Motion control of heavy vehicles using real-time dynamic positioning

Abstract

The invention relates to motion control of a heavy vehicle using real-time dynamic localization, and particularly discloses a control unit for managing motion of a heavy vehicle via real-time dynamic (RTK) localization. The control unit comprises a vehicle status interface designed to retrieve status information from a vehicle status sensor, including kinematic parameters and information about availability of the RTK correction data. A nominal operational design domain (ODD) and a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD are defined, wherein each nominal ODD maintains an enhanced safety margin when compared with its RTK enhanced counterpart. Functions of the control unit include selecting an active ODD based on availability of RTK correction data, selecting an RTK enhanced ODD when such data is available, and selecting a nominal ODD when not present. The control unit then uses kinematic parameters consistent with the active ODD to direct motion of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to motion control of vehicles. In particular aspects, the present disclosure relates to motion control of heavy vehicles using real-time dynamic positioning. The present disclosure may be applicable to heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, and construction equipment, as well as other vehicle types. Although the present disclosure may be described with respect to a particular vehicle, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Vehicle motion management (VMM) is an important function for the safety and efficiency of modern vehicle operation. Successful VMM depends on accurate knowledge of the vehicle's motion state, such as its speed, acceleration, yaw, etc.

[0003] Some VMM systems rely in part on satellite signals to determine vehicle position and motion parameters. However, the accuracy of satellite-based estimated motion parameters can be affected by several factors such as satellite geometry, atmospheric conditions, and signal multipath, potentially affecting the reliability of VMM.

[0004] Real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning is a technology used to improve the accuracy of position data acquired from satellite-based positioning systems. RTK achieves higher accuracy by using correction data from nearby base stations located at known locations. The base stations send correction data to the vehicle, which improves the accuracy of the acquired position data.

[0005] One problem with network-assisted RTK is that it is sometimes unavailable. This unavailability can occur in rural areas without cellular coverage or when GPS reception is lost (for example, in a tunnel). Therefore, improving vehicle motion management and addressing situations without cellular or GPS coverage is critical to improving and ensuring the safety of heavy vehicle operations. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control unit for controlling vehicle motion by RTK positioning is disclosed. The control unit discussed herein is particularly suitable for heavy vehicles, such as rigid trucks or semi-trailer tractor vehicles suitable for road transport. The control unit includes a vehicle state interface configured to receive vehicle state information including kinematic parameters and information about the availability of correction data from one or more vehicle state sensors. The control unit also includes a memory configured to store at least one nominal operating design domain (ODD) of the vehicle, and for each stored nominal ODD, a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD is stored, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. The greater safety margin may, for example, include a reduced maximum longitudinal speed of the vehicle, a reduced maximum lateral force or curvature, etc. In addition, the control unit is configured to select an active ODD based on the availability of correction data, wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected. Based on this arrangement, the control unit is configured to operate the vehicle using kinematic parameters according to the active ODD. A first aspect of the present disclosure may seek to mitigate the problem of not always having RTK correction data available. Technical benefits may include that when kinematic parameters with centimeter accuracy are available, the vehicle may utilize RTK enhanced ODD to take advantage of enhanced accuracy. At the same time, less accurate kinematic parameters are supported by nominal ODD with a priority to improve safety margins.

[0007] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the control unit can be further configured to detect driving anomalies using kinematic parameters received from an available RTK receiver, and respond to the detected driving anomalies by sending control commands to one or more motion support devices. Technical benefits can include early detection of various driving anomalies.

[0008] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the received kinematic parameters include kinematic parameters from a first RTK receiver and a second RTK receiver. Technical benefits may include that an RTK positioning error may be detected if the calculated distance between the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver deviates from their actual physical separation. The first RTK receiver may be positioned, for example, closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver. Technical benefits of such RTK arrangements may include early detection of driving anomalies that require knowledge of the relative position or relative speed between the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0009] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the received kinematic parameters also include kinematic parameters from a first RTK receiver, a second RTK receiver, a third RTK receiver, and a fourth RTK receiver, and wherein the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver, and the fourth RTK receiver are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with an RTK receiver at each corner. Technical benefits may include increased redundancy by having four RTK receivers. For example, an RTK positioning error in one receiver may be detected and bypassed as long as the calculated distance between the other RTK receivers is consistent with their actual physical separation.

[0010] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the control unit is further configured to determine the positioning accuracy by comparing the relative position of the available RTK receiver with the relative position obtained from the received kinematic parameters. Technical benefits can include the control unit gaining insight into the accuracy of the GPS / RTK estimate. This understanding can be used, for example, to select an active ODD, i.e., to select between a nominal ODD and its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD.

[0011] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the control unit is further configured to automatically switch between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of correction data, wherein the switch is triggered by a change in the availability of correction data. Technical benefits may include that if the vehicle loses connection with a nearby base station, the RTK enhanced ODD will not remain active. This improves the safety of vehicle operation.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes: a first RTK receiver configured to receive multiple satellite signals; a correction data receiver configured to determine the availability of correction data and receive correction data from a base station when available. The vehicle also includes a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to determine kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals and also based on the correction data when available. The second aspect of the present disclosure may seek to alleviate the problem that the vehicle does not always have available RTK correction data. Technical benefits may include that when kinematic parameters with centimeter accuracy are available, the vehicle can utilize RTK enhanced ODD to take advantage of enhanced accuracy. At the same time, less precise kinematic parameters are supported by nominal ODDs that prioritize improving safety margins.

[0013] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the vehicle may further include: a second RTK receiver configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals; and a control unit further configured for the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver according to the first aspect of the present invention. Technical benefits may include that if the calculated distance between the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver deviates from their actual physical separation, an RTK positioning error may be detected.

