A method and apparatus for airport vehicle positioning

Abstract

This invention provides a method and apparatus for locating airport vehicles, belonging to the field of positioning and navigation. The method includes: periodically acquiring and storing ephemeris data from a backend server; after the main equipment of the airport vehicle is started, sending the ephemeris data to the main equipment; the satellite positioning card of the main equipment receiving the ephemeris data and performing satellite search for positioning; before the main equipment of the airport vehicle completes satellite positioning and network access, obtaining the positioning data of the airport vehicle using a positioning device and sending the positioning data back to the backend server; after the main equipment of the airport vehicle completes satellite positioning and network access, the main equipment sends the positioning data obtained by the satellite positioning card back to the backend server. This invention can shorten the initial positioning time of airport vehicles from minutes to seconds, effectively improving the effectiveness of airport vehicle location monitoring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of positioning and navigation, specifically relating to a method and apparatus for locating airport vehicles, which can quickly achieve positioning and upload data. Background Technology

[0002] Location-based management of airport vehicles is a fundamental requirement for modern intelligent airport management.

[0003] Currently, the positioning methods and devices used in conventional positioning are generally Beidou / GPS high-precision positioning and satellite positioning board 102, and the data is transmitted back to the background server 7 through 4G / 5G or other communication networks (hereinafter, "4G communication module 103" is used as an example for description).

[0004] The aforementioned conventional positioning methods and devices have a significant drawback when used for airport vehicle positioning: a long initial positioning time. This is due to the following reasons: the positioning equipment starts up when the vehicle is started, and after starting, it needs to complete operations such as satellite acquisition, positioning, and network connection. Typically, a cold start and initial positioning of the satellite positioning board 102 takes about one minute, while a cold start and network connection of the 4G communication module 103 also takes about one minute. Furthermore, if the vehicle is parked in a satellite signal shadow area, such as near the terminal building, jet bridges, baggage sorting areas, or warehouses, the initial positioning time will be further extended. Since the nature of airport operations means that many airport vehicles often reach their destination in 2-3 minutes, an excessively long initial positioning time results in a lack of monitoring of most, or even all, of the vehicle's movement, severely impacting the effectiveness of positioning management.

[0005] Furthermore, conventional positioning devices consume significant power for high-precision positioning and high-speed communication, making it impractical to maintain operation for extended periods after the vehicle is turned off. Powering them from the vehicle battery could easily deplete the battery, malfunctioning the vehicle. Using an external lithium battery would require a large capacity, but large-capacity lithium batteries pose safety risks in the high-temperature environment of the tarmac. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems existing in the prior art and provide a method and apparatus for airport vehicle positioning, which helps airport vehicles shorten the initial positioning time and achieve rapid positioning.

[0007] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for locating airport vehicles, the method comprising:

[0009] The system periodically retrieves and saves ephemeris data from the backend server. After the main equipment of the airport vehicle is started, the ephemeris data is sent to the main equipment. The satellite positioning board of the main equipment receives the ephemeris data and performs positioning and satellite search.

[0010] Before the main equipment of the airport vehicle completes satellite positioning and communication network access, positioning devices are used to obtain the positioning data of the airport vehicle and send the positioning data back to the backend server.

[0011] After the main equipment of the airport vehicle completes satellite positioning and communication network access, the main equipment sends the positioning data obtained by the satellite positioning board back to the backend server.

[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0013] The periodic acquisition of ephemeris data from the backend server and the transmission of positioning data back to the backend server are achieved using a low-power communication module that can maintain a long-term connection with the network.

[0014] When not communicating, the communication module remains in a dormant state; when communication is required, the communication module can quickly initiate active communication.

[0015] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0016] The positioning device is a positioning device that does not rely on satellites for positioning.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for locating airport vehicles, the apparatus comprising auxiliary equipment, the auxiliary equipment including: a built-in battery, an auxiliary equipment control chip, a communication module, and a positioning device;

[0018] The communication module and positioning device are respectively connected to the auxiliary equipment control chip;

[0019] The built-in battery can power the auxiliary equipment control chip, communication module, and positioning device.

[0020] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0021] The onboard power supply of the airport vehicle can power the control chip, communication module, positioning device, and built-in battery of the auxiliary equipment.

[0022] Preferably, the communication module is an NB-IoT communication module;

[0023] The positioning device is an inertial navigation device.

