Method and apparatus for determining relative position using GNSS carrier phase

Abstract

Techniques are provided that may be implemented in a vehicle using various methods and / or devices to determine a location relative to a roadside unit (RSU) or other nearby reference point. A vehicle within a pre-specified range or within a broadcast distance or otherwise geographically adjacent to a roadside unit may share carrier GNSS phase measurement data by using broadcasts or other messages sent by the vehicle and / or the RSU, wherein the shared GNSS carrier phase measurement data may be used by the RSU to control and coordinate vehicle movement, speed, and / or positioning, and / or to determine the position of each vehicle relative to the RSU and / or other vehicles, or to determine the absolute position of each vehicle. The RSU may coordinate vehicle entry into the intersection, manage vehicle speed, and coordinate or control vehicle actions (such as decelerating, braking, and lane changing, or delivering vehicles to specific locations).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application for "Method and Apparatus for Determining Relative Position Using GNSS Carrier Phase" with an international filing date of February 17, 2021, application number 202180014798.3 (international application number PCT / US2021 / 018367).

[0002] Priority Claims

[0003] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application S / N. 16 / 797,381, filed on February 21, 2020, entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS TO DETERMINERELATIVE LOCATION USING GNSS CARRIER PHASE", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to on - vehicle devices and vehicles, and more particularly to methods, messaging, and apparatus for use in or with a vehicle to determine relative position using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) carrier phase from other vehicles. Background Art

[0005] Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles require accurate indication of the positions of surrounding vehicles to enable autonomous driving and enhance the safety, efficiency, and convenience of vehicle transportation. For example, path and maneuver planning for vehicles with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities (such as, by way of example, vehicles with cellular vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) capabilities, referred to herein as vehicles) depends on knowing the accurate inter-vehicle distances and relative positions. The capabilities and behaviors of surrounding vehicles help determine, for example, safe inter-vehicle spacing and lane change maneuvers. The positions and position-related measurements of surrounding vehicles will need to be communicated, for example, via a set of data elements (DEs) through the V2X application layer standard for vehicles to exchange capability information. However, the capabilities and methods for determining the position of each vehicle can vary based on vehicle type, make, and other factors. Additionally, when using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) for positioning, GNSS signals can be affected by various error factors (such as multipath error, ionospheric error, and tropospheric error), which can affect the accuracy of the absolute position that can be shared by each vehicle. However, considering that a primary goal of each vehicle is to avoid collisions and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, in some cases, the availability of relative position data (distance and direction between vehicles) may be more useful than the absolute position (latitude / longitude), especially when the absolute position is subject to significant errors from external factors (such as dense urban reflections of GNSS signals). Thus, adding V2X data elements to enable the calculation of relative distances can enable vehicles to optimize time and distance to achieve safe inter-vehicle spacing and maneuvers. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Some example techniques are presented herein that can be implemented in vehicles in various ways and apparatuses to determine a position relative to an RSU or other nearby reference point by using broadcast or other messages sent by the vehicle and / or roadside unit (RSU) sharing carrier GNSS phase measurement data, where the shared GNSS carrier phase measurement data can be used by the RSU to control and coordinate vehicle movement, speed, and / or positioning, and / or determine the position of each vehicle relative to the RSU and / or other vehicles, or determine the absolute position of each vehicle. The RSU can also coordinate vehicle entry into intersections, manage vehicle speed, and coordinate or control vehicle actions (such as decelerating, braking, and changing lanes or sending the vehicle to a specific location).

[0007] In one embodiment, a method of interacting with a roadside unit may include: broadcasting location information and identification information from a vehicle; receiving, at the vehicle, a request for periodic GNSS measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof from the roadside unit; sending, from the vehicle to the roadside unit, the periodic GNSS measurement data or the sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof; receiving, at the vehicle, at least one action request from the roadside unit; and performing at least one requested action.

[0008] In one embodiment, a vehicle may include: a wireless transceiver; a GNSS receiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver, the GNSS receiver, and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: broadcast location information and identification information via the wireless transceiver; receive, via the wireless transceiver, a request for periodic GNSS measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof from the roadside unit; send, via the wireless transceiver, the periodic GNSS measurement data or the sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof to the roadside unit; receive, via the wireless transceiver, at least one action request from the roadside unit; and perform at least one requested action.

[0009] In one embodiment, a vehicle may include: means for broadcasting location information and identification information; means for receiving, from the roadside unit, a request for periodic GNSS measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof; means for sending, to the roadside unit, the periodic GNSS measurement data or the sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof; means for receiving, from the roadside unit, at least one action request; and means for performing at least one requested action.

[0010] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that cause one or more processors on a vehicle to: broadcast location information and identification information from the vehicle; receive, at the vehicle, a request for periodic GNSS measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof from the roadside unit; send the periodic GNSS measurement data or the sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof to the roadside unit; receive, at the vehicle, at least one action request from the roadside unit; and perform at least one requested action by the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive aspects are described with reference to the following figures, where like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the figures unless otherwise specified.

[0012] Figure 1A block diagram of various components and / or systems implemented in an exemplary vehicle is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 2 A view of an exemplary vehicle configured with various sensors and communication components and / or systems is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 3 A functional block level embodiment of a vehicle that uses V2X to obtain GNSS measurement data of nearby vehicles is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 4 An exemplary system for a vehicle to use V2X data elements to perform V2X vehicle sensing, prediction, planning, and execution is illustrated.

[0016] Figure 5 Using carrier phase and / or other relative positioning methods between vehicles and using a vehicle with high-accuracy positioning capabilities as a reference for absolute positioning of other vehicles is illustrated.

[0017] Figure 6 Using relative positioning between vehicles that do not have a clear line of sight to each other is illustrated.

[0018] Figure 7 An embodiment of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) based relative positioning for determining relative positioning is illustrated.

[0019] Figure 8 A sample embodiment of a process for V2V-based relative positioning is illustrated.

[0020] Figure 9 An embodiment of broadcast-based relative positioning for determining relative positioning is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 10 A sample embodiment of a process for broadcast-based relative positioning determination is illustrated.

[0022] Figure 11 An embodiment of a hybrid system for determining relative positioning using both broadcast information and V2V-based information is illustrated.

[0023] Figure 12 A sample embodiment of a process for a hybrid system for determining relative positioning using both broadcast information and V2V-based information is illustrated.

[0024] Figure 13 Messaging for a hybrid system to determine relative positioning is illustrated.

[0025] Figure 14 Messaging for a system to interact with a roadside unit that performs traffic control and / or intersection control is illustrated.

[0026] Figure 15 A sample embodiment of a process for determining the relative position between vehicles is described.

[0027] Figure 16 A sample embodiment of a process for using the relative position in interaction with a roadside unit is described.

[0028] Figure 17 The vector between three receivers is described. Detailed Description

[0029] Some example techniques that can be implemented in various methods, apparatuses, and devices in a vehicle are presented herein. The example techniques presented herein solve various methods and apparatuses in a vehicle to provide or otherwise support determining vehicle-to-everything (V2X) data elements and using the data elements to determine relative position. The techniques described herein can generally be applied to V2X capability data elements (DEs) that describe V2X-enabled vehicle capabilities and are not currently defined in the V2X application layer standard, including global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement information, demodulated GNSS information, and / or other GNSS-related information as will be discussed herein. These DEs can be provided via V2X messages (such as, for example, those defined in the ground vehicle standard (SVS) from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), or / and those defined in the intelligent transport system (ITS) standard from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)) and are used for relative positioning between vehicles. Example techniques and embodiments for determining and providing these data elements are provided. In one embodiment, a vehicle can use vehicle GNSS receiver data and dynamically update or adjust the value of the GNSS measurement data element using external V2X inputs (such as data elements from other vehicles) to determine the relative position of the vehicle to another vehicle, or the vehicle to a roadside unit, or the vehicle to other devices, and provide the latest data elements over-the-air (OTA) to nearby vehicles or devices.