[0014] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the vehicle may further include: a first RTK receiver, a second RTK receiver, a third RTK receiver, and a fourth RTK receiver, the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver, and the fourth RTK receiver being configured to receive multiple satellite signals; and a control unit, the control unit being further configured for the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver, and the fourth RTK receiver according to the first aspect of the present invention. Technical benefits may include increased redundancy by having four RTK receivers. For example, RTK positioning errors in one receiver may be detected and bypassed as long as the calculated distances between the other RTK receivers are consistent with their actual physical separations.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling vehicle motion by RTK positioning is disclosed. The method includes defining at least one nominal ODD for the vehicle, and for each nominal ODD, defining a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. The method also includes: receiving a plurality of satellite signals at a first RTK receiver on the vehicle; receiving correction data from a base station when correction data is available; and determining kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals and the correction data when available. In addition, the method includes selecting an active ODD based on the availability of correction data, wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected, and the S6 vehicle is operated using kinematic parameters according to the active ODD. The third aspect of the present disclosure can seek to alleviate the problem that the vehicle does not always have available RTK correction data. The technical benefits can include that when kinematic parameters with centimeter accuracy are available, the vehicle can utilize the RTK enhanced ODD to utilize enhanced accuracy. At the same time, less precise kinematic parameters are supported by the nominal ODD that prioritizes improving the safety margin.

[0016] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the method further comprises detecting driving abnormalities using kinematic parameters, and responding to the detected driving abnormalities by sending control commands to one or more motion support devices. Technical benefits may include early detection of various driving abnormalities.

[0017] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the vehicle includes a second RTK receiver, and receiving further includes receiving a plurality of satellite signals at the second RTK receiver on the vehicle. Technical benefits may include that if the calculated distance between the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver deviates from their actual physical separation, an RTK positioning error may be detected.

[0018] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the first RTK receiver is arranged to be positioned closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver. Technical benefits can include early detection of driving anomalies that require knowledge of the relative position or relative speed between the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0019] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the vehicle includes a first RTK receiver, a second RTK receiver, a third RTK receiver, and a fourth RTK receiver, and receiving also includes receiving multiple satellite signals at the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver, and the fourth RTK receiver, and wherein the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver, and the fourth RTK receiver are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with an RTK receiver at each corner. Technical benefits can include increased redundancy by having four RTK receivers. For example, RTK positioning errors in one receiver can be detected and bypassed as long as the calculated distances between the other RTK receivers remain consistent with their actual physical separation.

[0020] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, the method further comprises determining a positioning accuracy metric by comparing the relative position of an available RTK receiver with a determined relative position obtained from received satellite signals and correction data when available. Technical benefits may include the control unit gaining insight into the accuracy of the GPS / RTK estimate. For example, this understanding may be used to select an active ODD.

[0021] Optionally, in some examples, including in at least one preferred example, the selection further comprises automatically switching between the nominal ODD and the RTK-enhanced ODD based on the availability of correction data, and wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of correction data. Technical benefits may include that if the vehicle loses connection with a nearby base station, the RTK-enhanced ODD will not remain active.

[0022] Optionally, in some examples, including at least one preferred example, determining kinematic parameters based on received satellite signals further comprises: determining an approximate position of the vehicle; monitoring phases of a plurality of satellite signals over a period of time; and determining a three-dimensional velocity of the vehicle based on changes in the monitored phases over the period of time. Technical benefits may include refined velocity prediction when correction data is not available.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and / or the accompanying claims may be appropriately combined with each other. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein.

[0024] Also disclosed herein are computer systems, control units, code modules, computer-implemented methods, computer-readable media, and computer program products associated with the technical benefits discussed above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 is an exemplary system diagram of a heavy vehicle using real-time dynamic positioning according to an example.

[0027] Figure 2 An example of a motion support device control system is shown.

[0028] Figure 3A An example of a heavy vehicle with two RTK receivers is shown.

[0029] Figure 3B An example of a heavy vehicle with four RTK receivers is shown.

[0030] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for controlling the movement of a heavy vehicle through real-time dynamic positioning according to one example.

[0031] Figure 5A A control unit is shown schematically.

[0032] Figure 5B An example of a computer program product is shown.

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing the examples disclosed herein, according to an example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0035] Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 for cargo transportation is shown in which the techniques disclosed herein may be advantageously applied. The vehicle 100 includes a tractor or towing vehicle 110 supported on front wheels 150 and rear wheels 160, at least some of which are driven wheels. The tractor 110 is configured to tow a first trailer unit 120 supported on trailer wheels 170 via a fifth wheel connection in a known manner. The trailer wheels are typically brake wheels, but may also include driven wheels on one or more axles.

[0036] The teachings herein are particularly applicable to heavy vehicles such as trucks, buses, coaches and heavy construction equipment.Heavy vehicles may be defined as freight vehicles over 3.5 metric tons (trucks) or passenger vehicles over 8 seats (buses and coaches).

[0037] The tractor 110 includes a vehicle unit computer (VUC) 130 for controlling various functionalities, in particular enabling propulsion, braking and steering. Some trailer units 120 also include a VUC 140 for controlling various functions of the trailer, such as braking of the trailer wheels and sometimes trailer wheel propulsion. The VUCs 130, 140 may be centralized or distributed over several processing circuits. Parts of the vehicle control functions may also be performed remotely, for example on a remote server connected to the vehicle 100 via a wireless link and a wireless access network.

[0038] The VUC 130 on the tractor 110 (and possibly the VUC 140 on the trailer 120) can be configured to execute a vehicle control method organized according to a hierarchical functional architecture, where some functions may be included in a traffic situation management (TSM) domain in a higher layer and some other functions may be included in a vehicle motion management (VMM) domain residing in a lower functional layer. The TSM plans driving maneuvers in a time frame of, for example, 10 seconds. This time frame corresponds to, for example, the time it takes for the vehicle 100 to negotiate a curve. The vehicle maneuvers planned and executed by the TSM can be associated with acceleration profiles and curvature profiles. The TSM continuously requests the desired acceleration profile and curvature profile from the VMM function, which performs force allocation to satisfy the requests from the TSM in a safe and robust manner.

[0039] The VMM operates on a time scale of about 1 second or so and continuously transforms acceleration curves and curvature curves into control commands for controlling vehicle motion functions actuated by different MSDs of the vehicle. If the vehicle is in motion, the VMM performs motion estimation, i.e., determines the position, velocity, acceleration, and articulation angle of different units in the vehicle combination by monitoring the operation using various sensors arranged on the vehicle (usually connected to the MSD). For example, by determining the vehicle unit motion using, for example, a global positioning system, a radar sensor, and / or a lidar sensor and converting the vehicle unit motion to a local coordinate system for a given wheel, the wheel slip can be accurately estimated by comparing the vehicle unit motion in the wheel reference coordinate system with the data obtained from the wheel speed sensor arranged in conjunction with the wheel. The tire model can be used to convert between expected tire forces and wheel slip.

