Method and device for identifying group delay changes of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle, and navigation sensor having such a device

Abstract

The solution presented herein relates to a method for identifying a group delay variation (102) of a navigation sensor (105) of a navigation system (110) of a vehicle (115). The method comprises a reading step and a determining step. In the reading step, at least one first GNSS simulator signal (127) is read from a virtual satellite (130) of a virtual global navigation satellite system (135) by a reading device (120) at a first time point, and a second GNSS simulator signal (140) is read from a virtual satellite (130) of the virtual navigation satellite system (135) or at least one second virtual satellite (145) at a second time point different from the first time point. In the determining step, the group delay variation (102) is determined (210) by using the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention is based on a device and a method for detecting changes in the group delay of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle. The subject matter of the invention also includes a computer program. Background Art

[0002] In production, the quality of the high-frequency path of the navigation module in which the components are installed must be monitored at the end of the assembly line. An important parameter here is the group delay variation. Differences in the delay are directly reflected in the positioning accuracy of the navigation module. Summary of the invention

[0003] Against this background, a method for detecting group delay changes of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle, a device using the method, a navigation sensor having such a device, and a corresponding computer program are proposed with the approach presented here.

[0004] The proposed solution has the advantage that, for example, a possibility is created during the production of the navigation sensor for detecting changes in the group delay of the navigation sensor. This ensures that the position of the navigation sensor or the position of a vehicle having the navigation sensor is correctly calculated during operation of the navigation sensor.

[0005] A method for identifying a group delay variation of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle is proposed. The method comprises a reading step and a determining step. In the reading step, at least one first GNSS simulator signal is read from a virtual satellite of a virtual global navigation satellite system by a reading device at a first time point, and a second GNSS simulator signal is read from a virtual satellite of the navigation satellite system or at least one second virtual satellite at a second time point different from the first time point. In the determining step, the group delay variation is determined by using the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal.

[0006] The method can be implemented, for example, in the form of software or hardware or a hybrid of software and hardware, for example in a controller.

[0007] The abbreviation "GNSS" stands for "Global Navigation Satellite System" in English and means a global navigation satellite system. A virtual global navigation satellite system is a simulated navigation satellite system scenario. The virtual navigation satellite system may include only one virtual satellite or may also additionally include a second virtual satellite or any number of other virtual satellites. For example, a navigation satellite system scenario may be a virtual static GLONASS scenario with as many virtual GLONASS satellites as possible. GLONASS stands for "Global Navigation Satellite System" in English and means a global navigation satellite system operated by the Russian Federation. The reading device may include at least one GNSS receiver or a received signal of such a GNSS receiver designed to read a navigation sensor from a GNSS receiver.

[0008] The method may be carried out, for example, in the production of navigation sensors and may be part of a so-called “end of line” test or “end of life” test, in which the reliability or functionality of a navigation sensor is tested prior to intended use.

[0009] In the determination step, the first GNSS simulator signal can be evaluated to obtain a first measurement variable, and the second GNSS simulator signal can be evaluated to obtain a second measurement variable, wherein the group delay change is determined by using the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable. The GNSS simulator signals can, for example, respectively include a timestamp, which indicates the time point of transmission of the corresponding GNSS simulator signal of the corresponding virtual satellite. By using another timestamp indicating the time point of receiving the corresponding GNSS simulator signal by a reading device or a GNSS receiver, the delay of each GNSS simulator signal can be calculated by taking the difference between the timestamp and the other timestamp.

[0010] According to one embodiment, in the determination step, a first GNSS simulator signal can be evaluated to obtain a first pseudorange as a first measurement variable, the first pseudorange representing the distance between the virtual satellite and the reading device, and a second GNSS simulator signal can be evaluated to obtain a second pseudorange as a second measurement variable, the second pseudorange representing the distance between the second virtual satellite and the reading device. Pseudoranges are also called pseudoranges or "pseudo ranges" in English, which represent a first approximation of the distance between a transmitter and a receiver derived from the delay of a radio signal. Pseudo (seriously wrong, unreal) because even a small clock error will cause the pseudorange to be unable to be used as a direct measurement of the distance due to the speed of light (300 m / μs) as a large factor.

[0011] In the determining step, the group delay variation can be determined by taking the difference between the first measured variable and the second measured variable. For example, in the determining step, the group delay variation can be determined by taking the difference between the first pseudorange and the second pseudorange. This provides a fast method for identifying the group delay variation.

