 and the right side 116. The antenna 42 of the corresponding antenna 42 of the first UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted to the third vehicle 110 at a ninth position W, adjacent to the front side 112 and the left side 114. The antenna 42 of the corresponding antenna 42 of the second UWB transceiver in the UWB transceiver 14 is mounted at a tenth position X. The antenna of the third UWB transceiver in UWB transceiver 14 is installed at position 110, adjacent to the front side 112 and the right side 116. The antenna of the third UWB transceiver in UWB transceiver 14 is installed at position 110, adjacent to the rear side 118 and the right side 116. The antenna of the fourth UWB transceiver in UWB transceiver 14 is installed at position 12, adjacent to the rear side 118 and the left side 114. Figure 3 In the scenario depicted, the third vehicle 110 has left the convoy led by the lead vehicle 84, and the second vehicle 86 is changing lanes to the right to also leave the convoy. During this crucial phase of breaking the convoy formation, as depicted by the dashed arrow lines between the communication transceivers 12, the lead vehicle 84, the second vehicle 86, and the third vehicle 110 communicate with each other, in this case, the communication transceivers are labeled V2X.

[0054] As depicted by the dotted arrows, additional cross-distance measurements are established between the leading vehicle 84 and the third vehicle 110, and between the second vehicle 86 and the third vehicle 110. As depicted by the solid arrows, direct distance measurement is performed simultaneously. The combination of cross-distance and direct distance measurement provides centimeter-level distance measurement during this critical lane-changing phase.

[0055] In some embodiments, the transceiver 12 may be a cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) transceiver, as defined by the C-V2X specification and Federal Communications Commission regulations, which uses 5G-PC5 (user equipment to user equipment communication via direct channel) on the 5.9 GHz band. In other embodiments, the transceiver 12 may be a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) transceiver based on the WiFi specification. The UWB transceiver 14 may use protocols established in IEEE 802.15.4a or 802.15.4z, including bidirectional ranging of multiple UWB transceivers 14 that are virtually simultaneous.

[0056] Figures 4 to 7This diagram illustrates the ranging path between a leading vehicle 84 and a following vehicle 86, the leading vehicle being a car and also labeled C1, and the following vehicle being a car and also labeled C2. For each of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2, four UWB transceivers 14 are labeled N1, N2, N3, and N4. The UWB transceiver 14 labeled N1 is located on the driver's side, 94, 102 in front of each of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2. The UWB transceiver 14 labeled N2 is located on the left side, 96, 104, 100, 108, behind each of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2. The UWB transceiver 14 labeled N3 is located on the right side, 98, 106, 100, 108, behind each of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2. UWB transceiver 14, labeled N4, is located at the right side 98, 106 of each of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2, on the front side 94, 102. Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the ranging path between the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2 during the first time slot, implemented using a first selected UWB transceiver. The first selected UWB transceiver is N3 of the leading vehicle C1 and N1 and N4 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, UWB transceivers N1 and N4 of the following vehicle C2 are receiving ranging pulses from the UWB transceiver N3 of the leading vehicle C1.

[0057] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the ranging path between two vehicles C1 and C2 during the second time slot, implemented using a second selected UWB transceiver. The second selected UWB transceiver is N2 of the leading vehicle C1 and N1 and N4 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, UWB transceivers N1 and N4 of the following vehicle C2 are receiving ranging pulses from the UWB transceiver N2 of the leading vehicle C1.

[0058] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the ranging path between two vehicles C1 and C2 during the third time slot, implemented using a third selected UWB transceiver. The third selected UWB transceiver is N2 and N3 of the leading vehicle C1 and N4 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, UWB transceivers N2 and N3 of the leading vehicle C1 are receiving ranging pulses from UWB transceiver N4 of the following vehicle C2.

[0059] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the ranging path between two vehicles, C1 and C2, implemented using a fourth selected UWB transceiver during the fourth time slot. The fourth selected UWB transceiver is N2 and N3 of the leading vehicle C1 and N1 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, UWB transceivers N2 and N3 of the leading vehicle C1 are receiving ranging pulses from UWB transceiver N1 of the following vehicle C2.