[0040] In addition, the VMM manages force generation and coordination, i.e., it determines what forces are needed to satisfy requests from the TSM, such as accelerating the vehicle according to a requested acceleration profile requested by the TSM and / or generating a specific curvature motion of the vehicle also requested by the TSM. Forces may include, for example, longitudinal and lateral forces, as well as different types of torque.

[0041] in addition, Figure 1 An example of a system for determining vehicle position and motion through real-time kinematic (RTK) techniques is shown. As previously described, estimating vehicle motion includes determining kinematic parameters such as position, velocity, and acceleration. RTK improves this process by utilizing reference base stations 180 whose positions are known to provide real-time corrections 185 that improve positioning to centimeter-level accuracy.

[0042] Based on the example provided, a heavy vehicle 100 is equipped with a first RTK receiver RTK1 that captures signals 195 from a plurality of GPS satellites 190. A reference base station 180 with a known position also receives these satellite signals 195, and based on the known position, it calculates real-time kinematic correction data 185 (hereinafter referred to as correction data). The data is delivered to the vehicle 100, where the RTK receiver processes the correction data 185 together with the satellite signals 195 to obtain an enhanced estimate of the vehicle's position. Other kinematic parameters (such as speed and acceleration) are also obtained from the enhanced RTK estimate. The improved accuracy makes the RTK-assisted estimation of kinematic parameters such as position, speed and acceleration very beneficial for TSM and VMM functions, both of which can utilize refined estimates. The RTK enhanced GPS positioning system is well known and is therefore not discussed in detail herein.

[0043] Figure 2Schematically shown is a vehicle 100, 110 having a VUC 130 comprising a memory 230. The VUC 130 is arranged to control a plurality of MSD control units 210B, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210E, 210F via connection interfaces 215A, 215B, 215C, 215D, 215E, 215F. Each MSD control unit is arranged to control a respective wheel 150A, 150B, 160C, 160D, 160E, 160F.

[0044] In the following paragraphs, a first aspect is described relating to a control unit for controlling the movement of a vehicle 100, which covers both heavy vehicles (e.g. trucks, buses or construction equipment) and small passenger vehicles (e.g. passenger cars with five seats or less).

[0045] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the VUC 130 and possibly also the VUC 140 are control units 130 , 140 that manage the movement of the heavy vehicle 100 via RTK positioning and have functionality spanning both the TSM and VMM domains.

[0046] The control unit 130, 140 comprises a vehicle state interface 225, which is configured to receive vehicle state information from one or more vehicle state sensors 220. The vehicle state information comprises kinematic parameters of the first RTK receiver and information about the availability of correction data 185. It is emphasized that the control unit 130, 140 receives not only kinematic parameters but also information to determine whether the RTK receiver obtains these parameters exclusively from the satellite signals 195 or in combination with the correction data 185 from the base station 180.

[0047] The control unit 130, 140 also includes a memory 230 for storing an operational design domain ODD. The ODD is a set of operating conditions for an automated system that is typically used in the field of autonomous vehicles for various levels of driving automation. These operating conditions may include, for example, environmental constraints, geographic constraints, and time of day constraints, traffic and road characteristics. One of the main purposes of the ODD is to indicate under what conditions the vehicle can be safely operated.

[0048] Generally speaking, the ODD can be determined by computer simulation of the vehicle under different operating environments and operating conditions. The ODD can also be determined based on actual experiments such as test driving on a test track. Methods for configuring one or more suitable ODDs in a vehicle are generally known and therefore will not be discussed in detail here.

[0049] The memory 230 is configured to store at least one nominal ODD for the vehicle 100, and for each stored nominal ODD, a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD is stored, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a larger safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. In some examples, a larger safety margin may refer to a reduced speed of the nominal ODD compared to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. In some examples, a larger safety margin is related to the position and distance maintained by the vehicle while maneuvering in a maneuver. In some examples, a larger safety margin may mean that a maneuver allowed for the RTK enhanced ODD is prohibited for the nominal ODD. In some examples, the nominal ODD imposes limits on parameters such as lateral acceleration, longitudinal velocity, and yaw rate.

[0050] The mapping between the nominal ODD and its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD is usually a one-to-one mapping, but it can also be a one-to-many or many-to-one relationship.

[0051] The control units 130, 140 are further configured to select an active ODD from at least one nominal ODD and at least one RTK enhanced ODD. The active ODD is selected based on the availability of correction data 185. Specifically, the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data 185 is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected. This can prevent the RTK enhanced ODD from being activated when RTK positioning is not available. When the active ODD has been selected, the control units 130, 140 are configured to operate the vehicle using kinematic parameters according to the active ODD. In this way, when kinematic parameters with centimeter accuracy are available, the vehicle can utilize the RTK enhanced ODD to take advantage of enhanced accuracy. At the same time, less precise kinematic parameters are supported by the nominal ODD, which prioritizes improving the safety margin.

[0052] Safety margins relate to the permissible range of vehicle states relative to some performance limits or physical limits. For example, assuming that the top speed of the vehicle is 150 km / h, but a margin is applied so that the maximum permissible speed of the vehicle is limited to 100 km / h, the safety margin is 50 km / h. Safety margins may also include limitations on the maximum speed of the vehicle when the vehicle enters a steering maneuver to smoothly pass a road bend, limitations on permissible lateral acceleration or yaw rate, limitations on steering rate, and the like. Generally speaking, safety margins are back-off amounts relative to performance limits or physical limits. Vehicles with high safety margins have reduced performance compared to vehicles with low safety margins. Therefore, vehicles with low safety margins may have greater productivity, but are also at greater risk of accidents or other undesirable road events. The technology disclosed herein allows for an effective trade-off between maximizing productivity and maintaining safe vehicle operation.

[0053] Preferably, the control units 130 , 140 are further configured to automatically switch between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of the correction data 185 , wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of the correction data 185 .

[0054] The control units 130, 140 may also be configured to detect driving anomalies using kinematic parameters received from an available RTK receiver. If the active ODD allows, the control unit may respond to driving anomalies by sending control commands to one or more motion support devices (MSDs), such as brakes, propulsion, suspension, steering actuators, etc. For example, when RTK positioning is available, the control unit may detect deviations from the vehicle's expected path with centimeter-level accuracy. The control unit may then determine an appropriate response and transmit the response to the MSD via a control command.