[0012] For example, in the reading step, a first GNSS simulator signal of a virtual GLONASS satellite or a virtual GPS satellite or a virtual Galileo satellite is read, and a second GNSS simulator signal of a virtual GLONASS satellite or a virtual GPS satellite or a virtual Galileo satellite is read in addition or alternatively. Here, different virtual GLONASS satellites may send signals at different frequencies. Different virtual GPS satellites may send signals at the same frequency. This provides a possibility to determine the group delay variation by using various virtual satellite types.

[0013] According to one embodiment, in the reading step, a first GNSS simulator signal and a second GNSS simulator signal having different frequencies may be read. Here, the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal are read from different GLONASS satellites that transmit signals at respective frequencies.

[0014] In the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal may be read from a virtual satellite and a second virtual satellite having the same simulated distance from the reading device. Such an embodiment provides the advantage that possible errors in determining the group delay variation are minimized by the same simulated distance of the satellites from the reading device.

[0015] Alternatively, in the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal may also be read from a virtual satellite and a second virtual satellite having different simulated distances from the reading device.

[0016] Furthermore, it is advantageous that according to one embodiment, in the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal are read from a virtual satellite having a constant simulated distance from the reading device. If this distance remains constant during the measurement, the Doppler effect will be avoided.

[0017] In addition, the scheme introduced here also proposes a device, which is designed to execute, control or implement the steps of the variant scheme of the method introduced here in the corresponding equipment. The implementation variant scheme in the form of a device of the scheme can also quickly and effectively achieve the purpose based on the scheme.

[0018] To this end, the device may have at least one computing unit for processing signals or data, at least one storage unit for storing signals or data, at least one interface with a sensor or actuator for reading a sensor signal from a sensor or outputting a data signal or a control signal to an actuator, and / or at least one communication interface for reading or outputting data embedded in a communication protocol. The computing unit may be, for example, a signal processor, a microcontroller, etc., wherein the storage unit may be a flash memory, an EEPROM, or a magnetic storage unit. The communication interface may be designed to read or output data in a wireless and / or wired manner, wherein a communication interface capable of reading or outputting wired data may, for example, read the data from a corresponding data transmission line in an electrical or optical manner or output it to a corresponding data transmission line.

[0019] In this article, a device can be understood as an electronic device that processes sensor signals and outputs control signals and / or data signals accordingly. The device can have an interface based on hardware and / or software construction. In a hardware-based construction method, the interface can be, for example, a part of a so-called ASIC system that contains various functions of the device. It is also feasible that the interface is a separate integrated circuit or is at least partially composed of discrete components. In a software-based construction method, the interface can be, for example, a software module that coexists with other software modules on a microcontroller.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, a method for identifying a group delay change of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle is controlled by the device. To this end, the device can, for example, access sensor signals, such as a first GNSS simulator signal from a virtual satellite of a virtual global navigation satellite system at a first point in time and a second GNSS simulator signal from a virtual satellite of the navigation satellite system or at least one second virtual satellite at a second point in time different from the first point in time. Control is performed by actuators, such as a reading device designed to read the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal, and a determining device designed to determine the group delay change by using the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal.

[0021] Furthermore, a navigation sensor for a navigation system of a vehicle is described, the navigation sensor having the device. Such a navigation sensor can be used in a navigation system in which a group delay change of the navigation sensor can be detected by the device or a group delay change of the navigation sensor can be detected before the navigation sensor is used in conjunction with the navigation system.

[0022] Also advantageous is a computer program product or a computer program with a program code, which can be stored on a machine-readable carrier or storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk memory or an optical memory, and is used, in particular when the program product or the program is run on a computer or a device, to execute, implement and / or control the steps of the method according to any of the above-described embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] An exemplary embodiment of the solution proposed here is shown in the drawings and explained in detail in the following description.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an apparatus for identifying a group delay variation of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle according to one embodiment; and

[0025] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for identifying group delay variations of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle according to one embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In the following description of advantageous exemplary embodiments of the solution, identical or similar reference numerals are used for elements having similar functions shown in the individual figures, wherein a repeated description of these elements is omitted.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an apparatus 100 for detecting a group delay variation 102 of a navigation sensor 105 of a navigation system 110 of a vehicle 115 is shown according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0028] The device 100 according to this exemplary embodiment is accommodated merely by way of example in or at a navigation sensor 105 which is also merely by way of example part of a navigation system 110 of a vehicle 115. According to this exemplary embodiment, the vehicle 115 is designed as a highly automated drivable vehicle 115.