[0030] In the case of knowing the accurate relative positioning of nearby vehicles, the accurate positioning can be used to enhance safety by improving accuracy and reducing uncertainty about vehicle spacing, lane changes and maneuvers in the presence of other vehicles, thereby avoiding collisions. Accurate positioning of neighboring cars (e.g., in front of the vehicle, behind the vehicle, and on either side of the vehicle (if present)) thus improves safety and prevents accidents. Relative positioning can be determined by various devices (such as LIDAR, radar and cameras). However, LIDAR systems are expensive and may be blocked by bad weather, cameras are more widely used, but are similarly blocked by bad weather, and radars tend to be forward and blocked. Relative positioning using carrier phase observations based on GNSS can be completed quickly and inexpensively, and can be used to verify, supplement and replace some of the aforementioned systems in some cases. This is particularly attractive because GNSS receivers are widely installed on vehicles for navigation purposes and can therefore be used for relative positioning at a very low cost by adding GNSS-based carrier phase difference technology (both for sharing / communicating GNSS-based carrier phase information and for determining relative positioning solutions between vehicles).

[0031] GNSS-based positions are subject to various factors, such as multipath errors, ionospheric errors, and tropospheric errors. Therefore, GNSS-based absolute positions will typically have some associated uncertainty and / or errors associated with them, particularly in dense cities or other high-blockage areas. GNSS-based absolute positions may be verified and / or corrected using other techniques, such as dead reckoning information from distance sensors (wheel ticks, etc.), accelerometer and gyroscope measurements, camera information, sonar (SONAR), radar and / or LIDAR or other absolute and relative positioning technologies, which may be used in conjunction with reference points, such as landmarks or roadside units. The implementation of some of these measurement systems, such as LIDAR, radar, and sonar systems, may be expensive and may not be present on every vehicle model. Some older vehicles may also not have some of the redundant position determination technologies.

[0032] However, GNSS-based carrier phase observations can be used to determine the very accurate relative positioning between two receiving antennas. In some embodiments, the accuracy can be at the centimeter (cm) level. This is especially true when the two antennas are relatively close to each other and thus subject to the same multipath and other error effects (such as ionospheric and tropospheric delays), where the error effects can be calculated / minimized by using two or more measurements. In this scenario, two receiving antennas (e.g., located on adjacent or otherwise nearby vehicles) will experience some of the same error effects, such that those error effects can be canceled out when calculating the relative positions of the two antennas (and thus the two vehicles).

[0033] Carrier phase measurements can be very precise; however, they may contain very large errors, as illustrated by a view of the components contributing to the carrier phase. However, many (if not most) of these errors will be shared by two adjacent antennas. The carrier phase can be expressed by the following formula, where represents the measured carrier phase change (in meters) between antenna α and satellite j at time t. is the carrier phase transmitted from the satellite vehicle (SV j). λ is the wavelength corresponding to the frequency of the band transmission. is the integer carrier phase ambiguity between antenna α and satellite j. is due to noise and carrier phase multipath causing the carrier phase measurement error. is the geometric range from antenna α to satellite j at time t. dt j is the SV j clock error. dT α is the receiver α clock error. is the SV j orbit error. is the ionospheric delay (multiplied by the speed of light c to convert to distance). is the tropospheric delay (multiplied by the speed of light c to convert to distance).

[0034]

[0035] The double difference can be used to reduce the impact of the above error sources on carrier phase measurements. In one embodiment, the single difference of carrier phase can be determined by differencing the carrier phase measurements obtained at a first vehicle with the carrier phase measurements obtained from a second vehicle. Spatially common errors (i.e., those errors associated with the approximate positions of both the first vehicle and the second vehicle (assuming they are reasonably close to each other), such as satellite clock errors, satellite orbit errors, tropospheric errors, and ionospheric errors) can be removed or significantly reduced. The double difference of carrier phase can be determined by differencing the single difference carrier phase measurements for a first satellite with the single difference carrier phase measurements for a second satellite. The double difference will enable the elimination of errors common to the receivers (such as receiver frequency biases). This two-step differencing process is called double difference and will enable the resolution of the carrier phase integer ambiguity and thereafter achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy.

[0036] If we introduce a third GNSS receiver for making carrier phase measurements (thus, having receivers 1, 2, and 3), as Figure 17 shown, we can further constrain the ambiguity. In the case of having three GNSS receivers, we can determine three baselines between any two receivers (i.e., ) and thus three corresponding double difference ambiguities. The ambiguities constrained according to the following formula can be used for integer ambiguity resolution, thereby reducing the resolution time and improving the reliability: Similarly, if the measurements from three GNSS receivers are processed together, we can form three positioning vectors between the three receivers (1, 2, and 3) where This vector relationship is clearly illustrated in Figure 17 The positioning vector constraint can be used to accelerate baseline / ambiguity resolution and improve the reliability.

[0037] With the emergence of 5G V2X (the fifth generation of radio that connects cars to everything; V2X stands for vehicle-to-everything) technology, V2X-enabled vehicles will be connected to each other to share information (such as status, capabilities, and measurement data) with low latency. In one embodiment, vehicles can share GNSS pseudorange and carrier phase measurements, and in one embodiment, share position information. For example, vehicles can send or broadcast GNSS pseudorange and / or carrier phase measurements between vehicles or from each vehicle to nearby vehicles, and in some embodiments, send or broadcast other GNSS information, or some combination thereof.

[0038] As discussed above, the exchange of GNSS pseudorange and carrier phase information significantly improves the accuracy of vehicle-to-vehicle distance and vector determination. This information can be broadcast to vehicles within the reception range or transmitted between vehicles (point-to-point), possibly in response to the reception of a capabilities broadcast, or a combination of broadcasts and vehicle-to-vehicle information can be used to reduce messaging overhead. For example, in one embodiment, positions can be broadcast to vehicles within the reception range, and vehicles that satisfy a proximity constraint based on the broadcast target vehicle location can request GNSS measurement information. In one embodiment, the request can trigger successive GNSS measurement transmissions that are terminated based on moving past a distance threshold, and / or re-requested based on exceeding a time threshold, and / or maintained as long as the broadcast messaging signal strength is greater than a threshold signal strength. By using double-differenced ranging between vehicles, ranging can be determined with centimeter-level accuracy depending on the context.

[0039] In one embodiment, the transmitted messaging elements and / or content are similar to the following. The message can include both vehicle-specific but satellite-independent variables (as illustrated in Table 1) and satellite-related variables (as illustrated in Table 2), where the variables of Table 2 can be transmitted for each visible satellite or some subset thereof (for a given vehicle). In one embodiment, criteria such as signal strength or multipath measurements can also be used to select the satellites with the strongest signal or least multipath for vehicle-to-vehicle double-difference calculations. Similarly, in one embodiment, a vehicle can request GNSS measurement information generally or specifically (e.g., regarding which satellites).

[0040]

[0041]

[0042] Table 1. GNSS Measurement API, Common Data

[0043]

[0044] Table 2. GNSS Measurement API, Per Satellite Vehicle (SV) Data

[0045] Some of the benefits of GNSS-based relative positioning include: low cost and utilization of pre-existing GNSS receivers, high accuracy in open sky environments such as highways, all-weather operation (not obscured by rain or snow), operation even at a distance, operation even out of line of sight (far away, around corners, blocked by one or more objects or one or more vehicles), and no inherent interference (e.g., GNSS receivers are passive, so GNSS measurements do not interfere with other transmissions and / or measurements, as opposed to radar). Additionally, relative positioning based on highly accurate GNSS carrier phase can be used alone or in combination with other technologies such as radar, LIDAR, and cameras, which can improve positioning robustness and redundancy. Relative positioning based on GNSS carrier phase can be used (especially under clear sky highway conditions) to calibrate other systems such as radar, LIDAR, and camera systems by: using relative positioning based on GNSS carrier phase to determine the relative position to a remote object to determine the ground truth for calibrating a camera, radar, or LIDAR system. This is especially useful in correcting alignment issues such as those that may occur when a camera or radar unit integrated in a bumper is impacted and pushed out of alignment. Similarly, relative positioning based on GNSS carrier phase can also be used to calibrate distance estimates for radar, LIDAR, and camera systems.

[0046] In one embodiment, some or all of the GNSS measurement information from Table 1 and Table 2 can be sent as V2X data elements. In one embodiment, V2X data elements (DEs) describing GNSS measurements and data can be sent, such as decoded GNSS satellite identification information and / or time information and / or other information mentioned in Table 1 and Table 2 above, including Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement information, demodulated GNSS information, and / or other GNSS-related information. These data elements (DEs) can be provided via V2X messages such as, for example, those defined in the Ground Vehicle Standards (SVS) from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), or / and those defined in the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) standards from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). In one embodiment, shared GNSS information such as the information contained in the above data elements can be used for relative positioning between vehicles and / or for vehicle control and maneuvering.