[0055] It should be understood that additional ODDs may be implemented in the control unit, i.e., the control unit may implement one or more nominal ODDs and corresponding RTK enhanced ODDs as described above, and also implement one or more other ODDs that are not reconfigured based on the availability of RTK information. If non-RTK related ODDs are being used, the vehicle will not switch to RTK based operation regardless of whether RTK information is available.

[0056] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Two examples of heavy vehicles with two RTK receivers and four RTK receivers are shown respectively. Continuing with the example related to the control units 130, 140, if the received kinematic parameters include data from both the first RTK receiver RTK1 and the second RTK receiver RTK2 on the vehicle 100 (e.g. Figure 3A If the first RTK receiver is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the second RTK receiver, and only the second receiver detects the lateral velocity, but not the first, this may indicate that the vehicle is skidding. Using a second RTK receiver also has the advantage of enhanced reliability, because GPS positioning errors can be detected if the calculated distance between the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver deviates from their actual physical separation.

[0057] like Figure 3BAs shown, if the received kinematic parameters additionally include data from a third RTK receiver RTK3 and a fourth RTK receiver RTK4 on the vehicle 100, the response of the control units 130, 140 can be even further improved. Then, the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver can be positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with one RTK receiver at each corner. This enables very accurate tracking of the position and movement of the vehicle, thereby facilitating early detection of various driving anomalies.

[0058] Likewise, if the calculated distance between any RTK receivers deviates from their actual physical separation, an RTK positioning error can be detected. Having four receivers also provides additional redundancy. For example, an RTK positioning error in one receiver can be detected and bypassed as long as the calculated distance between the other RTK receivers remains consistent with their actual physical separation.

[0059] In one example, the kinematic parameters include data from a first RTK receiver, a second RTK receiver, and a third RTK receiver on the vehicle 100. Having three receivers is sufficient to detect and bypass positioning errors in at most one receiver, that is, as long as the calculated distance between the other two RTK receivers remains consistent with their actual physical separation.

[0060] Using multiple RTK receivers also enables determination of a measure of position accuracy, such as mean absolute error or mean square error. Accuracy measures such as mean absolute error or mean square error can be easily calculated by comparing the physical distance between RTK receivers with the estimated separation obtained from the kinematic parameters.

[0061] In the following paragraphs, a second aspect is described relating to a vehicle 100 which covers both heavy vehicles (eg trucks, buses or construction equipment) and standard vehicles (eg cars).

[0062] The vehicle 100 includes a first RTK receiver RTK1 configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals 195. The vehicle 100 also includes a correction data receiver RTK1 configured to determine the availability of correction data 185 and receive the correction data 185 from a base station 180 when available. The correction data receiver RTK1 is typically included in the same housing as the first RTK receiver, but operates in a different frequency band and has a different antenna. In network-assisted RTK, the base station 180 typically utilizes an existing cellular network such as 5G to transmit the correction data 185 to the receiver RTK1.

[0063] The vehicle 100 may additionally include a second RTK receiver RTK2 configured to receive the plurality of satellite signals 195. The vehicle 100 may also include a third RTK receiver RTK3 and a fourth RTK receiver RTK4 configured to receive the plurality of satellite signals 195.

[0064] The vehicle 100 will typically include an additional correction data receiver RTK2, RTK3, RTK4 for each additional RTK receiver RTK2, RTK3, RTK4. However, it may sometimes be preferred to use one correction data receiver for all available RTK receivers, as this eliminates the need for multiple sets of identical hardware.

[0065] The vehicle 100 also includes a DSP configured to determine kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals 195 and the correction data 185 when available. In other words, the DSP is configured to determine the kinematic parameters using the received satellite signals 195, utilizing the correction data 185 when available, and relying solely on the satellite signals when not available. The kinematic parameters may include various aspects such as position, velocity, acceleration, or any other parameter related to the motion of the vehicle. Certain kinematic parameters, such as velocity and acceleration, are obtained by analyzing the position of the vehicle within a specific time interval.

[0066] The vehicle 100 will typically include a DSP for each RTK receiver RTK1, RTK2, RTK3, RTK4. However, it may sometimes be preferred to use one DSP for all available RTK receivers, as this eliminates the need for multiple sets of identical hardware.

[0067] As described in the previous paragraphs, the vehicle 100 also incorporates a control unit.

[0068] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for controlling vehicle motion through real-time dynamic positioning according to one example.

[0069] In the following paragraphs, a third aspect is described relating to a method for controlling the movement of a vehicle 100 by real-time dynamic positioning. The vehicle 100 is typically a heavy vehicle such as a truck, bus or construction equipment, but it may also be a standard vehicle such as a car.

[0070] The method includes the step of defining S1 at least one nominal operational design domain ODD for the vehicle 100, and for each nominal ODD, defining a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a larger safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. In some examples, a larger safety margin may refer to a reduced speed of the nominal ODD compared to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD. In some examples, a larger safety margin is related to the position and distance maintained by the vehicle while maneuvering in a maneuver. In some examples, a larger safety margin may mean that a maneuver allowed for the RTK enhanced ODD is prohibited for the nominal ODD.

[0071] The mapping between the nominal ODD and its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD is usually a one-to-one mapping, but it can also be a one-to-many or many-to-one relationship.

[0072] The method also includes the step of receiving S2 a plurality of satellite signals 195 at a first RTK receiver RTK1 on the vehicle 100. In some examples, the step of receiving S2 may include receiving the plurality of satellite signals 195 at the first RTK receiver RTK1 and the second RTK receiver RTK2 on the vehicle 100. In some examples, the step of receiving S2 may also include receiving the plurality of satellite signals 195 at the first RTK receiver RTK1, the second RTK receiver RTK2, the third RTK receiver RTK3, and the fourth RTK receiver RTK4 on the vehicle. Utilizing multiple RTK receivers is generally beneficial because, among other advantages, it enhances tracking of vehicle position and motion, as will be described in the following paragraphs.