[0024] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0025] The device for locating airport vehicles further includes a main device, which includes a main device control chip, and a 4G communication module and a satellite positioning board connected thereto.

[0026] The auxiliary equipment control chip can communicate with the satellite positioning board and the main equipment control chip in the main equipment.

[0027] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0028] The main equipment and auxiliary equipment are integrated on a single circuit board;

[0029] Alternatively, the main device and the auxiliary device can be two separate devices connected by a cable.

[0030] A third aspect of the present invention provides a method of using the above-described device for airport vehicle positioning, the method comprising:

[0031] (1) The auxiliary equipment is powered on for the first time;

[0032] (2) The communication module in the auxiliary equipment connects to the network, obtains the latest ephemeris and saves it;

[0033] (3) If the vehicle power supply changes from disconnected to connected, proceed to step (4); if the vehicle power supply changes from connected to disconnected, proceed to step (10); if the vehicle power supply remains connected, proceed to step (11); if the vehicle power supply remains disconnected, proceed to step (12).

[0034] (4) Wait for the satellite positioning board of the main device to start;

[0035] (5) The auxiliary equipment sends the ephemeris to the satellite positioning board;

[0036] (6) Perform multi-source fusion positioning;

[0037] (7) Use the communication module of the auxiliary device to send the positioning data back to the backend server;

[0038] (8) Determine whether the main device has completed communication network access and satellite positioning. If yes, the main device control chip sends an instruction to the auxiliary device control chip and then proceeds to step (9). If no, return to step (6).

[0039] (9) After receiving the instruction, the auxiliary equipment control chip stops the communication module of the auxiliary equipment from sending data back to the background server, and then returns to step (3).

[0040] (10) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3);

[0041] (11) Monitor and save the current location and orientation of the airport vehicle, then return to step (3);

[0042] (12) Determine whether the time interval has been reached. If yes, proceed to step (13); otherwise, proceed to step (14).

[0043] (13) The communication module of the auxiliary equipment obtains the ephemeris from the backend server;

[0044] (14) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3).

[0045] A further improvement of the present invention is that:

[0046] The operation in step (6) includes:

[0047] When the satellite positioning board on the main device has not yet completed positioning, the positioning device on the auxiliary device is used to obtain positioning data.

[0048] After the satellite positioning board on the main device completes the positioning, the positioning data is calculated by combining the satellite positioning data and the positioning data from the positioning device on the auxiliary device.

[0049] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0050] This invention can reduce the initial location time of airport vehicles from minutes to seconds, effectively improving the effectiveness of airport vehicle location monitoring. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structural composition of the device for airport vehicle positioning according to the present invention;

[0052] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the steps of the method of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0054] Based on the conventional positioning terminal of airport vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "main device 1"), this invention sets up an auxiliary device 2 that is powered by a built-in battery, maintains a long-term connection with the communication network, and integrates an independent positioning device, to help shorten the initial positioning time and achieve rapid positioning.

[0055] This invention solves three main problems in existing airport vehicle positioning by using the following positioning method:

[0056] (1) Problem 1: The satellite search time is long during the initial positioning.

[0057] This invention uses an auxiliary device 2 to periodically obtain the latest and most valid satellite ephemeris 10 from the network and store it in memory. When the main device 1 starts up, the auxiliary device 2 sends the ephemeris 10 to the main device 1. The satellite positioning card 102 of the main device 1 (e.g., a BeiDou / GPS positioning card) supports A-GNSS functionality. After receiving the ephemeris 10 from the auxiliary device 2, the initial satellite positioning time of the satellite positioning card 102 can be shortened to 3-5 seconds.

[0058] (2) Problem 2: In the satellite signal shadow area, it is impossible to complete the satellite search or the satellite search time is extended.

[0059] The auxiliary device 2 of this invention integrates an independent positioning device. This positioning device is characterized by its ability to locate without relying on satellites. It can employ various existing positioning devices, with existing inertial navigation devices being preferred. As positioning technology develops, other satellite-independent positioning devices may emerge, allowing for the use of new positioning devices in the future. This embodiment uses an inertial navigation device as an example for description.

[0060] Before the main device 1 completes satellite positioning, the inertial navigation device estimates the vehicle's position using existing inertial navigation algorithms to obtain positioning data 9, and then sends the positioning data 9 back to the backend server 7 as the vehicle's position. After the main device 1 completes satellite positioning, it sends back the positioning data 9 obtained from the satellite positioning board.