[0047] In one embodiment, the data elements can be determined using Figure 1 GNSS receiver 170, which can be located, for example, in Figure 2 the shark fin 202 of vehicle 100 or elsewhere in the vehicle. In one embodiment, the GNSS receiver and processing can be Figure 3Part of the vehicle's external sensor 302, or signal information from the GNSS receiver 170, can be processed in the DSP 120, or in the processor 110, or in a combination thereof. The received GNSS data can be stored and / or processed in a memory 160 in the vehicle (such as non-volatile RAM / ROM or a hard disk drive) and shared via the wireless transceiver(s) 130. In one embodiment, the GNSS data can be broadcast or sent point-to-point to other vehicles.

[0048] As Figure 1 As shown, in one embodiment, the vehicle 100 (e.g., a car, a truck, a motorcycle, and / or other motor vehicle) can transmit radio signals to other vehicles 100 and receive radio signals from other vehicles 100, for example, via V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication (e.g., using one of the CV2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication protocols), and / or in one embodiment transmit radio signals to the wireless communication network 470 and receive radio signals from the wireless communication network 470 via a wide area network (WAN) base station (BTS) and / or a wireless access point 430, and / or transmit radio signals to the roadside unit (RSU or roadside device) 425 and receive radio signals from the roadside unit 425. In one example, the vehicle 100 (e.g., vehicle 480) can communicate with other vehicles (e.g., vehicle 490) and / or the wireless communication network by transmitting wireless signals to a remote wireless transceiver or receiving wireless signals from a remote wireless transceiver over a wireless communication link via the wireless transceiver(s) 130 and the wireless antenna(s) 132, and the remote wireless transceiver can include another vehicle 490, a wireless base station transceiver subsystem (BTS) 420 (e.g., a Node B, or an evolved Node B (eNodeB) or a next-generation Node B (gNodeB)), or a wireless access point 430.

[0049] Similarly, vehicle 100 can transmit wireless signals to or receive wireless signals from a local transceiver over a wireless communication link, for example, by using a wireless local area network (WLAN) and / or a personal area network (PAN) wireless transceiver (represented herein by one of (a) wireless transceiver(s) 130 and (a) wireless antenna(s) 132). In one embodiment, (a) wireless transceiver(s) 130 can include various combinations of WAN, WLAN, and / or PAN transceivers. In one embodiment, the local transceiver can also include a Bluetooth transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or other PAN transceiver. In one embodiment, vehicle 100 can transmit wireless signals to or receive wireless signals from wireless transceiver 130 on vehicle 100 over wireless communication link 134. The local transceiver, the WAN wireless transceiver, and / or the mobile wireless transceiver can include a WAN transceiver, an access point (AP), a femtocell, a home base station, a small cell base station, a home Node B (HNB), a home evolved Node B (HeNB), or a next-generation Node B (gNodeB) and can provide access to a wireless local area network (WLAN, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 network), a wireless personal area network (PAN, e.g., a network) or a cellular network (e.g., an LTE network or other wireless wide area network, such as those discussed in the next paragraph). Of course, it should be understood that these are merely examples of networks that can communicate with the vehicle over a wireless link, and the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard. It will also be understood that wireless transceiver 130 can be located on various vehicles 100 (boats, ferries, cars, buses, drones, and various transportation vehicles). In one embodiment, vehicle 100 can be used for passenger transportation, package transportation, or other purposes. In one embodiment, GNSS signals 174 from GNSS satellites are used by vehicle 100 for position determination and / or for the determination of GNSS signal parameters and demodulated data. In one embodiment, signals 134 from (a) WAN transceiver(s), WLAN, and / or PAN local transceiver are used, either alone or in combination with GNSS signals 174, for position determination.

[0050] Examples of network technologies that may support wireless transceiver 130 are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Fifth Generation Wireless (5G) or New Radio Access Technology (NR), High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), and V2X vehicle-to-vehicle communication. V2X communication protocols may be defined in various standards such as SAE and ETS-ITS standards. GSM, WCDMA, and LTE are technologies defined by 3GPP. CDMA and HRPD are technologies defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). WCDMA is also part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and may be supported by HNB.

[0051] Wireless transceiver 130 may communicate with a communication network via WAN radio base stations, which may include the deployment of equipment that provides subscribers with access to a radio telecommunications network for services (e.g., under a service contract). Here, the WAN radio base stations may perform the functions of a WAN or cell base station when serving subscriber devices within a cell determined at least in part by the range within which the WAN radio base stations can provide access services. Examples of WAN base stations include GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, HRPD, WiFi, BT, WiMAX, and / or Fifth Generation (5G) NR base stations. In one embodiment, additional radio base stations may include Wireless LAN (WLAN) and / or PAN transceivers.

[0052] In one embodiment, vehicle 100 may include multiple wireless transceivers, including WAN, WLAN, and / or PAN transceivers. In one embodiment, radio technologies that may support one or more wireless communication links further include Wireless Local Area Network (e.g., WLAN, e.g., IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (BT), and / or ZigBee.

[0053] In one embodiment, the vehicle 100 may include one or more cameras 135. In one embodiment, the camera may include a camera sensor and a mounting assembly. Different mounting assemblies may be used for different cameras on the vehicle 100. For example, a front camera may be mounted in the front bumper, in the stem of the rearview mirror assembly, or in other front regions of the vehicle 100. A rear camera may be mounted in the rear bumper / fender, on the rear windshield, in the trunk, or on other rear regions of the vehicle. Side mirrors may be mounted on the sides of the vehicle, such as integrated into the mirror assembly or the door assembly. The cameras may provide object detection and distance estimation (especially for objects of known size and / or shape (e.g., both stop signs and license plates have standardized sizes and shapes)), and may also provide information about rotational movement relative to the axes of the vehicle (such as during a turn). When used in conjunction with other sensors, the cameras may be calibrated by using other systems (such as by using LIDAR, wheel tick / distance sensors, and / or GNSS) to verify the travel distance and angular orientation. The cameras may similarly be used to verify and calibrate other systems to verify that the distance measurements are correct (e.g., by calibrating against known distances between known objects (landmarks, roadside markings, road mile markers, etc.)), and are also used to verify that object detection is performed accurately so that the objects are mapped to the correct positions relative to the vehicle by LIDAR and other systems. Similarly, when combined with, for example, an accelerometer, the time to impact with a road hazard obstacle (e.g., the time elapsed before hitting a pothole) may be estimated, which may be verified against the actual impact time and / or against a braking model (e.g., compared with the estimated braking distance in the case of attempting to stop before hitting an object) and / or against a maneuvering model (verifying whether the current estimate of the turning radius at the current speed and / or the maneuverability metric at the current speed is accurate under the current conditions and modifying the estimated parameters accordingly based on camera and other sensor measurements).

[0054] In one embodiment, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer 140 may be used to provide and / or verify motion and orientation information. The accelerometer and the gyroscope may be used to monitor wheel and driveline performance. In one embodiment, the accelerometer may also be used to verify the actual collision time with a road hazard obstacle (such as a pothole) relative to the predicted time based on existing braking and acceleration models and a steering model. In one embodiment, the gyroscope and the magnetometer may be used to measure the rotational state of the vehicle and the orientation relative to magnetic north, respectively, and are used to measure and calibrate the estimate and / or model of the turning radius at the current speed and / or the maneuverability metric at the current speed (especially when used in conjunction with measurements from other external and internal sensors (such as other sensors 145, such as speed sensors, wheel tick sensors, and / or odometer measurements)).

[0055] A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system 150 uses pulsed lasers to measure the distance to an object. While cameras can be used for object detection, the LIDAR system 150 provides a means to more deterministically detect the distance (and orientation) of an object, especially with respect to objects of unknown size and shape. The LIDAR system 150 measurements can also be used to estimate travel speed, vector direction, relative positioning, and braking distance by providing accurate distance measurements and incremental distance measurements.

[0056] The memory 160 can be used in conjunction with the processor 110 and / or the DSP 120. The memory can include flash memory, RAM, ROM, disk drives, or flash cards or other memory devices, or various combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the memory 160 can contain instructions for implementing the various methods described throughout this specification, including, for example, processes for implementing the use of relative positioning between vehicles and between a vehicle and an external reference object such as a roadside unit. In one embodiment, the memory can contain instructions for operating and calibrating sensors, and for receiving maps, weather, vehicle (both the vehicle 100 and surrounding vehicles) and other data, and for determining driving parameters (such as relative positioning, absolute positioning, braking distance, acceleration, and turning radius at the current speed and / or maneuverability at the current speed, inter-vehicle distance, turn initiation / timing and execution, and initiation / timing of driving operations) using various internal and external sensor measurements and the received data and measurements.