[0073] The method further comprises the step of receiving S3 correction data 185 from the base station 180 if the correction data 185 is available. In network-assisted RTK, the base station 180 typically utilizes an existing cellular network such as 5G to transmit the correction data 185 to the receiver.

[0074] Next, the method comprises the step of determining S4 kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals 195 and the correction data 185 when available. In other words, the process of determining the kinematic parameters relies on the received satellite signals 195, utilizing the correction data 185 when available, and relying only on the satellite signals when they are not available. The kinematic parameters may include various aspects, such as position, velocity, acceleration or any other parameter related to the motion of the vehicle. Specific kinematic parameters, such as velocity and acceleration, are usually obtained by analyzing the position of the vehicle within a specific time interval.

[0075] The key steps of the method include selecting S5 an active ODD based on the availability of correction data, wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when correction data is available and the nominal ODD is selected otherwise. This can prevent the RTK enhanced ODD from being activated when RTK positioning is not available. Preferably, the step of selecting S5 also includes automatically switching between the RTK enhanced ODD and the nominal ODD based on the availability of correction data 185, and wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of correction data 185. Therefore, if the vehicle 100 loses connection with the nearby base station 180, the RTK enhanced ODD will not remain active.

[0076] The method also includes the step of operating the S6 vehicle using kinematic parameters according to the active ODD. By this method, when kinematic parameters with centimeter accuracy are available, the vehicle can utilize the RTK enhanced ODD to take advantage of the enhanced accuracy. At the same time, less accurate kinematic parameters are supported by the nominal ODD with priority to improve safety margins.

[0077] The method may additionally include the step of detecting S7 driving anomalies using kinematic parameters. For example, when RTK positioning is available, deviations from the vehicle's expected path may be detected with centimeter accuracy.

[0078] If the kinematic parameters include data from both the first RTK receiver RTK1 and the second RTK receiver RTK2 on the vehicle 100, the step of detecting S7 can be further refined. For example, if the first RTK receiver is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the second RTK receiver, and only the second receiver detects the lateral velocity, but not the first receiver, this may suggest that the vehicle is in a skidding state. In a similar manner, other driving anomalies, deviations, and even planned maneuvers can be identified and analyzed.

[0079] Using a second RTK receiver also has the advantage of enhanced reliability, since RTK positioning errors can be detected if the calculated distance between the first RTK receiver and the second RTK receiver deviates from their actual physical separation.

[0080] If the received kinematic parameters additionally include data from a third RTK receiver RTK3 and a fourth RTK receiver RTK4 on the vehicle 100, the step of detecting S7 can be even further refined. Then, the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver can be positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with an RTK receiver at each corner. This enables very accurate tracking of the movement and position of the vehicle, thereby facilitating early detection of various driving anomalies.

[0081] Likewise, if the calculated distance between any RTK receivers deviates from their actual physical separation, an RTK positioning error can be detected. Having four receivers increases redundancy. A positioning error in one receiver can be easily detected and bypassed if the calculated distances between the other RTK receivers do not deviate from the actual physical separation.

[0082] In one example, the kinematic parameters include data from a first RTK receiver, a second RTK receiver, and a third RTK receiver on the vehicle 100. Having three receivers is sufficient to detect and bypass positioning errors in at most one receiver, that is, as long as the calculated distance between the other two RTK receivers remains consistent with their actual physical separation.

[0083] As described above, the method may include the step of detecting S7 driving anomalies using kinematic parameters. If the active ODD allows, the method may also include the step of responding S8 to driving anomalies by sending control commands to one or several motion support devices (MSDs). Typically, this will involve a set of predetermined actions that are transmitted as control commands to the motion support devices to resolve the driving anomalies. These actions may be adjusted based on the current vehicle state.

[0084] The method may additionally comprise the step of determining S9 a position accuracy metric such as a mean absolute error or a mean square error.The mean absolute error or the mean square error may be calculated directly by comparing the relative position of the available RTK receivers with the relative position obtained from the received kinematic parameters.

[0085] The method may additionally include the step of determining S9 a position accuracy metric such as a mean absolute error or a mean square error. Using multiple RTK receivers also enables determination of a position accuracy metric such as a mean absolute error or a mean square error. An accuracy metric such as a mean absolute error or a mean square error can be easily calculated by comparing the physical distance between the RTK receivers with the estimated separation obtained from the kinematic parameters.

[0086] Finally, the step of determining S4 kinematic parameters may additionally include: determining an approximate position using satellite signals 195; monitoring the phases of a plurality of satellite signals over a period of time; and determining the three-dimensional velocity of the vehicle based on changes in the monitored phases over the period of time. This approach provides refined velocity prediction when correction data is not available.

[0087] In the following paragraphs, further aspects related to the control unit, the vehicle and the method are provided.

[0088] In some examples, a method for estimating the three-dimensional velocity of a vehicle may be used. The method includes: receiving a plurality of GPS signals from one or more GPS systems; monitoring the phase of the incoming GPS signals over a period of time; assuming a position of the vehicle; and determining a basis vector from the assumed position to the known satellite positions of the received GPS signals; and determining the velocity of the vehicle based on the changes in the monitored phase over the period of time and based on the basis vector.

[0089] In some examples, the location is assumed to be area A, and the velocity estimate is obtained by marginalizing over this area.

[0090] The method also includes assuming or marginalizing on RTK-GPS correction factors (signal path delays due to the ionosphere and / or due to the troposphere, receiver clock offsets from a reference GPS time, satellite clock offsets from a reference GPS time, and the speed of light).

[0091] In some examples, GPS signals are received from a number of different systems, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou.

[0092] GPS works by measuring the distance between a ground station and a satellite at a known position in the sky. Classical GPS measures distance by correlating the satellite code with a reference code. Real-time kinematic GPS instead uses the phase of the carrier wave to determine distance. The phase of the incoming GPS signal for

[0093] Where I is the signal path delay due to the ionosphere, Tr is the signal path delay due to the troposphere, and b Rx is the receiver clock offset from the reference GPS time, b Sat is the satellite clock offset from the reference GPS time, c is the speed of light in vacuum, is the nominal wavelength of the carrier, N is the ambiguity of the carrier phase (an integer), is the measurement noise component, including multipath and other effects, and is the geometric distance between the satellite and the receiver. This expression can be used to determine the vehicle position with high accuracy as long as reference information is available.