[0060] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the overall transmission time slot setup used for distance measurement between the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2. The transmission time slots directly correspond to... Figures 4 to 7 .

[0061] Figure 9 This diagram depicts the active transmission time slots for transmitting ranging pulses between the left side 98, rear side 100 of the leading vehicle C1, and the left side 106, front side 102 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, transmission time slots 1 and 3 are marked in bold to indicate that these time slots are used to calculate the time of flight (TOF) from the leading vehicle 1 UWB transceiver N3 (C1N3) to the following vehicle C2 UWB transceiver N4 (C2N4).

[0062] Figure 10 This diagram depicts the active transmission time slots for an active ultra-wideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses in a cross configuration between the rear 100 of the right side 98 of the leading vehicle C1 and the left 104 of the front 102 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, transmission time slots 1 and 4 are marked in bold to indicate that these time slots are used to calculate the flight time from the UWB transceiver N3 (C1N3) of the leading vehicle 1 to the UWB transceiver N1 (C2N1) of the following vehicle C2.

[0063] Figure 11 This is a diagram depicting the active transmission time slots for transmitting ranging pulses between the left side 96 rear side 100 of the leading vehicle C1 and the left side 104 front side 102 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, transmission time slots 2 and 4 are marked in bold to indicate that these time slots are used to calculate the flight time from the leading vehicle 1 UWB transceiver N2 (C1N2) to the following vehicle C2 UWB transceiver N1 (C2N1).

[0064] Figure 12 This diagram depicts the active transmission time slots used by an active ultra-wideband transceiver to transmit ranging pulses in a cross configuration between the rear 100 of the left side 96 of the leading vehicle C1 and the right 106 of the front 102 of the following vehicle C2. In this case, transmission time slots 2 and 3 are marked in bold to indicate that these time slots are used to calculate the flight time from the UWB transceiver N2 (C1N2) of the leading vehicle C1 to the UWB transceiver N4 (C2N4) of the following vehicle C2.

[0065] Figure 13 This is a graph depicting the timing of time slots, including propagation delay and the total cycle time between V2X setup and V2X finality. In this case, the total cycle time is an exemplary 1.2 milliseconds.

[0066] Figure 14 This is a diagram depicting the orthogonal signal matrix that completes the data polling. The letter T written into each cell corresponding to the transmission time slot, the vehicle, and the UWB transceiver represents the received timestamp.

[0067] In general, this disclosure provides a combination of ranging and assurance through controller 16, communication transceiver 12, and ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging transceiver 14 to improve the accuracy of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and driverless autonomous vehicles (AVs), wherein the communication transceiver may be a C-V2X communication device or a DSRC communication device, where X is another vehicle, person, or infrastructure. In this disclosure, ADAS and AV are referred to as AAV. Various methods can then be applied to the onboard ranging system 10 according to this disclosure to provide different embodiments.

[0068] Controller 16 manages the entire distance calculation system. This can be part of an AAV system or tightly integrated with it. The AAV system uses C-V2X for various protocols. These protocols establish a communication network between adjacent vehicles traveling on a highway. Once adjacent vehicles are identified, the onboard ranging system 10 can be used to establish their high-precision positions. An AAV system using a global navigation satellite system may have a general understanding of the positions of adjacent vehicles, but not detailed positions such as the right front bumper. The onboard ranging system according to this disclosure provides relatively faster centimeter-level relative positions of adjacent vehicles. In other embodiments, the AAV system uses the DSRC protocol to establish a communication network between adjacent vehicles traveling on a highway.

[0069] Once the AAV establishes a connection with a neighboring vehicle, infrastructure, or person (AVIP), the AAV can request the AVIP's identification information. Using this identification information, according to this embodiment of the disclosure, communication with the AVIP can then be achieved.