[0057] In one embodiment, the power and drive systems (generator, battery, transmission, engine) and associated systems 175, as well as the systems 155 (brakes, actuators, throttle control, steering, and electrical), can be controlled by the processor(s) and / or hardware or software or by the operator of the vehicle or by some combination thereof. The systems 155 (brakes, actuators, throttle control, steering, and electrical, etc.) and the power and drive or other systems 175 can be utilized in combination with performance parameters and operating parameters to enable safe and accurate driving and operation of the vehicle 100 autonomously (and manually, with respect to alerts and emergency override / stop / brake), such as to safely, effectively, and efficiently merge into traffic, park, accelerate, and otherwise operate the vehicle 100. In one embodiment, inputs from various sensor systems (such as the camera 135, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers 140, LIDAR 150, GNSS receiver 170, radar 153, inputs from the wireless transceiver(s) 130 and / or other sensors 145 or various combinations thereof, messaging, and / or measurements) can be used by the processor 110 and / or the DSP 120 or other processing systems to control the power and drive system 175 and the systems (brakes, actuators, throttle control, steering, and electrical) 155.

[0058] A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver can be used to determine a position relative to the ground (absolute positioning), and when used in conjunction with other information (such as measurements from other objects and / or mapping data), can be used to determine a position relative to other objects (such as relative to other vehicles and / or relative to the road surface).

[0059] In one embodiment, the GNSS receiver 170 can support one or more GNSS constellations and other satellite-based navigation systems. For example, in one embodiment, the GNSS receiver 170 can support global navigation satellite systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), Galileo, and / or Beidou, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the GNSS receiver 170 can support regional navigation satellite systems (such as NAVIC or QZSS or a combination thereof) and various augmentation systems (e.g., satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) or ground-based augmentation system (GBAS)), such as Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) or Multi-Functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) or Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS). In one embodiment, the GNSS receivers 130 and antennas 132 can support multiple frequency bands and sub-bands, such as GPS L1, L2, and L5 frequency bands, Galileo E1, E5, and E6 frequency bands, Compass (Beidou) B1, B3, and B2 frequency bands, GLONASS G1, G2, and G3 frequency bands, and QZSS L1C, L2C, and L5-Q frequency bands.

[0060] The GNSS receiver 170 can be used to determine positions and relative positions that can be used for positioning and navigation, and to calibrate other sensors when appropriate, such as for determining the distance between two time points under clear sky conditions and using the distance data to calibrate other sensors (such as an odometer and / or LIDAR). In one embodiment, GNSS-based relative positions based on, for example, Doppler and / or pseudorange measurements shared between vehicles can be used to determine a highly accurate distance between two vehicles, and when combined with vehicle information (such as shape and model information and GNSS antenna position) can be used to calibrate, validate, and / or influence the confidence levels associated with information from LIDAR, cameras, radar, sonar, and other distance estimation techniques. GNSS Doppler measurements can also be used to determine the linear and rotational motion of a vehicle or a vehicle relative to another vehicle, which can be used in combination with gyroscopes and / or magnetometers and other sensor systems to maintain the calibration of those systems based on the measured position data. The relative GNSS positioning data can also be combined with the highly confident absolute positions from roadside devices 425 (also known as roadside units or RSUs) to determine the highly confident absolute position of a vehicle. Additionally, during adverse weather conditions that may obscure LIDAR and / or camera-based data sources, relative GNSS positioning data can be used to avoid other vehicles and stay within a lane or other assigned road area. For example, using an RSU equipped with a GNSS receiver and V2X capabilities, GNSS measurement data can be provided to a vehicle, which, when provided together with the absolute position of the RSU, can be used to navigate the vehicle relative to a map, thus keeping the vehicle in a lane and / or on a road despite a lack of visibility.

[0061] Radio detection and ranging (radar 153) uses transmitted radio waves reflected from an object. The reflected radio waves are analyzed based on the time required for the reflection to arrive and other signal characteristics of the reflected wave to determine the position of nearby objects. Radar 153 can be used to detect the positions of nearby vehicles, roadside objects (signs, other vehicles, pedestrians, etc.), and can generally detect objects even in adverse weather conditions such as snow, rain, or hail. Thus, radar system 153 can be used to supplement LIDAR 150 systems and cameras 135 when providing ranging information to other objects by providing ranging and distance measurement and information when vision-based systems typically fail. Additionally, radar 153 can be used to calibrate and / or perform sanity checks on other systems such as LIDAR system 150 and camera 135. Ranging measurements from radar 153 can be used to determine / measure braking distance, acceleration, maneuverability at the current speed, and / or turning radius at the current speed and / or a measure of maneuverability at the current speed. In some systems, ground-penetrating radar can also be used to track the road surface via, for example, radar reflectors on the road surface or terrain features such as ditches.

[0062] As Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, vehicle 100 may have cameras, such as camera 1006 mounted on the rearview mirror, cameras mounted on the front fenders (not shown), cameras mounted on the side mirrors (not shown), and a rear camera (not shown, but typically on the trunk, hatch, or rear bumper). Vehicle 100 may also have a LIDAR system 204 for detecting objects and measuring distances to those objects; the LIDAR system 204 is typically mounted on the roof, however, if there are multiple LIDAR units 204, they may be oriented around the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle. Vehicle 100 may have various other position-related systems, such as a GNSS receiver 170 (typically in a shark fin unit located at the rear of the roof), various wireless transceivers 202 (such as WAN, WLAN, V2X; typically but not necessarily in the shark fin), a radar system 208 (typically in the front bumper), and sonar 210 (typically on the sides of the vehicle, if present). There may also be various wheel 212 and driveline sensors, such as tire pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and wheel rotation detection and / or counters. In one embodiment, distance measurements and relative positions determined via various sensors (such as LIDAR, radar, cameras, GNSS, and sonar) may be combined with vehicle size and shape information and information about sensor positions to determine distances and relative positions between the surfaces of different vehicles, such that the distance or vector from a sensor to another vehicle or between two different sensors (such as two GNSS receivers) is incrementally increased to account for the positioning of the sensors on each vehicle. Thus, the accurate GNSS distance and vector between two GNSS receivers will need to be modified based on the relative positions of the respective vehicle surfaces to the GNSS receivers. For example, when determining the distance between the front bumper of a following vehicle and the rear bumper of a leading vehicle, the distance will need to be adjusted based on the distance between the GNSS receiver on the following vehicle and the front bumper and the distance between the GNSS receiver on the leading vehicle and the rear bumper of the leading vehicle. As an example, the distance between the rear bumper of the leading vehicle and the front bumper of the following vehicle is the relative distance between the two GNSS receivers minus the distance from the GNSS receiver on the following vehicle to the front bumper, minus the distance from the GNSS receiver on the leading vehicle to the rear bumper. It is recognized that this list is not intended to be limiting, and Figure 2 is intended to provide exemplary positions of various sensors in an embodiment of vehicle 100. Additionally, further details regarding specific sensors are described with respect to Figure 1 this.

[0063] As Figure 3As shown, in one embodiment, vehicle 100 may receive vehicle and environmental information from vehicle external sensors 302, vehicle internal sensors 304, vehicle capabilities 306, external wireless information (such as the location of adjacent vehicles), and GNSS measurement information 308 (from the environment, from other vehicles, from roadside devices / units (RSUs), from system servers) and / or from vehicle motion state 310 (describing the current and / or future motion state). In one embodiment, the received vehicle, sensor, and environmental information may be processed in one or more processors 110, DSP 120, and memory, which are connected and configured to provide external object sensing and classification, prediction and planning, and actuation execution, as well as determine and update V2X or other wireless data element values (including GNSS data element values), and transmit messaging including the determined data elements via one or more wireless transceivers 130. Messaging and data elements may be sent and received via various devices, protocols, and standards (such as via SAE or ETSI CV2X messages and data elements or other wireless and wireless V2X protocols supported by the (one or more) wireless transceivers 130). Additionally, note that when used in the context of this specification, the term ego vehicle refers to vehicle 100.