[0061] (3) Problem 3: Long communication network access time.

[0062] The auxiliary device 2 of this invention integrates a communication module characterized by low power consumption, a long-term network connection, and 24-hour operation powered by a built-in battery. The communication module can utilize existing modules with these characteristics, such as an NB-IoT communication module (the following embodiments are described using an NB-IoT communication module as an example). The NB-IoT communication module can maintain a long-term network connection and remain in a sleep state when not communicating, resulting in very low power consumption. When communication is needed, it can quickly initiate active communication, thus avoiding the problem of long network access time. Before the main device 1's 4G communication module 103 completes network access, the auxiliary device 2 uses the NB-IoT communication module to first transmit location data 9 back to the backend server 7 via the communication base station 8. After the main device 1 completes network access, it then transmits the data back via the main device 1.

[0063] The apparatus for implementing the above positioning method is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0064] Main device 1 is a standard positioning device already configured on airport vehicles, including a 4G communication module 103, a satellite positioning board 102, and a main device control chip 101. The 4G communication module 103 and the satellite positioning board 102 are connected to the main device control chip 101. The satellite positioning board 102 sends positioning data 9 to the main device control chip 101, which then sends the positioning data 9 to the backend server 7 via the 4G communication module 103. Main device 1 integrates high-precision BeiDou / GPS positioning, high-speed 4G communication, and other auxiliary functions, basically meeting the airport's needs for vehicle positioning and business management.

[0065] Auxiliary device 2: In this invention, auxiliary device 2 is further installed on the airport vehicle. Auxiliary device 2 includes a built-in battery 3, an auxiliary device control chip 4, a communication module 5, and a positioning device 6. The communication module 5 and the positioning device 6 are respectively connected to the auxiliary device control chip 4.

[0066] Preferably, the communication module 5 is an NB-IoT communication module, and the positioning device 6 is an inertial navigation device. The built-in battery 3 simultaneously powers the auxiliary device control chip 4, the communication module 5, and the positioning device 6. The built-in battery 3 is charged by the vehicle power supply 12, which can also simultaneously power the auxiliary device control chip 4, the communication module 5, and the positioning device 6. Simultaneously, the auxiliary device control chip 4 is connected to the satellite positioning board 102 and the main device control chip 101 in the main device 1. The positioning device 6 sends positioning data 9 to the auxiliary device control chip 4, which in turn sends the positioning data 9 to the backend server 7 via the communication module 5. Simultaneously, the auxiliary device control chip 4 can obtain ephemeris 10 from the backend server 7 via the communication module 5 and send the ephemeris 10 to the satellite positioning board 102 of the main device 1. Furthermore, the satellite positioning board 102 can send the positioning data 9 to the auxiliary device control chip 4. The main device control chip 101 can send instructions 11 to the auxiliary device control chip 4.

[0067] Figure 1 The auxiliary device 2 is the core device for achieving rapid positioning. Its key feature is the use of a low-power communication module 5 that maintains a long-term connection with the network. Through this communication module 5, when the airport vehicle is turned off, it can periodically obtain ephemeris 10 from the backend server 7. At the same time, when the main device 1's 4G communication module 103 has not yet completed its network access, it can send positioning data 9 to the backend server 7 through the communication base station 8.

[0068] The working principle of auxiliary device 2 is as follows:

[0069] (1) After the vehicle is started, the auxiliary equipment 2 is powered by the vehicle power supply 12 and charges the built-in battery 3; after the vehicle is turned off, the auxiliary equipment is powered by the built-in battery 3 to ensure that the auxiliary equipment works 24 hours a day.

[0070] (2) When the auxiliary device 2 is started for the first time ("initial start" refers to the first time the auxiliary device is connected to the power supply or restarted for various reasons), the NB-IoT communication module is connected to the network; when communication is not needed, it remains in sleep mode and is woken up to work when communication is needed (this is a function that the existing communication module already has, and will not be described in detail here).

[0071] (3) The auxiliary device 2 obtains the latest ephemeris 10 from the background server 7 periodically through the communication module 5 and sends the ephemeris 10 to the auxiliary device control chip 4. The auxiliary device control chip 4 stores the ephemeris 10. Generally, the ephemeris is valid for 2 hours, so the ephemeris can be obtained once every hour to ensure the validity of the ephemeris.