[0029] The apparatus 100 has a reading device 120 and a determining device 125. The reading device 120 is designed to read a first GNSS simulator signal 127 from a virtual satellite 130 of a virtual global navigation satellite system 135 at a first point in time, and to read a second GNSS simulator signal 140 from a virtual satellite 130 of the virtual navigation satellite system 135 or at least one second virtual satellite 145 at a second point in time different from the first point in time. The determining device 125 is designed to determine the group delay variation 102 by using the first GNSS simulator signal 127 and the second GNSS simulator signal 140.

[0030] The virtual global navigation satellite system 135 relates to a simulated navigation satellite system scenario. According to one embodiment, the virtual navigation satellite system 135 has only one virtual satellite 130 or, as according to the present embodiment, additionally has a second virtual satellite 145. According to an alternative embodiment, the virtual navigation satellite system 135 comprises any number of further virtual satellites, the further GNSS simulator signals of which can be read by the reading device 120, and the determination device 125 then determines the group delay variation 102 according to one embodiment by using these GNSS simulator signals.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the virtual navigation satellite system 135 relates to a virtual GLONASS scenario in which the virtual satellite 130 takes the form of a virtual GLONASS satellite and the second virtual satellite 145 takes the form of another virtual GLONASS satellite. According to this embodiment, the first GNSS simulator signal 127 of the virtual GLONASS satellite and the second GNSS simulator signal 145 of the other virtual GLONASS satellite have different frequencies.

[0032] According to an alternative embodiment, the virtual satellite 130 and / or the second virtual satellite 145 are designed as virtual GPS satellites or virtual Galileo satellites and / or the first GNSS simulator signal 127 and the second GNSS simulator signal 145 have the same frequency.

[0033] According to one embodiment, in order to read the GNSS simulator signals 127 , 140 , the reading device 120 has at least one or more GNSS receivers, or the reading device 120 is designed to read the reception signals from the GNSS receiver of the navigation sensor 105 from these GNSS receivers.

[0034] According to this embodiment, virtual satellite 130 and second virtual satellite 145 have the same simulated distance from reading device 120 or GNSS receiver. According to an alternative embodiment, virtual satellite 130 and second virtual satellite 145 have different simulated distances from reading device 120 or GNSS receiver.

[0035] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the virtual satellite 130 and the second virtual satellite 145 have a constant simulated distance from the reading device 120 or the GNSS receiver.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the determination device 125 is designed to evaluate the first GNSS simulator signal 127 to obtain a first measurement variable, and to evaluate the second GNSS simulator signal 140 to obtain a second measurement variable, and to determine the group delay variation 102 by using the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable. According to this embodiment, the determination device 125 is designed to evaluate the first GNSS simulator signal 127 to obtain a first pseudorange as a first measurement variable representing the distance from the virtual satellite 130 to the reading device 120, and to evaluate the second GNSS simulator signal 140 to obtain a second pseudorange as a second measurement variable representing the distance from the second virtual satellite 145 to the reading device 120. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the determination device 125 is designed to determine the group delay variation 102 by taking the difference between the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable, i.e., the difference between the two pseudoranges.

[0037] The device 100 presented here advantageously allows verification of the group delay variation 102 , abbreviated “GDV” in English, during “end of line” testing or “end of life” testing (abbreviated “EOL testing”).

[0038] The navigation sensor 105 may also be referred to as a motion sensor and / or position sensor for the automated vehicle 115 and is designed to calculate a high-precision vehicle position with the aid of navigation satellite data such as GPS, GLONASS and / or Galileo. In addition, correction data from a so-called correction service in the navigation sensor 105 is also used simultaneously to more accurately calculate the position of the vehicle 115. Together with the received navigation satellite data ("GNSS data" for short), the navigation sensor 105 is designed to also read a high-precision time, such as universal time, and use it for precise position determination.

[0039] In production, the quality of the high-frequency path of a navigation module with components installed therein needs to be monitored at the end of the assembly line. An important parameter here is the group delay variation 102. The group delay, i.e. the time required for signals of different frequencies to pass through the filter components of the navigation module, is particularly important for GLONASS satellites (Global Navigation Satellite System). Unlike GPS satellites, the visible GLONASS satellites transmit at their own frequency. Differences in delay are directly reflected in the position accuracy and can lead to inaccuracies in the distance calculation. A delay difference of one nanosecond corresponds to a distance error of about 30 cm.