[0064] The relative position determination block 328 between vehicles includes: a block 330 for determining which vehicles are within the processing range and a block 332 for determining the relative positions of the vehicles within the processing range. In one embodiment, GNSS data is exchanged with vehicles or other devices (such as roadside units) within the processing range determined by block 330, where the GNSS data received from the vehicles within the processing range is used to determine and / or verify and / or improve the accuracy of the relative positions associated with other vehicles or devices within the processing range in block 332. In one embodiment, block 330 determines that vehicles (or other devices) within the processing range can utilize broadcast position information (such as broadcast latitude and longitude) from nearby vehicles or other devices and the position information of vehicle 100 to determine the approximate relative positions and / or approximate distances between vehicles, such as can be used to determine whether a vehicle is within a threshold range. For vehicles within the threshold range, shared GNSS measurements and / or other sensors on the vehicle can be used to calculate a more accurate relative position. The threshold range can be preset or can be dynamic based on speed, road surface conditions, and other factors. The threshold range can be an estimated distance or can be based on other factors related to distance (such as a threshold signal strength or timing-related measurements based on the round-trip time (RTT) or time of arrival (TOA) of a wireless signal). The GNSS data received from the vehicles within the processing range as described above (such as via carrier phase double difference and / or by using constraint relationships (such as a three-way vehicle constraint vector relationship)) can be used to determine the more accurate relative positions and distances to each nearby vehicle within the processing range. The measurements can also be modified to account for the distance between the vehicle surface and the mounting position of the GNSS antenna on the vehicle. In one embodiment, wireless information (such as V2X information) from other vehicles can be provided via (a) wireless transceiver(s) 130, and in one embodiment, it can be received and / or exchanged with other vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation.

[0065] In various embodiments, the processing range may be determined in varying and / or multiple ways, e.g., depending on the processing power of the receiving vehicle or device and the safety and information requirements of the receiving vehicle or device. In one embodiment, the processing range may be determined by a threshold distance or range within which the vehicle or device will send and / or exchange GNSS data and use the GNSS data to calculate the precise relative distance between vehicles and / or devices. In one embodiment, the processing range may be selected to cover nearby or adjacent vehicles. In one embodiment, the processing range may be selected to cover any vehicles that may pose a potential collision risk (such as vehicles on either side, in front of, and behind a vehicle) and / or include vehicles that may be further away in non-parallel paths (such as those on perpendicular and intersecting streets, or those traveling in opposite directions on the same street, and those in direct proximity to the vehicle). In some embodiments, mapping data will also be considered such that vehicles traveling in opposite directions on the same road can be monitored, even if the road may curve and their current directions are not perpendicular. In some embodiments, GNSS information may be broadcast to all vehicles and / or devices within the receiving range, where the receiving range becomes equivalent to the processing range; in such embodiments, the receiving device may still apply range or other selection criteria to determine whether a more accurate relative position should be calculated based on GNSS measurements. In one embodiment, the processing range may be variable, increasing when fewer vehicles are nearby and decreasing when many vehicles are nearby, in one embodiment potentially based on the maximum processing burden imposed by the receiving device regarding how many ranges will be tracked simultaneously. In one embodiment, a vehicle may request GNSS measurement information from vehicles or devices outside the nominal processing range, e.g., to monitor traffic at a distance or track an erratic vehicle or for other more specific requests.

[0066] In one embodiment, other vehicle-related input sources (such as servers 455, 445, 460, 450, and 440) can provide information (such as vehicle information, routing, position assistance, map data, and environmental data) and are used to provide input and / or supplement and / or combine with other inputs. For example, road position data, map data, driving condition data, and other vehicle-related data inputs are used in combination with vehicle-to-vehicle maneuver coordination 324 to determine maneuver execution 326. In one embodiment, the map data can include the position of the roadside unit relative to the road position, where the vehicle can use GNSS-based relative positioning between the roadside device / roadside unit in combination with the map data to determine its position relative to the road surface, especially in cases where other systems may fail (such as due to low visibility weather conditions (snow, rain, sandstorms, etc.)). It will be understood that the terms roadside unit and roadside device can be used interchangeably to refer to stationary reference, control, and / or messaging devices. In one embodiment, the map data from the map server 450 can be used in combination with relative and / or absolute data from adjacent vehicles and / or from the roadside unit (RSU) 425 to determine the highly confident absolute position and relative position relative to the road / map for multiple vehicles. For example, if vehicle A 480 has a higher accuracy / confidence position than other vehicles in communication with vehicle A 480, such as vehicle B 490, vehicle B 490 can use the GNSS information for highly accurate relative position and the highly accurate position sent from vehicle A 480 to vehicle B 490 to determine the highly accurate position for vehicle B 490, even if the system of vehicle B 490 is otherwise unable to calculate a highly accurate position in a particular situation or environment. In this case, the presence of vehicle A with a highly accurate position determination system benefits all surrounding vehicles by sharing one or more highly accurate positions along with the ongoing relative position information. Additionally, assuming the map data from the map server 450 is accurate, the ability to propagate highly accurate position data from vehicle A 480 to surrounding vehicles (such as vehicle B 490) enables the surrounding vehicles to also accurately determine their relative positions with respect to the map data, even in other troublesome signal / position environments. The vehicle information server 455 can provide vehicle information (such as size, shape, and antenna position), which can be used by, for example, vehicle A or other vehicles to not only determine the relative position between the GNSS receiver on vehicle A 480 and, for example, vehicle B 490, but also determine the distance between the closest points of vehicle A 480 and vehicle B 490. In one embodiment, the traffic information from the traffic control and optimization server 465 can be used to determine the overall path selection and rerouting, used in combination with the routing server 445 (in one embodiment).In one embodiment, the environmental data server 440 may provide inputs of road conditions, black ice, snow, water, and other environmental conditions on the road, which may also affect the decision-making and decision criteria in the inter-vehicle maneuver coordination block 325 and the maneuver execution block 326. For example, in icy or rainy conditions, the vehicle 100 may execute and / or request an increased inter-vehicle distance from adjacent vehicles or may select a routing option that avoids road hazard conditions (such as black ice and standing water).

[0067] Blocks 330 and 332 may be implemented using various dedicated or general-purpose hardware and software (such as using the processor 110 and / or the DSP 120 and the memory 160), or in one embodiment, in a dedicated hardware block (such as a dedicated sensor processing and / or vehicle messaging core). As previously discussed, in block 330, the vehicles within the processing range may be determined by various means such as based on signal timing measurements (such as RTT and TOA), the signal strength of the broadcast signal of another vehicle, and the distance determined based on the latitude and longitude broadcast from an adjacent vehicle and the current position of the vehicle. In block 332, the relative position of other vehicles with respect to the vehicle position may be determined based on various sensor measurements (including but not limited to GNSS measurements from other vehicles (such as Doppler and phase measurements)), and other sensor measurements (such as LIDAR, radar, sonar, and camera measurements) may also be utilized. In one embodiment, some or all of blocks 302, 304, 306, 308, and / or 310 may have dedicated processing cores, for example, to improve performance and reduce measurement latency. In one embodiment, some or all of blocks 302, 304, 306, 308, and / or 310 may share processing with blocks 330 and 332.

[0068] In some embodiments, the vehicle exterior sensors 302 may include cameras 206, a LIDAR system 204, a radar system 208, proximity sensors, rain sensors, weather sensors, a GNSS receiver 170, and received data used with the sensors (such as map data, environmental data, location, route) and / or other vehicle information (such as information receivable from other vehicles, devices, and servers (in one embodiment, such as a map server 450, a route server 445, a vehicle information server 455, an environmental data server 440, a location server 460) and / or from associated devices (such as a mobile device 400) that may be present in or near the vehicle (such as vehicle A 480)). For example, in one embodiment, the mobile device 400 may provide an additional source of GNSS measurements, may provide an additional source of motion sensor measurements, or may provide network access as a communication portal to a WAN, WiFi, or other network, and as a gateway to various information servers (such as servers 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, and / or 465). It will be understood that the vehicle 100 may include one or more cameras. In one embodiment, the camera may be forward-facing, side-facing, rear-facing, or have an adjustable field of view (such as a rotatable camera). In one embodiment, there may be multiple cameras 206 facing the same plane. For example, the camera 206 and the camera 208 mounted on the bumper may include two forward-facing cameras, one focused on lower objects and / or a lower viewing point (such as mounted on the bumper) for parking purposes, and one focused on a higher viewing point (such as tracking traffic, other vehicles, pedestrians, and farther objects). In one embodiment, the various views may be stitched and / or may be associated with other inputs (such as V2X inputs from other vehicles) to optimize the tracking of other vehicles and external entities and objects and / or to calibrate the sensor systems against each other. The LIDAR system 204 may be mounted on top and rotate or may be focused on a specific viewing point (such as forward, rearward, or sideward). The LIDAR system 204 may be solid-state or mechanical. The proximity sensors may be ultrasonic, radar-based, light-based (such as infrared ranging-based), and / or capacitive (capacitive detection of a surface-facing touch or a metallic body). The rain and weather sensors may include various sensing capabilities and technologies, such as barometric pressure sensors, humidity detectors, rain sensors, and / or light sensors and / or may utilize other pre-existing sensor systems. The GNSS receiver may be mounted on top, such as in a fin-type antenna assembly at the rear of the vehicle roof, on the hood, or mounted on the dashboard or otherwise placed outside or inside the vehicle.