[0070] Controller 16 can then establish a secure communication link and secure scrambling codes for the UWB ranging algorithm. Controller 16 can then jointly establish a ranging session to determine the distances to the various sensors on the AVIP. Once the UWB transceiver 14 has collected time-of-flight information for each sensor on the AVIP, the UWB transceiver can then calculate the three-dimensional (3D) position of the AVIP, including altitude and distance. This is crucial for accurately projecting the distance onto the ground plane.

[0071] The V2X link uses transceiver 12 to communicate between vehicles and set all the parameters required for UWB transceiver 14 to begin ranging. Once ranging is complete, the calculated distance can be transmitted to the AVIP using the V2X link. Other information, such as the location of various UWB devices on the AVIP, can also be exchanged. Furthermore, various security protocols can be used to ensure the system communicates correctly with the AVIP and is not spoofed.

[0072] Using relative position calculations over time, acceleration, deceleration, leftward or rightward relative movement can be determined, and a safe distance can be maintained or braking / acceleration can be applied as needed. The use of the onboard distance measurement system 10 may include, but is not limited to, communicating from one vehicle to nearby vehicles to determine the distance between them, and using said distance to calculate the position of different parts of the vehicle with accuracy within centimeters. Other uses of the onboard distance measurement system 10 may include providing grouping assistance starting from traffic lights, providing indication of emergency braking, providing lane change assistance, providing queuing assistance, and providing assistance in entering and exiting platoons.

[0073] Other uses of the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 may include, but are not limited to, communicating from a vehicle to a nearby person to determine the distance between them, and then calculating the person's position at the centimeter level. Then, by employing a vehicle signal device 82 ( Figure 1 The vehicle distance measurement system 10 determines whether the vehicle should apply brakes and sends a braking signal to the navigation control unit 72, thereby using the person's position to maintain a safe distance between the vehicle and the person. The vehicle distance measurement system 10 can also be used to determine the position of the handheld communication device 90 (…). Figure 2 The system can locate people to identify specific targets, such as those picked up by Uber. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, the controller 16 of the vehicle ranging system 10 is configured to allow correctly identified people to access the vehicle.

[0074] Other uses of the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 include communicating from a vehicle to nearby infrastructure to determine the distance between them, and then using said distance to calculate the location of the infrastructure with centimeter-level accuracy. The controller 16 is configured to use the calculated location of the infrastructure to maintain a safe distance between the vehicle and the infrastructure. For example, the vehicle signaler 82 is configured to determine whether the vehicle should apply brakes and how the vehicle should steer to avoid a collision with the infrastructure.

[0075] The vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 can also be used to determine the location of the parking space and assist in centering within it. Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 can be used to determine the location of the wireless charging port or locate the vending machine to assist with payment or parking entry and payment.

[0076] Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted ranging system 10 can also be configured to cooperate with automotive radar, lidar, cameras, and other systems to provide high-precision positioning. However, the advantages of UWB transceivers over automotive radar, lidar, cameras, and other systems include the following: UWB transceivers 14 measure distances between themselves, while radar reflects light from a surface and then averages it to the center of the surface. For angled surfaces, the distance measured by radar is not accurate to a specific point. UWB transceivers also cooperatively determine when to transmit ranging pulses, thereby reducing the probability of interference. For example, in heavy traffic, communication and ranging interference can occur because each vehicle has a radar unit and each radar unit operates independently. Finally, the power transmitted by UWB transceivers 14 is at least an order of magnitude lower than that of comparable automotive radar.

[0077] Figure 15 This is a diagram depicting an exemplary arrangement of an additional UWB transceiver 14 and / or antenna 42 adjacent to the front-mounted UWB transceiver. Figure 16 This diagram depicts an exemplary arrangement of additional UWB transceivers 14 and / or antennas 42 mounted on the front and rear quarter panels of a leading vehicle C1 and a following vehicle C2. In some embodiments, the antenna 42 corresponding to each of the plurality of UWB transceivers 14 is mounted to the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2 at locations providing 180-degree ranging coverage for each of the front, left, right, and rear sides. In some embodiments, the antenna 42 corresponding to each of the plurality of UWB transceivers 14 is mounted to the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2 at locations providing 180-degree ranging coverage for each of the front, left, right, and rear sides. In some embodiments, each antenna 42 corresponding to each of the plurality of UWB transceivers 14 is mounted at a corner of the leading vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2 to provide 270-degree ranging coverage for each of the corners.