[0072] (4) The auxiliary equipment control chip 4 in the auxiliary equipment 2 continuously detects the power supply status of the vehicle power supply 12. When the vehicle power supply 12 is detected to be turned on, that is, the main equipment 1 is starting up, the chip sends ephemeris 10 to the satellite positioning board 102 of the main equipment 1 to help the satellite positioning board 102 of the main equipment 1 quickly search for and locate satellites.

[0073] (5) If the main device’s communication module has not yet been connected to the network, the auxiliary device 2 uses the communication module 5 to send the positioning data 9 back to the backend server 7.

[0074] The positioning data 9 comes from two sources: If the satellite positioning board 102 of the main device 1 successfully acquires satellite positioning, the positioning data 9 from the satellite positioning board 102 is used (a typical satellite positioning board 102 has multiple data output interfaces, and the main device control chip 101 and the auxiliary device control chip 4 can simultaneously receive the positioning data 9 from the satellite positioning board 102). In this case, the auxiliary device control chip 4 sends the positioning data 9 from the satellite positioning board 102 to the backend server 7 through the communication module 5. If the satellite positioning board 102 of the main device 1 fails to acquire satellite positioning, the auxiliary device 2 uses the positioning data 9 provided by the positioning device 6 (e.g., positioning data 9 obtained by inertial navigation using inertial navigation calculation algorithms). In this case, the positioning device 6 sends the positioning data 9 to the auxiliary device control chip 4, and the auxiliary device control chip 4 then sends the positioning data 9 to the backend server 7 through the communication module 5.

[0075] The inertial navigation system needs an initial coordinate system and vehicle orientation to calculate the positioning data 9. The initial coordinate system and vehicle orientation can be the vehicle's position and orientation before the engine was last turned off. Since the NB-IoT communication module is always online and does not need to re-enter the network, it can send data to the backend server 7 at any time. Therefore, as soon as the vehicle starts, the backend server 7 can receive the vehicle's positioning data 9.

[0076] (6) After the main device 1 starts up successfully, the positioning data 9 is transmitted back through the main device 1 (specifically, the satellite positioning board 102 acquires the positioning data 9 and sends it to the main device control chip 101, which then sends the positioning data 9 to the backend server 7 via the 4G communication module 103). At the same time, the main device control chip 101 sends instruction 11 to the auxiliary device control chip 4. After receiving instruction 11, the auxiliary device control chip 4 stops sending the positioning data 9 via the communication module 5 of the auxiliary device 2, and only periodically acquires the ephemeris 10 and sends it to the auxiliary device control chip 4. At this time, the communication module 5 of the auxiliary device 2 no longer sends data on behalf of the main device 1. While the vehicle power supply 12 remains on, the auxiliary device control chip 4 continuously receives the satellite positioning data 9 sent by the satellite positioning board 102 and records the vehicle's position and orientation based on the positioning data 9 until the vehicle power supply 12 is turned off. The last recorded vehicle position and orientation can be used as the initial coordinates and vehicle orientation for the next inertial navigation.

[0077] The workflow of auxiliary device 2 is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes:

[0078] (1) Initial power-on;

[0079] (2) The NB-IoT communication module enters the network, obtains the latest ephemeris and saves it;

[0080] (3) Perform different operations according to the vehicle power supply status, as follows:

[0081] If the vehicle power supply changes from disconnected to connected, proceed to step (4); if the vehicle power supply changes from connected to disconnected, proceed to step (10); if the vehicle power supply remains connected, proceed to step (11); if the vehicle power supply remains disconnected, proceed to step (12).

[0082] (4) Wait for the satellite positioning board to start;

[0083] (5) The auxiliary equipment control chip sends the ephemeris to the satellite positioning board;

[0084] (6) Perform multi-source fusion positioning;

[0085] (7) Use the NB-IoT communication module to send the location data back to the backend server;

[0086] (8) Determine whether the main device has completed communication network access and satellite positioning. If yes, the main device control chip sends an instruction to the auxiliary device control chip and then proceeds to step (9). If no, return to (6).

[0087] (9) After receiving the instruction, the auxiliary equipment control chip stops the NB-IoT communication module from sending data back to the background server, and then returns to step (3).