[0069] In one embodiment, the in-vehicle sensors 304 may include wheel sensors 212 (such as tire pressure sensors, brake pad sensors, brake status sensors), speedometers and other speed sensors, heading sensors and / or orientation sensors (such as magnetometers and geomagnetic compasses), distance sensors (such as odometers and wheel tick sensors), inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes and inertial positioning results using the sensors mentioned above), and yaw, pitch, and / or roll sensors (which may be determined individually or as using other sensor systems (such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and tilt sensors)).

[0070] Both the in-vehicle sensors 304 and the out-vehicle sensors 302 may have shared or dedicated processing capabilities. For example, a sensor system or subsystem may have one sensor processing core or multiple cores that determine vehicle state values (such as yaw, pitch, roll, heading, speed, acceleration capabilities, and / or distance, and / or braking distance) based on measurements and other inputs from accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and / or other sensing systems. Different sensing systems may communicate with each other to determine measurement values or send values to block 330 to combine measurement values and determine (such) capability values depending on the inputs. Vehicle state values derived from measurements of the internal and external sensors may be further combined with vehicle state values and / or measurements from other sensor systems using a general or application processor. For example, blocks 330, 332, and / or 324 may be implemented on a dedicated or centralized processor to determine data element values for V2X messaging, and these data element values may be transmitted using the wireless transceiver 130 or via other communication transceivers. In one embodiment, the sensors may be divided into related systems, for example, LIDAR, radar, motion, wheel systems, etc., which operate through dedicated core processing of the raw results to output vehicle state values from each core, and these vehicle state values are combined and interpreted to derive combined vehicle state values, including capability data elements and state data elements, and these combined vehicle state values may be used to control or otherwise affect vehicle operation and / or as messaging steps shared with other vehicles and / or systems via V2X or other messaging capabilities. In one embodiment, these messaging capabilities may be based on various wireless-related, optical-related, or other communication standards (such as those supported by the wireless transceiver(s) 130 and the antenna(s) 132).

[0071] In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 306 may include performance estimates for braking, stopping, accelerating, turning radius, and autonomous and / or non-autonomous states and / or the performance of one or more capabilities. The capability estimates may be based on stored estimates which, in one embodiment, may be loaded into a memory. These estimates may be based on empirical performance numbers, either for a particular vehicle, or an average across one or more vehicles, and / or one or more models for a given performance profile. In cases where performance estimates for multiple models are averaged or otherwise combined, they may be selected based on similar or common characteristics. For example, vehicles having similar or identical weights and the same or similar drivetrains may share performance estimates for estimates related to driving performance (such as braking / stopping distance, turning radius, and acceleration performance). Vehicle performance estimates may also be obtained, for example, using external V2X (etc.) inputs 308 from a vehicle data server on a network over a wireless network. This is particularly helpful for obtaining information for vehicles without wireless capabilities that cannot directly provide vehicle information. In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 306 may also be affected by automotive component states such as tire wear, tire brand capabilities, brake pad wear, brake brand and capabilities, and engine state. In one embodiment, vehicle capabilities 306 may also be affected by overall vehicle state (such as speed, heading) and external factors (such as road surface, road conditions (wet, dry, slippery / traction), weather (windy, rainy, snowy, black ice, slippery road surface, etc.). In many cases, wear or other system degradation, as well as external factors (such as weather, road surface, road conditions, etc.), may be used to reduce, verify, or improve performance estimates when determining the capability value at 330 in response to an input. In some embodiments, actual measured vehicle performance (such as measuring vehicle braking distance and / or acceleration time per distance) may be measured and / or estimated based on actual vehicle driving-related performance. In one embodiment, if the measurements are inconsistent, the most recently measured performance may be weighted more heavily or given precedence over older measurements. Similarly, in one embodiment, measurements obtained during similar states (such as on the same type of weather or the same type of road surface as currently detected by the vehicle (such as via vehicle external sensors 302 and / or vehicle internal sensors 304)) may be weighted more heavily and / or given preference when determining the capability value at 330 in response to an input.

[0072] The determined capability values (such as those determined in block 330 in response to inputs) are provided to block 332 (update V2X capability data element). In one embodiment, location information and / or GNSS measurement data may be sent via block 324 (V2X vehicle-to-vehicle negotiation, which may be implemented via various devices), such as via communication through wireless transceiver 130 and using various V2X messaging standards (such as via SAE or ETSI C V2X messages and data elements). In one embodiment, one or more processors 30 and / or DSP 120 and memory 160, and the systems or devices described herein may be connected and configured to perform the processes regarding Figure 3 and described throughout this specification. The capability values in response to inputs in 330 may be modified to a different data format and / or unit and / or may require other conversions or combinations of one or more capability values before being used as V2X capability data elements. In one embodiment, adjusting the data format and / or unit and / or the conversion or combination of one or more capability values may be performed in processor 110 and / or in the update V2X capability data element block 332 or elsewhere in the architecture.

[0073] The V2X vehicle sensing, prediction, planning, and execution 312 processes the reception and processing of information from blocks 302, 304, 308, 310, and 314 via the external object sensing and classification block 306, partially utilizing the sensor fusion and object classification block 316 to correlate, validate, and / or combine data from the input blocks 302, 304, 306, 308, and 310. The external object sensing and classification block 314 determines the objects present, determines the type of the objects (cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians, animals, etc.) and / or the object state relative to the vehicle, such as the movement state, proximity, heading, and / or the positioning, size, threat level, and vulnerability priority relative to the vehicle (e.g., pedestrians will have a higher vulnerability priority than road debris). In one embodiment, block 314 may utilize GNSS measurements from other vehicles to determine the relative positioning to other vehicles. This output from block 314 may be provided to the prediction and planning block 318, which determines the detected objects and the vehicle and their associated trajectories via block 320, and determines vehicle maneuvers and path planning in block 322, the output of which is directly utilized in the vehicle maneuver execution block 326 or utilized via the V2X inter-vehicle negotiation block 324. The V2X inter-vehicle negotiation block 324 will integrate and account for the maneuver plans, positions, and states received from other vehicles. The V2X inter-vehicle negotiation accounts for the states of adjacent vehicles and enables negotiation and coordination between adjacent or otherwise affected vehicles based on vehicle priorities, vehicle capabilities (such as the ability to stop, decelerate, or accelerate to avoid collisions), and in some embodiments, various states such as weather conditions (rain, fog, snow, wind), road conditions (dry, wet, ice, slippery). These include, for example, negotiation of the timing and sequence for passing through an intersection between cars approaching the intersection, negotiation of lane changes between adjacent cars, negotiation for parking spaces, negotiation for entering a one-way road for directional travel or passing another vehicle. The inter-vehicle negotiation may also include time- and / or distance-based factors, such as the agreed-upon time, the destination distance, and the estimated route time to reach the destination, and in some embodiments, the type of agreement and the importance of the agreement.

[0074] As in Figure 4As highlighted, the vehicle can communicate with various devices and servers via various networks. In one embodiment, the V2X vehicle A 480 can communicate with the V2X or otherwise communication-enabled vehicle B 490 using a V2X or other wireless communication transceiver on link 423. For example, in one embodiment, to perform relative positioning between vehicles, negotiate lane changes or intersections, and exchange V2X data elements (such as GNSS measurements, vehicle status, vehicle location and vehicle capabilities, measurement data, and / or calculated status), and exchange other V2X vehicle status steps not covered in the V2X capability data elements. In one embodiment, vehicle A can also communicate with vehicle B via a network, such as via base station 420 and / or access point 430, or via a communication-enabled roadside unit (RSU) 425, any of which can relay communication, information, and / or transform protocols for use by other vehicles (such as vehicle B), especially in embodiments where vehicle B cannot directly communicate with vehicle A 480 using a common protocol. In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 can also communicate with roadside device 425 (such as various roadside beacons, traffic and / or vehicle monitors, traffic control devices, and location beacons in various embodiments).