[0094] In some examples of VMM, it may not be necessary to know the actual position of the vehicle at high resolution. Knowing the velocity and acceleration in different directions is enough. This can be achieved without RTK information by assuming a reasonable set of correction factor values, and also assuming reasonable positions, because position errors have only a very small effect on the angles of the basis vectors to the satellite.

[0095] In some examples, the method simply assumes the location of the vehicle (e.g., somewhere on the road toward the destination, with perhaps a few tens of meters of error), and also assumes a set of correction factors. The method then finds the most likely velocity vector that makes the observed phase change most likely. Maximum likelihood can be used, or Bayesian marginalization can be used over the region. The point is that due to the large distance between the Earth's surface and the satellite orbit, the basis vector angles will not change much due to a 10 meter position error.

[0096] If a probability distribution for the position is available, this distribution can be used to marginalize the vehicle position.The method may also include a search on a velocity direction sphere and evaluating the likelihood of each given range direction based on the observed phase changes over that time period.

[0097] Figure 5A Components of a control unit 500 according to aspects of the discussion and methods disclosed herein are schematically shown in terms of a number of functional units. The control unit 500 may be included in the vehicle 100, for example, in the form of a vehicle motion management (VMM) functional unit configured to perform force allocation, etc. The processing circuit 510 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit CPU, a multiprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor DSP, etc. capable of executing software instructions stored in, for example, a computer program product in the form of a storage medium 530. The processing circuit 510 may also be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC or a field programmable gate array FPGA.

[0098] Specifically, the processing circuit 510 is configured to cause the control unit 500 to perform a set of operations or steps, such as combining Figure 4 For example, the storage medium 530 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuit 510 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 530 to cause the control unit 500 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions. Thus, the processing circuit 510 is thereby arranged to perform the method as disclosed herein.

[0099] The storage medium 530 may also include a persistent storage device, which may be, for example, any one or combination of magnetic storage, optical storage, solid-state storage, or even remotely mounted storage.

[0100] The control unit 500 may also include an interface 5230 for communicating with at least one external device such as a motor or gearbox. Thus, the interface 530 may include one or more transmitters and receivers, including analog and digital components and a suitable number of ports for wired or wireless communication.

[0101] Processing circuitry 510 controls the general operation of control unit 470 (e.g., by sending data and control signals to interface 520 and storage medium 830, by receiving data and reports from interface 520, and by retrieving data and instructions from storage medium 530). Other components of the control node and related functionality are omitted to avoid obscuring the concepts presented herein.

[0102] Figure 5B A computer readable medium 560 is shown carrying a computer program comprising means for executing, for example, Figure 4 The computer readable medium and the code means may together form a computer program product 550.

[0103] Figure 6 600 is a schematic diagram of a computer system 600 for implementing the examples disclosed herein. The computer system 600 is suitable for executing instructions from a computer-readable medium to perform these and / or any functions or processes described herein. The computer system 600 can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. Although only a single device is shown, the computer system 600 may include any device collection that executes a set (or multiple sets) of instructions individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. Therefore, any reference to a computer system, a computing system, a computer device, a computing device, a control system, a control unit, an electronic control unit (ECU), a processor device, a processing circuit, etc. in the present disclosure and / or claims includes a reference to one or more such devices for executing a set (or multiple sets) of instructions individually or jointly to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein. For example, the control system may include a single control unit or multiple control units connected to each other or otherwise communicatively coupled, so that any executed functions can be distributed between the control units as needed. In addition, such devices can communicate with each other or with other devices through various system architectures (such as directly or via a controller area network (CAN) bus, etc.).

[0104] The computer system 600 may include at least one computing device or electronic device that can include firmware, hardware and / or execute software instructions to implement the functionality described herein. The computer system 600 may include a processing circuit system 602 (e.g., a processing circuit system including one or more processor devices or control units), a memory 604, and a system bus 606. The computer system 600 may include at least one computing device with a processing circuit 602. The system bus 606 provides an interface for system components (including but not limited to the memory 604 and the processing circuit 602). The processing circuit 602 may include any number of hardware components for performing data or signal processing or for executing computer code stored in the memory 604. The processing circuit system 602 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit containing a processing component, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices designed to perform the functions described herein, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The processing circuit system 602 may also include computer executable code that controls the operation of the programmable device.

[0105] The system bus 606 can be any of several types of bus structures, which can be further interconnected to a memory bus (with or without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and / or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory 604 can be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the methods described herein. The memory 604 can include a database component, an object code component, a script component, or other types of information structures for supporting various activities herein. Any distributed or local memory device can be used with the systems and methods of the present specification. The memory 604 can be communicatively connected to the processing circuit 602 (e.g., via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection) and can include computer code for performing one or more processes described herein. The memory 604 may include nonvolatile memory 608 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.) and volatile memory 610 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine having the processing circuit 602. A basic input / output system (BIOS) 612 may be stored in the nonvolatile memory 608 and may include the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 600.

[0106] The computer system 600 may also include or be coupled to non-transitory computer-readable storage media such as storage device 614, which may include, for example, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD) (e.g., enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA)), a HDD for storage (e.g., EIDE or SATA), flash memory, etc. The storage device 614 and other drives associated with computer-readable and computer-usable media may provide non-volatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc.

[0107] The hard-coded or soft-coded computer code may be provided in the form of one or more modules. The module may be implemented as software and / or hard-coded in the circuit to implement the functions described herein in whole or in part. The module may be stored in a storage device 614 and / or a volatile memory 610 that may include an operating system 616 and / or one or more program modules 618. All or part of the examples disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program 620 stored on a temporary or non-temporary computer-available or computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a single medium or multiple media) such as a storage device 614, which includes complex programming instructions (e.g., complex computer-readable program code) that cause the processing circuit 602 to perform the actions described herein. Therefore, the computer-readable program code of the computer program 620 may include software instructions for implementing the functions of the examples described herein when executed by the processing circuit 602. In some examples, storage device 614 may be a computer program product (e.g., a readable storage medium) having computer program 620 stored thereon, wherein at least a portion of computer program 620 may be loadable (e.g., loaded into a processor) for implementing functionality of the examples described herein when executed by processing circuitry 602. Processing circuitry 602 may serve as a controller or control system of computer system 600 for implementing the functionality described herein.