[0088] (10) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3);

[0089] (11) Monitor and save the current location and orientation of the airport vehicle (standard satellite positioning data includes location, orientation, speed and other information), and then return to step (3);

[0090] (12) Determine whether the time interval (pre-set time interval) has been reached. If yes, proceed to step (13); otherwise, proceed to step (14).

[0091] (13) The NB-IoT communication module obtains ephemeris data;

[0092] (14) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3);

[0093] In steps (10) and (14) above, the auxiliary equipment hibernation means that the communication module and positioning device in the auxiliary equipment are both hibernating, and only the timer inside the auxiliary equipment control chip is working. After the time interval is reached, the hibernation ends and the communication module obtains the ephemeris, that is, it obtains the ephemeris at regular intervals.

[0094] In step (6) above, multi-source fusion positioning refers to: obtaining positioning data using positioning devices on auxiliary devices when the satellite positioning board on the main device has not yet completed positioning; and calculating positioning data using satellite positioning data and positioning data from positioning devices on auxiliary devices after the satellite positioning board on the main device has completed positioning. In this embodiment, it specifically refers to calculating positioning data using the positioning data from the inertial navigation system of the auxiliary device and the satellite positioning data from the satellite positioning board on the main device. Inertial navigation + satellite combined positioning is a mature existing algorithm, which has higher positioning accuracy than using only inertial navigation. Therefore, even when the satellite positioning board on the main device has not yet successfully positioned, multi-source fusion positioning can still calculate valid positioning data, allowing the vehicle to transmit valid positioning data back as soon as it starts.

[0095] When using inertial navigation for positioning, an initial position and orientation are required, which are derived from the data saved in step (11) above.

[0096] In step (11) above, the current position and orientation of the airport vehicle are obtained from positioning data. The positioning data can be the positioning data of the main device or the positioning data obtained by multi-source fusion positioning. The choice of positioning data does not affect the effect of the present invention, but it is preferred to use the positioning data of the main device, because the main device usually uses high-level components and the positioning accuracy is usually higher. Therefore, preferably, the auxiliary device control chip continuously receives satellite positioning data from the satellite positioning board of the main device and saves the current position and orientation of the airport vehicle.

[0097] The auxiliary equipment can determine whether the vehicle power supply is on or off using various existing circuit designs for determining on / off states, without affecting the effectiveness of this invention.

[0098] The auxiliary device control chip 4 is used to communicate with the main device control chip, transmit and store ephemeris and positioning data, and control the sleep state of the communication module and positioning device. The auxiliary device control chip 4 can be any MCU chip capable of instant startup, such as the mainstream STM32 series, without affecting the effectiveness of the invention. However, chips with long startup times, such as those using embedded Linux and Android, should not be selected, as these chips can take tens of seconds or even more than a minute to start, which cannot meet the desired effect of the invention.

[0099] Alternatively, the auxiliary equipment control chip 4 can be reused with the control chips in the communication module 5 and the positioning device 6, that is, the auxiliary equipment control chip 4 and the control chips in the communication module 5 and the positioning device 6 can be integrated into a single control chip. The communication, storage, and control functions of the auxiliary equipment control chip 4 can all be implemented using the chip's corresponding program, without requiring any modification to the method.

[0100] Preferably, the auxiliary device 2 uses an NB-IoT communication module as the communication method. With the development of communication technology, other communication technologies (such as eMTC, LTE Cat1, etc.) may also meet the requirements of low power consumption, long connection, and instant uplink communication recovery, and can also be used in this invention.

[0101] After the 4G communication module 103 has completed network access and the satellite board has been successfully positioned, the main device 1 sends instruction 11 to the auxiliary device control chip 4. This instruction can be sent using a general instruction sending program.

[0102] The main device 1 and the auxiliary device 2 can be integrated in various ways, such as being integrated on a single circuit board, or being made into two independent devices connected by a cable. All these connection methods do not affect the effectiveness of the present invention.

[0103] Furthermore, to meet the needs of certain specific scenarios, the auxiliary device 2 can integrate an independent satellite positioning module and other positioning methods, such as Bluetooth and UWB. For example, a specific scenario might require the airport vehicle to periodically update its location when the engine is off. In this case, an independent satellite positioning module can be integrated into the auxiliary device 2 (however, since the auxiliary device is a low-power device, the high-precision satellite positioning board 102 cannot be used (due to its high power consumption), so the positioning accuracy after the engine is off is low. After the vehicle is started, the high-precision satellite positioning board of the main device is still needed for positioning). Other positioning methods such as Bluetooth and UWB can enable positioning when the airport vehicle is parked indoors. These do not affect the effectiveness of the present invention.