[0075] In one embodiment, the roadside unit (RSU) 425 may have a processor 425A configured to operate a wireless transceiver 425E to send wireless messages to and / or from vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490, to and / or from base station 420 and / or access point 430 (e.g., basic safety messages (BSMs) or cooperative awareness messages (CAMs) or other V2X messages). For example, the wireless transceiver 425E may send and / or receive wireless messages using various protocols (such as V2X communication with vehicles), and / or communicate over a wireless communication network using various WAN, WLAN, and / or PAN protocols. In one embodiment, the RSU 425 may include one or more processors 425A communicatively coupled to the wireless transceiver 425E and a memory, and may include instructions and / or hardware to execute and / or provide and / or process environmental and roadside sensor information 425D as a traffic control unit 425C or act as a position reference for the GNSS relative position between it and the vehicle. In one embodiment, the RSU 425 may include a network interface 425B (and / or the wireless transceiver 425E), and in one embodiment, the network interface 425B may communicate with external servers (such as a traffic optimization server 465, a vehicle information server 455, and / or an environmental data server 440). In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver 425E may communicate over a wireless communication network by transmitting or receiving wireless signals from a wireless base transceiver subsystem (BTS), a Node B, or an evolved Node B (eNodeB) or a next-generation Node B (gNodeB) over a wireless communication link. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver(s) 425E may include various combinations of WAN, WLAN, and / or PAN transceivers. In one embodiment, the local transceiver may also include a Bluetooth transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or other PAN transceiver. The local transceiver, the WAN wireless transceiver, and / or the mobile wireless transceiver may include a WAN transceiver, an access point (AP), a femtocell, a home base station, a small cell base station, a home Node B (HNB), a home eNodeB (HeNB), or a next-generation Node B (gNodeB) and may provide access to a wireless local area network (WLAN, e.g., an IEEE 802.11 network), a wireless personal area network (PAN, e.g., a Bluetooth network), or a cellular network (e.g., an LTE network or other wireless wide area network, such as those discussed in the next paragraph). It should be understood that these are merely examples of networks that may communicate with the RSU 425 over a wireless link, and the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard.

[0076] The RSU 425 can receive position, status, GNSS, and other sensor measurements, and capabilities information, such as GNSS measurements, sensor measurements, speed, heading, position, braking distance, priority or emergency status, and other vehicle-related information, from vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490. In one embodiment, environmental information (such as road surface information / status, weather status, and camera information) can be collected via point-to-point or broadcast messages and shared with the vehicles. The RSU 425 can utilize the information received from vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490, the environment, and roadside sensors 425D via the wireless transceiver 425E, as well as network information and control messages from, for example, the traffic control and optimization server 465, to coordinate and direct traffic flow, or vehicle speed, or vehicle positioning, and provide environmental, vehicle, safety, and announcement messages to vehicle A 480 and vehicle B 490.

[0077] In one embodiment, the processor 425A can be configured to operate the network interface 425B, which can be connected to the network 470 via a backhaul, and in one embodiment, it can be used to communicate and coordinate with various centralized servers (such as the centralized traffic control and optimization server 465), which monitor and optimize traffic flow in an area (such as within a city or a part of a city or a region). The network interface 425B can also be used for remote access to the roadside unit (RSU) 425 for crowdsourcing of vehicle data, maintenance of the roadside unit (RSU) 425, and / or coordination with other roadside devices 425 or other purposes. The roadside unit (RSU) 42 can have a processor 425A configured to operate the traffic control unit 425C, which can be configured to process data received from vehicles (such as vehicle A 480 and vehicle B 490), such as position data, braking distance data, road condition data, identification data, and other information related to the status and position of nearby vehicles and the environment. The roadside unit (RSU) 425 can have a processor 425A configured to obtain data from the environment and roadside sensors 425D, which can include temperature, weather, cameras, pressure sensors, road sensors (e.g., for vehicle detection), accident detection, motion detection, speed detection, and other vehicle and environmental monitoring sensors.

[0078] In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 may also communicate with mobile device 400 using short-range communication and personal networks (such as Bluetooth, WiFi, or Zigbee) or via V2X or other vehicle-related communication protocols. For example, in one embodiment, access a WAN and / or WiFi network and / or obtain sensor and / or location measurements from mobile device 400 in one embodiment. In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 may communicate with mobile device 400 using a WAN-related protocol over a WAN network (such as via WAN base station 420) or using direct peer-to-peer or WiFi via a WiFi access point. Vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490 may communicate using various communication protocols. In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490 may support various and multiple wireless communication modes, such as, for example, using V2X, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, HRPD, Wi-Fi, BT, WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Fifth Generation Wireless (5G) New Radio Access Technology (NR) communication protocols, etc.

[0079] In one embodiment, vehicle A may communicate with wireless LAN access point 430 using a WAN protocol over a WAN network via base station 420 or using a wireless LAN protocol (such as WiFi). The vehicle may also support wireless communication using, for example, wireless LAN (WLAN), personal area network (PAN) (such as Bluetooth or ZigBee), DSL, or packet cable.

[0080] In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490 may include one or more GNSS receivers (such as GNSS receiver 170) for receiving GNSS signals 412 from GNSS satellites 410 for position determination, time capture, and time maintenance. Various GNSS systems may be supported using GNSS receiver 170 or other receivers to receive signals from Beidou, Galileo, Glonass, and / or GPS, as well as various regional navigation systems (such as QZSS and NavIC or IRNSS). Other wireless systems (such as those depending on beacons) may be utilized. In one example, such as one or more roadside units (RSUs) 425, one or more wireless LAN access points 430, or one or more base stations 420. Various GNSS signals 412 may be utilized in combination with automotive sensors 140 and / or 145 to determine position, speed, and proximity to other vehicles (such as between vehicle A 480 and vehicle B 490).

[0081] In one embodiment, vehicle A and / or vehicle B can access GNSS measurements and / or positions determined at least in part using GNSS provided by mobile device 400. In one embodiment, mobile device 400 also has GNSS, WAN, WiFi, and other communication receivers and / or transceivers. In one embodiment, vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490 can access GNSS measurements (such as pseudorange measurements, Doppler measurements, and satellite IDs) and / or positions determined at least in part using GNSS provided by mobile device 400 as a fallback in the event that GNSS receiver 170 fails or provides a position accuracy less than a threshold level.

[0082] Vehicle A 480 and / or vehicle B 490 can access various servers on the network (such as vehicle information server 455, routing server 445, location server 460, map server 450, and environmental data server 440).

[0083] Vehicle information server 455 can provide information describing various vehicles (such as antenna position, vehicle size, and vehicle capabilities) that can be used to make decisions regarding maneuvers relative to nearby vehicles (such as whether they can brake or accelerate in time, whether they are self-driving, self-driving capabilities, communication capabilities). In one embodiment, vehicle information server 455 can also provide information about vehicle size, shape, capabilities, identification, ownership, occupancy, and / or determined position points (such as, for example, the position of the GNSS receiver) and the position of the vehicle boundary relative to the determined position point.

[0084] Routing server 445 can receive current location and destination information and provide routing information, map data, alternative routing data, and / or traffic and street condition data for the vehicle.

[0085] In one embodiment, location server 460 can provide location determination capabilities, transmitter signal acquisition assistance (such as GNS satellite orbit prediction information, time information, approximate position information, and / or approximate time information), transceiver almanacs (such as those containing the identification and location of WiFi access points and base stations), and in some embodiments, additional information regarding routing (such as speed limits, traffic, and road state / construction state). Map server 450 can provide map data (such as road positions, points of interest along the road, address positions along the road, road size, road speed limits, traffic conditions, and / or road conditions (wet, slippery, snow / ice, etc.), road states (open, under construction, accident, etc.)). In one embodiment, environmental data server 440 can provide weather and / or road-related information, traffic information, terrain information, and / or road quality and speed information and / or other relevant environmental data.