[0108] The computer system 600 may include an input device interface 622 configured to receive input and selections to be transmitted to the computer system 600 when executing instructions, such as from a keyboard, mouse, touch-sensitive surface, etc. Such input devices may be connected to the processor circuit 602 via an input device interface 622 coupled to the system bus 606, but may be connected via other interfaces such as a parallel port, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, an IR interface, etc. The computer system 600 may include an output device interface 624 configured to forward output to a display, a video display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 600 may include a communication interface 626 suitable for communicating with a network as appropriate or as needed.

[0109] The operational actions described in any exemplary aspect of this article are described to provide examples and discussions. These actions can be performed by hardware components, can be embodied in machine executable instructions so that a processor performs these actions, or can be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a specific order of method actions can be shown or described, the order of actions can be different. In addition, two or more actions can be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0110] Embodiment 1: A control unit 130, 140 for controlling the movement of a vehicle 100 by real-time dynamic RTK positioning, wherein the control unit comprises: a vehicle state interface 225, the vehicle state interface being configured to receive vehicle state information from one or more vehicle state sensors 220, including kinematic parameters and information about the availability of correction data 185; a memory 230, the memory being configured to store at least one nominal operating design domain ODD of the vehicle, and for each stored nominal ODD, storing a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD, and wherein the control unit 130, 140 is configured to select an active operating design domain ODD based on the availability of correction data 185, wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data 185 is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected, and wherein the control unit 130, 140 is configured to operate the vehicle using the kinematic parameters according to the active ODD.

[0111] Embodiment 2: The control unit 130, 140 as described in Embodiment 1 is further configured to detect driving abnormalities using kinematic parameters received from an available RTK receiver, and respond to the detected driving abnormalities by sending control commands to one or more motion support devices 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210E, 210F.

[0112] Embodiment 3: The control unit 130, 140 as described in any one of Embodiments 1 and 2, wherein the received kinematic parameters include kinematic parameters from the first RTK receiver RTK1 and the second RTK receiver RTK2.

[0113] Embodiment 4: The control unit 130, 140 as described in Embodiment 3, wherein the first RTK receiver is positioned closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver.

[0114] Embodiment 5: The control unit 130, 140 as described in Embodiments 3 and 4, wherein the received kinematic parameters also include kinematic parameters from a third RTK receiver and a fourth RTK receiver, and wherein the first RTK receiver RTK1, the second RTK receiver RTK2, the third RTK receiver RTK3 and the fourth RTK receiver RTK4 are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, and each corner has an RTK receiver.

[0115] Embodiment 6: The control unit 130, 140 as described in embodiments 3 to 5 is further configured to determine the positioning accuracy by comparing the relative position of the available RTK receiver with the relative position obtained from the received kinematic parameters.

[0116] Embodiment 7: The control unit 130 , 140 as described in any of the preceding embodiments is further configured to automatically switch between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of the correction data 185 , wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of the correction data 185 .

[0117] Embodiment 8: A vehicle 100, comprising: a first real-time dynamic RTK receiver RTK1, the first real-time dynamic RTK receiver RTK1 being configured to receive multiple satellite signals 195; a correction data receiver RTK1, the correction data receiver RTK1 being configured to determine the availability of correction data 185 and receive correction data from a base station 180 when available; a digital signal processor DSP, the digital signal processor DSP being configured to determine kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals 195 and the correction data 185 when available; and a control unit 130, 140 according to any one of Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0118] Embodiment 9: The vehicle 100 as described in Embodiment 8 further includes: a second RTK receiver RTK2, wherein the second RTK receiver RTK2 is configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals 195; and a control unit according to any one of Embodiments 3 and 4.

[0119] Embodiment 10: The vehicle 100 as described in Embodiment 9 comprises: a third RTK receiver RTK3 and a fourth RTK receiver RTK4, wherein the third RTK receiver RTK3 and the fourth RTK receiver RTK4 are configured to receive multiple satellite signals 195; and a control unit 130, 140 according to any one of Embodiments 5 to 7.

[0120] Embodiment 11: A method for controlling the movement of a vehicle 100 by real-time dynamic RTK positioning, the method comprising: defining S1 at least one nominal operating design domain ODD for the vehicle, and for each nominal ODD, defining a corresponding RTK enhanced ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK enhanced ODD; receiving S2 multiple satellite signals 195 at a first RTK receiver RTK1 on the vehicle 100; receiving S3 correction data 185 from a base station 180 when correction data 185 is available; determining S4 kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals 195 and the correction data 185 when available; selecting S5 an active ODD based on the availability of the correction data 185, wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data 185 is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected; and operating S6 the vehicle using the kinematic parameters according to the active ODD.

[0121] Embodiment 12: The method as described in Embodiment 11 further includes detecting driving abnormality in S7 using the kinematic parameters, and responding to the driving abnormality detected in S8 by sending a control command to one or more motion support devices 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210E, 210F.

[0122] Embodiment 13: The method as described in any one of Embodiments 11 and 12, wherein the vehicle comprises a second RTK receiver RTK2 , and receiving S2 further comprises receiving a plurality of satellite signals 195 at the second RTK receiver RTK2 on the vehicle 100 .

[0123] Embodiment 14: The method of Embodiment 13, wherein the first RTK receiver is arranged to be positioned closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver.

[0124] Embodiment 15: A method as described in any one of Embodiments 13 and 14, wherein the vehicle includes a third RTK receiver RTK3 and a fourth RTK receiver RTK4, and receiving S2 also includes receiving multiple satellite signals 195 at the third RTK receiver RTK3 and the fourth RTK receiver RTK4, and wherein the first RTK receiver RTK1, the second RTK receiver RTK2, the third RTK receiver RTK3 and the fourth RTK receiver RTK4 are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, and there is an RTK receiver at each corner.

[0125] Embodiment 16: A method as described in any of Embodiments 13 to 16, which also includes determining an S9 positioning accuracy metric by comparing the relative position of the available RTK receiver with the determined relative position obtained from the received satellite signals and the correction data 185 when available.

[0126] Embodiment 17: A method as described in any one of Embodiments 11 to 16, wherein selecting S5 also includes automatically switching between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of the correction data 185, and wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of the correction data 185.