[0104] In summary, this invention utilizes low-power, long-connection communication modules such as battery-powered NB-IoT to periodically acquire ephemeris data when the vehicle is off, enabling rapid satellite search and positioning after vehicle startup. When conventional 4G or other communication modules have not yet completed network access, positioning data can be sent to the backend server, allowing data to be sent to the backend server as soon as the vehicle starts.

[0105] This invention uses a positioning device that can calculate positioning data when the satellite positioning board is temporarily unable to locate due to reasons such as being in a satellite shadow area. This allows the vehicle to obtain valid positioning data as soon as it starts up, and the valid positioning data can be uploaded to the backend server.

[0106] This invention uses a 24-hour online auxiliary device to significantly reduce the initial positioning time of the vehicle positioning device by providing ephemeris, performing inertial navigation positioning, and conducting temporary communication, so that the vehicle can send positioning data to the server as soon as it starts.

[0107] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0108] Finally, it should be noted that the above technical solution is only one embodiment of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, based on the application methods and principles disclosed in the present invention, it is easy to make various types of improvements or modifications, and not limited to the methods described in the above specific embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the methods described above are only preferred and have no limiting significance.

Claims

1. A method for locating vehicles at an airport, characterized in that: The method employs a device for airport vehicle positioning, comprising auxiliary equipment and a main device. The auxiliary equipment includes a built-in battery, an auxiliary equipment control chip, a communication module, and a positioning device. The main device includes a main device control chip, and a 4G communication module and a satellite positioning board connected thereto. The method includes: (1) Initial power-on of auxiliary equipment; (2) The communication module in the auxiliary equipment connects to the network, obtains the latest ephemeris, and saves it; (3) If the vehicle power supply changes from disconnected to connected, proceed to step (4); if the vehicle power supply changes from connected to disconnected, proceed to step (10); if the vehicle power supply remains connected, proceed to step (11); if the vehicle power supply remains disconnected, proceed to step (12). (4) Wait for the satellite positioning board of the main equipment to start; (5) The auxiliary equipment sends the ephemeris to the satellite positioning board; (6) Perform multi-source fusion positioning; (7) Use the communication module of the auxiliary equipment to send the positioning data back to the backend server; (8) Determine whether the main device has completed communication network access and satellite positioning. If yes, the main device control chip sends an instruction to the auxiliary device control chip and then proceeds to step (9). If no, return to step (6). (9) After receiving the instruction, the auxiliary equipment control chip stops the communication module of the auxiliary equipment from sending data back to the background server, and then returns to step (3). (10) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3); (11) Monitor and save the current location and orientation of the airport vehicle, then return to step (3); (12) Determine whether the time interval has been reached. If yes, proceed to step (13); otherwise, proceed to step (14). (13) The communication module of the auxiliary equipment obtains the ephemeris from the backend server; (14) The auxiliary device goes into sleep mode and returns to step (3).

2. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module is a low-power communication module that can maintain a long-term connection with the network. When not communicating, the communication module remains in a dormant state; when communication is required, the communication module can quickly initiate active communication.

3. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning device is a positioning device that does not rely on satellites for positioning.

4. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module and positioning device are respectively connected to the auxiliary equipment control chip; The built-in battery can power the auxiliary equipment control chip, communication module, and positioning device.

5. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The onboard power supply of the airport vehicle can power the control chip, communication module, positioning device, and built-in battery of the auxiliary equipment.

6. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module adopts an NB-IoT communication module; The positioning device is an inertial navigation device.

7. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The auxiliary equipment control chip can communicate with the satellite positioning board and the main equipment control chip in the main equipment.

8. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main equipment and auxiliary equipment are integrated on a single circuit board; Alternatively, the main device and the auxiliary device can be two separate devices connected by a cable.

9. The method for airport vehicle positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The operation in step (6) includes: When the satellite positioning board on the main device has not yet completed positioning, the positioning device on the auxiliary device is used to obtain positioning data. After the satellite positioning board on the main device completes the positioning, the positioning data is calculated by combining the satellite positioning data and the positioning data from the positioning device on the auxiliary device.

Images