[0078] Figure 17 This diagram depicts an exemplary arrangement of a UWB transceiver 14 having an antenna 42 positioned for measuring the angle of arrival of a ranging pulse, and additional UWB transceivers 14 and / or antennas 42 mounted at the doors of the lead vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2. In some embodiments, each of the antennas 42 is mounted to the lead vehicle C1 and the following vehicle C2 at multiple wavelengths apart to provide ranging pulse reception that can be used by the controller 16 to calculate the angle of arrival of the ranging pulse. In some of these embodiments, the controller 16 is also configured to calculate the distance measurement value using either or both of the time of arrival and the angle of arrival.

[0079] It is anticipated that any of the foregoing aspects and / or the various individual aspects and features described herein can be combined to obtain additional advantages. Unless otherwise indicated herein, any embodiment of the various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined with one or more other disclosed embodiments.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of this disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered to be within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the following claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted ranging system, comprising: A communication transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one external communication transceiver; Multiple ultra-wideband transceivers, wherein the multiple ultra-wideband transceivers are configured to transmit ranging pulses to at least one external ultra-wideband transceiver associated with at least one of the external communication transceivers and to receive ranging pulses from at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers; and A controller, which is connected between the communication transceiver and the plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers and is configured to: Communicating with at least one associated external communication transceiver to schedule the transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of said ultra-wideband transceivers and at least one of said external ultra-wideband transceivers; The multiple ultra-wideband transceivers are configured using the transmission schedule of the ranging pulses; and The distance between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and at least one of the external UWB transceivers is calculated based on the arrival time of the ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB transceivers and at least one of the external UWB transceivers.

2. The vehicle-mounted ranging system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to establish a secure communication link between the communication transceiver and at least one of the external communication transceivers.

3. The vehicle-mounted ranging system according to claim 2, wherein the communication transceiver is a cellular vehicle-to-everything transceiver.

4. The vehicle-mounted ranging system according to claim 2, wherein the communication transceiver is a dedicated short-range communication service transceiver.

5. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a security scrambling code for ultra-wideband ranging to the plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers.

6. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers are held by or mounted to at least one of the objects, and at least one of the objects is separate from the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted ranging system is mounted.

7. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the objects of at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is a pedestrian.

8. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the objects of at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is a vulnerable road user.

9. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the objects equipped with at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is an infrastructure component.

10. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers has a corresponding antenna configured to transmit and receive the ranging pulses.

11. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10, wherein the first vehicle has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, wherein a corresponding antenna of a first ultra-wideband transceiver of a plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a first position adjacent to both the front side and the left side, a corresponding antenna of a second ultra-wideband transceiver of a plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a second position adjacent to both the front side and the right side, a corresponding antenna of a third ultra-wideband transceiver of a plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a third position adjacent to both the rear side and the right side, and a corresponding antenna of a fourth ultra-wideband transceiver of a plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the first vehicle at a fourth position adjacent to both the rear side and the left side.

12. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers are installed in at least one second vehicle different from the first vehicle.

13. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the second vehicles has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, wherein a corresponding antenna of the first of at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the second vehicle at a fifth position adjacent to both the front side and the left side, a corresponding antenna of the second of at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the second vehicle at a sixth position adjacent to both the front side and the right side, a corresponding antenna of the third of at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the second vehicle at a seventh position adjacent to both the rear side and the right side, and a corresponding antenna of the fourth of at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the second vehicle at an eighth position adjacent to both the rear side and the left side.

14. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the first position and the seventh position, and to measure the distance between the second position and the eighth position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the first vehicle is following the second vehicle.

15. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the second position and the eighth position, and to measure the distance between the third position and the fifth position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the first vehicle is next to the second vehicle.

16. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the fourth position and the sixth position, and to measure the distance between the third position and the fifth position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the second vehicle is following the first vehicle.

17. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the first position and the eighth position, and to measure the distance between the second position and the seventh position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the first vehicle is following the second vehicle.

18. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the second position and the fifth position, and to measure the distance between the third position and the eighth position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the first vehicle is next to the second vehicle.

19. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance between the fourth position and the fifth position, and to measure the distance between the third position and the sixth position using ranging pulse arrival time measurements performed by a plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers when the second vehicle is following the first vehicle.

20. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 11, wherein the antenna of the fifth ultra-wideband transceiver of the plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted on the vehicle at a position adjacent to the top side of the first vehicle.

21. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 11, wherein the communication transceiver has a communication antenna mounted to the first vehicle at a position adjacent to the top side of the first vehicle.

22. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers has an additional antenna configured to transmit and receive the ranging pulse, the additional antenna being spaced apart from the corresponding antenna to measure the angle of arrival of the ranging pulse.

23. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, and wherein the antenna corresponding to each of the plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the vehicle at a location providing 180-degree ranging coverage for each of the front side, the left side, the right side, and the rear side.

24. The vehicle ranging system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, wherein a corner is provided at each interface between the front side and the left side, the front side and the right side, the right side and the rear side, and the rear side and the left side, and wherein each antenna corresponding to each of the plurality of ultra-wideband transceivers is mounted to the corner to provide ranging coverage of 270 degrees for each of the corners.

25. The vehicle ranging system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, and wherein one or more individual antennas corresponding to the plurality of the ultra-wideband transceivers are mounted on each of the front side, the left side, the right side, and the rear side.

26. The vehicle ranging system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle has a front side, a left side spaced laterally from the right side, and a rear side coupled to the front side via the left side and the right side, and wherein each of the antennas is mounted to the vehicle at a distance of multiple wavelengths from each other to provide ranging pulse reception that can be used by the controller to calculate the angle of arrival of the ranging pulse.

27. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the distance measurement value using both the time of arrival and the angle of arrival.

28. A vehicle-mounted ranging system, comprising: A communication transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one external communication transceiver; At least one ultra-wideband transceiver, wherein the at least one said ultra-wideband transceiver is configured to transmit ranging pulses to and receive ranging pulses from at least one said external ultra-wideband transceiver associated with the at least one said external communication transceiver; and A controller, which is connected between the communication transceiver and at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers and is configured to: Communicating with at least one associated external communication transceiver to schedule the transmission of ranging pulses between at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers; configuring at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers with a schedule of the transmission of the ranging pulses; and The distance between at least one UWB ranging transceiver and at least one external UWB transceiver is calculated based on the arrival time of the ranging pulses transmitted between at least one UWB ranging transceiver and at least one external UWB transceiver.

29. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 28, wherein at least one of the external communication transceivers and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers are mounted to at least one second vehicle different from the first vehicle.

30. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers are two ultra-wideband transceivers spaced apart and mounted adjacent to a first surface of the first vehicle, and at least one of the external ultra-wideband transceivers are two external ultra-wideband transceivers spaced apart and mounted adjacent to a second surface of the second vehicle.

31. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the distance between two ultra-wideband transceivers spaced apart and mounted adjacent to the first surface of the first vehicle and two external ultra-wideband transceivers spaced apart and mounted adjacent to the second surface of the second vehicle using ranging pulses received in an interleaved manner.

32. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 28, wherein at least one external transceiver is a plurality of external transceivers installed or carried by different vehicles, pedestrians and infrastructure.

33. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the distance between at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers and at least one external transceiver by measuring the arrival time of the ranging pulse.

34. The vehicle-mounted ranging system of claim 28, wherein the controller is further configured to measure the distance between at least one of the ultra-wideband transceivers and at least one external transceiver by measuring the angle of arrival of the ranging pulse.

Images