[0127] Embodiment 18: A method as described in any one of Embodiments 11 to 17, wherein determining S4 kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals includes: determining the approximate position of the vehicle; monitoring the phases of the multiple satellite signals over a certain time period; and determining the three-dimensional speed of the vehicle based on changes in the monitored phases over the time period.

[0128] Embodiment 19: A computer program 530 comprising program code means 570 for executing the steps of any one of embodiments 11 to 18 when the program is run on a computer or on a processing circuit 510 of a control unit 130, 140.

[0129] Embodiment 20: A computer-readable medium 560 carrying a computer program, the computer program comprising program code means 570 for executing the steps as described in any one of embodiments 11 to 18 when the program product is run on a computer or on a processing circuit 510 of a control unit 130, 140.

[0130] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the term "comprises / comprising / includes and / or including" when used herein indicates the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups.

[0131] 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 only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present 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.

[0132] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different device orientations in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or directly coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0133] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0134] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes, and the scope of the disclosure is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control unit (130, 140) for controlling the movement of a vehicle (100) by real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, wherein the control unit comprises: a vehicle state interface (225) configured to receive vehicle state information including kinematic parameters and information regarding the availability of correction data (185) from one or more vehicle state sensors (220), a memory (230) configured to store at least one nominal operational design domain (ODD) of the vehicle and, for each stored nominal ODD, store a corresponding RTK augmentation ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK augmentation ODD, and wherein the control unit (130, 140) is configured to select an active operational design domain (ODD) based on the availability of correction data (185), wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when the correction data (185) is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected, and The control unit (130, 140) is configured to operate the vehicle using the kinematic parameters according to the active ODD.

2. The control unit (130, 140) of claim 1, further configured to detect driving abnormalities using kinematic parameters received from an available RTK receiver, and to respond to the detected driving abnormalities by sending control commands to one or several motion support devices (210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210E, 210F).

3. The control unit (130, 140) of any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the received kinematic parameters include kinematic parameters from a first RTK receiver and a second RTK receiver (RTK1, RTK2).

4. The control unit (130, 140) of claim 3, wherein the first RTK receiver is positioned closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver.

5. A control unit (130, 140) as described in claims 3 and 4, wherein the received kinematic parameters also include kinematic parameters from a third RTK receiver and a fourth RTK receiver, and wherein the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver (RTK1, RTK2, RTK3, RTK4) are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with an RTK receiver at each corner.

6. The control unit (130, 140) of claims 3 to 5, further configured to determine positioning accuracy by comparing the relative position of the available RTK receiver with the relative position obtained from the received kinematic parameters.

7. A control unit (130, 140) as described in any of the preceding claims, which is further configured to automatically switch between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of correction data (185), wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of correction data (185).

8. A vehicle (100), comprising: a first real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver (RTK1), the first real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver (RTK1) being configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals (195), a correction data receiver (RTK1) configured to determine the availability of correction data (185) and to receive the correction data from the base station (180) when available, a digital signal processor DSP configured to determine kinematic parameters from the received satellite signals (195) and, if applicable, the correction data (185), A control unit (130, 140) according to any one of claims 1 and 2.

9. The vehicle (100) of claim 8, further comprising: a second RTK receiver (RTK2), the second RTK receiver (RTK2) being configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals (195); And a control unit according to any one of claims 3 and 4.

10. The vehicle (100) of claim 9, comprising: A third RTK receiver and a fourth RTK receiver (RTK3, RTK4), the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver (RTK3, RTK4) being configured to receive a plurality of satellite signals (195); and a control unit (130, 140) according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

11. A method for controlling the movement of a vehicle (100) by real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, the method comprising: defining (S1) at least one nominal operational design domain (ODD) for the vehicle, and for each nominal ODD, defining a corresponding RTK augmentation ODD, wherein each nominal ODD is associated with a greater safety margin relative to its corresponding RTK augmentation ODD, receiving (S2) a plurality of satellite signals (195) at a first RTK receiver (RTK1) on the vehicle (100); receiving (S3) correction data (185) from a base station (180) if correction data (185) is available, determining (S4) kinematic parameters from the received satellite signals (195) and, if applicable, the correction data (185), selecting (S5) an active ODD based on the availability of correction data (185), wherein the RTK enhanced ODD is selected when correction data (185) is available, otherwise the nominal ODD is selected, and The vehicle is operated (S6) using the kinematic parameters according to the active ODD.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting (S7) driving abnormality using the kinematic parameters, and responding (S8) to the detected driving abnormality by sending a control command to one or several motion support devices (210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 210E, 210F).

13. The method of any one of claims 11 and 12, wherein the vehicle comprises a second RTK receiver (RTK2), and receiving (S2) further comprises receiving a plurality of satellite signals (195) at the second RTK receiver (RTK2) on the vehicle (100).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first RTK receiver is arranged to be positioned closer to the front of the vehicle relative to the second RTK receiver.

15. The method of any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the vehicle comprises a third RTK receiver and a fourth RTK receiver (RTK3, RTK4), and receiving (S2) further comprises receiving a plurality of satellite signals (195) at the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver (RTK3, RTK4), and wherein the first RTK receiver, the second RTK receiver, the third RTK receiver and the fourth RTK receiver (RTK1, RTK2, RTK3, RTK4) are positioned at each corner of the vehicle, with an RTK receiver at each corner.

16. A method as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising determining (S9) a positioning accuracy measure by comparing the relative position of an available RTK receiver with a determined relative position obtained from received satellite signals and the correction data (185) when available.

17. The method of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein selecting (S5) further comprises automatically switching between the nominal ODD and the RTK enhanced ODD based on the availability of correction data (185), and wherein the switching is triggered by a change in the availability of correction data (185).

18. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein determining (S4) kinematic parameters based on the received satellite signals comprises: Determining the approximate location of the vehicle; monitoring the phases of the plurality of satellite signals over a period of time; and determining a three-dimensional velocity of the vehicle based on changes in the monitored phase during the time period.

19. A computer program (550) comprising program code means for performing the steps of any one of claims 11 to 18 when said program is run on a computer or on a processing circuit (510) of a control unit (130, 140).

20. A computer readable medium (560) carrying a computer program (570) comprising program code means for performing the steps of any one of claims 11 to 18 when the program product is run on a computer or on a processing circuit (510) of a control unit (130, 140).

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