[0040] With the device 100 at the end of the assembly line, the group delay variation 102 can be verified by indirect measurement.

[0041] The significant advantages of the approach presented here include, among other things, indirect measurement of GDV by judicious selection of a suitable GNSS simulator scenario. According to one embodiment, the virtual navigation satellite system 135 is designed as a virtual static Glonass scenario for as many virtual satellites 130, 145 as possible, having one or more of the following characteristics:

[0042] – The distance from the navigation sensor 105 to the virtual satellites 130, 145 is constant (static satellite scenario), so there is no Doppler effect

[0043] – The distances from the navigation sensor 105 to the virtual satellites 130 and 145 are the same (static satellite scenario)

[0044] – The widest possible spectrum.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the determination device 125 performs an evaluation of the measurement variables provided by the reading device 120 and / or the GNSS receiver to obtain a pseudorange, also called “Rseudo Range”. According to this embodiment, the determination device 125 shows the frequency-resolved delay difference by taking the difference between the pseudoranges of different virtual satellites 130 , 145 .

[0046] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method 200 for identifying group delay variations of a navigation sensor of a navigation system of a vehicle according to one embodiment is shown. Figure 1 The method 200 is performed by the apparatus.

[0047] The method 200 includes a reading step 205 and a determining step 210. In the reading step 205, at least one first GNSS simulator signal is read from a virtual satellite of a virtual global navigation satellite system at a first time point by a reading device, and a second GNSS simulator signal is read from a virtual satellite of the virtual navigation satellite system or at least one second virtual satellite at a second time point different from the first time point. In the determining step 210, a group delay variation is determined by using the first GNSS simulator signal and the second GNSS simulator signal.

[0048] The method steps described here can be performed repeatedly and in a sequence different from that described.

[0049] If an exemplary embodiment includes an “and / or” conjunction between a first feature and a second feature, this can be interpreted as that the exemplary embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature according to one exemplary embodiment, and has only the first feature or only the second feature according to another exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. A method (200) for identifying a group delay variation (102) of a navigation sensor (105) of a navigation system (110) of a vehicle (115), wherein the method (200) comprises the following steps: Reading at least one first GNSS simulator signal (127) from a virtual satellite (130) of a virtual global navigation satellite system (135) at a first time point by means of a reading device (120), and reading a second GNSS simulator signal (140) from the virtual satellite (130) or at least one second virtual satellite (145) of the virtual global navigation satellite system (135) at a second time point different from the first time point; The group delay variation (102) is determined by using the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140), wherein the first GNSS simulator signal (127) is evaluated to obtain a first pseudorange as a first measurement variable, the first pseudorange representing the distance between the virtual satellite (130) and the reading device (120), the second GNSS simulator signal (140) is evaluated to obtain a second pseudorange as a second measurement variable, the second pseudorange representing the distance between the second virtual satellite (145) and the reading device (120), and the group delay variation (102) is determined by taking the difference between the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable.

2. The method (200) according to claim 1, wherein in the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal (127) is read from a virtual GLONASS satellite or a virtual GPS satellite or a virtual Galileo satellite, and / or the second GNSS simulator signal (140) is read from a virtual GLONASS satellite or a virtual GPS satellite or a virtual Galileo satellite.

3. The method (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the step of reading, the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140) having different frequencies are read.

4. The method (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the reading step (205), the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140) are read from the virtual satellite (130) and the second virtual satellite (145) having the same simulated distance with the reading device (120).

5. The method (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140) are read from the virtual satellite (130) and the second virtual satellite (145) having different simulated distances from the reading device (120).

6. The method (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the reading step, the first GNSS simulator signal (127) and the second GNSS simulator signal (140) are read from the virtual satellite (130) and the second virtual satellite (145) having a constant simulated distance from the reading device (120).

7. A device (100) for identifying a group delay variation (102) of a navigation sensor (105) of a navigation system (110) of a vehicle (115), configured to execute and / or control the steps of a method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in a corresponding unit (120).

8. A navigation sensor (105) for a navigation system (110) of a vehicle (115), comprising the device (100) according to claim 7.

9. A computer program product configured to execute and / or control the steps of the method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being configured to execute and / or control the steps of the method (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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