[0086] In one embodiment, Figure 4 the vehicles 480 and 490 and the mobile device 400 in Figure 12 can communicate over the network 470 via various network access points (such as the wireless LAN access point 430 or the wireless WAN base station 420 on the network 470). In some embodiments,

[0087] Figure 5 illustrates the use of high-accuracy relative positioning between various vehicles and / or devices in one embodiment, which is determined using shared GNSS measurements, as discussed above. The above embodiments discuss the use of double differences of shared measurements of signals from two or more satellites. The above embodiments also discuss, for example, constraining the results by leveraging the vectors between multiple vehicles, as Figure 17 illustrated in Figure 5 Some of the vehicles and devices (the terms "vehicle" and "device" may be used interchangeably herein) in

[0088] are referred to as vehicles and / or devices with high-accuracy positioning and are capable of determining high-accuracy absolute positioning, for example, with meter-level or even centimeter-level accuracy.

[0089] In one embodiment, a vehicle that does not have the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning may, for example, have an obstructed sky view (e.g., in a dense urban scenario suffering from signal blockage caused by large buildings), such that the GNSS satellite signals measured at the affected GNSS receiver are significantly affected by multipath and signal degradation. However, it is noted that nearby vehicles may suffer from the same GNSS signal degradation (multipath, signal blockage, ionospheric errors, tropospheric errors, etc.), such that the double difference of the satellite signals received at two nearby receivers may result in highly accurate relative positioning, even when highly accurate absolute positioning is not easily obtainable. In one embodiment, a vehicle that has the opportunity to access other sensor systems related to relative positioning (such as camera-based positioning, LIDAR, radar, and / or sonar) may also combine the accurate relative position between vehicles or devices with the highly accurate absolute positioning from one of these vehicles or devices to propagate the highly accurate absolute positioning between the devices and vehicles that originally did not have the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning at that moment; however, this relative positioning may be less accurate compared to the relative positioning determined using shared GNSS measurement information.

[0090] In one embodiment, vehicles and / or devices may share vehicle or device IDs, GNSS measurements, vehicle or device positions, and / or (in some embodiments) positions, confidence metrics of the measurements, and / or error estimates, or a combination of positions, measurements, and / or their confidence or error, such that the vehicles and devices can determine highly accurate relative positioning and also propagate highly accurate absolute positioning when available. In one embodiment, vehicles and / or devices may broadcast their positions and / or their GNSS measurements to other vehicles and / or nearby devices. In some embodiments, there may be a mix of the following: broadcast and peer-to-peer communication and information sharing (such as by broadcasting the position of a vehicle or device), and in some embodiments, error estimates and / or uncertainty estimates (but by sending GNSS signal measurements only to vehicles and / or devices that request GNSS signal measurements (such as vehicles and / or devices that can be determined to be within a threshold range using the broadcast position)). Vehicles that originally did not have the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning but have the opportunity to obtain highly accurate relative positioning can thereby increase the accuracy and confidence level associated with their positioning.

[0091] In one embodiment, a vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning may be located / installed at a fixed location (such as a roadside unit (RSU), where the exact location is known or can be calculated through repeated position determination over time). Similarly, a vehicle parked at a fixed location for an extended period of time may improve the accuracy of its position over time, such as through repeated position determination over time and / or through relative positioning with other vehicles and / or devices (which are able to determine and, in one embodiment, share highly accurate absolute positions with other devices and vehicles). In one embodiment, the roadside unit RSU may also manage traffic or manage and control access to intersections (such as traffic lights or traffic controllers), and may use relative positioning with nearby vehicles to determine and control the flow of vehicles and vehicle access to intersections, exits, and other road resources.

[0092] Whether mobile or fixed, a vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning can be used as a reference point so that other vehicles and / or devices having the opportunity to share GNSS measurements can combine the highly accurate absolute positioning from the reference vehicle or device with the highly accurate relative positioning determined using GNSS measurements shared between the devices to propagate highly accurate absolute positioning to vehicles and devices that would otherwise only have the opportunity to obtain accurate relative positioning. By sharing the absolute positioning from a vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning and also sharing GNSS measurements between the vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning and the vehicle or device not having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning, the highly accurate relative positioning between the vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning and the vehicle or device not having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning determined using GNSS measurements, the accurate absolute positioning from the vehicle or device having the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning, and the accurate relative positioning between the two vehicles can be combined to determine the accurate absolute positioning of a vehicle that would otherwise not have the opportunity to obtain highly accurate absolute positioning.

[0093] Figure 6Describes usage scenarios for vehicles with high-accuracy relative positioning capabilities. Here, the vehicle is approaching a blind curve. Vehicle R3 does not see vehicles R1 and R2 until it may be too late to avoid a collision. This is certainly true for a human driver, but it may also be the case for forward-looking camera systems, radar, LIDAR, and other relative positioning systems. Additionally, the curve may be blocked by plants or other substances, so that drivers on either side cannot see around the curve. However, GNSS system signals sent down from various constellations to the ground are not subject to side-view blockage. Thus, any or all of vehicles R1, R2, and R3 can share their positions and GNSS information with each other, enabling an instruction and / or alert for R1 to pull back into the right lane and / or an instruction and / or alert for R3 to slow down to allow R1 to complete a lane change back into the right lane. Similarly, if there is a roadside unit at the curve, that roadside unit can be utilized to determine the relative positions between approaching vehicles and / or between all vehicles in the vicinity. The roadside unit (RSU) can also act as a traffic controller to determine where nearby vehicles are located and provide approach and departure management and instructions.

[0094] Figure 7 Describes a vehicle / device-to-vehicle / device communication architecture where vehicles and / or devices use peer-to-peer communication to share GNSS measurement information, position, identification information, and other information. In the peer-to-peer model, the information flow between peers can be consistent across peers, or it can vary based on proximity, or it can vary based on collision risk / threat (a vehicle approaching has a higher risk compared to a vehicle moving away; an adjacent vehicle may have a higher collision risk compared to a vehicle leaving two lanes or crossing a concrete barrier). Here, for example, the vehicle closest to and / or adjacent to the central vehicle (e.g., within loop 710) may share GNSS measurement information more frequently, as indicated by the black arrows. Vehicles that are slightly farther from the central vehicle (e.g., not directly adjacent but within sight), or farther away by more than one vehicle, or farther away by a determined radius (e.g., loop 720) receive GNSS measurement updates at a slower rate. Vehicles that are significantly farther away, such as by more than two vehicles or a greater and even wider radius (e.g., loop 730), may not receive peer-to-peer GNSS updates at all. However, even at loop 730, the vehicle and / or device can still periodically broadcast its position and ID so that adjacent vehicles are aware of its presence and can query for further information when needed or desired to improve the accuracy of relative position.

[0095] Figure 8An example decision tree for peer-to-peer messaging including sharing GNSS measurement information to be used for relative positioning is explained. At step 810, a vehicle ID provided by a server or base station or received from other vehicles in an over-the-air broadcast may be selected. In one embodiment, the broadcast ID may also be associated with the location of the source vehicle. At block 820, it is determined whether a connection has been established, and if not, at block 860, a connection may be established. The connection may depend on other vehicles being within a particular range or the likelihood of a collision risk. Similarly, if a connection already exists, in the case where the distance is greater than a threshold (i.e., the other vehicle is farther away than the threshold distance), the connection may be disconnected at block 850. If a connection already exists and the distance is less than the threshold, GNSS measurement information and / or other information discussed above may be exchanged and processed at block 840. The process may be repeated at block 820 for repeated relative position determination such that block 860 may be input to block 830 (rather than ending at block 870), and block 840 feeds back to block 820. It will also be understood that there may be alternative embodiments to implement the peer-to-peer model. For example, at block 830, there may be multiple threshold distances (as shown in Figure 7 ), and at block 840, measurements may be requested and processed at different rates depending on the threshold distance within which the target vehicle is located. Those vehicles within the inner circle 710 in Figure 7 are associated with the minimum threshold and provide GNSS measurements most frequently, and these GNSS measurements are also processed most frequently. Those vehicles within the middle circle 720 in Figure 7 but outside the inner circle 710 are associated with a range falling between a first and a second larger threshold and provide GNSS measurements less frequently, and these GNSS measurements are also processed less frequently. Those vehicles within the outer circle 730 in Figure 7 but outside the middle circle 720 are associated with a range between the second larger threshold and the third largest threshold and do not provide GNSS measurements.

[0096] Figure 9A broadcast positioning model for determining the relative positioning between vehicles, other vehicles, and / or various devices is described. In the broadcast model, vehicles and devices broadcast their positioning and GNSS and / or other measurements. The broadcast positioning of nearby vehicles can be used for the initial positioning of adjacent vehicles and, depending on its accuracy, can also be used to determine relative positioning. In one embodiment, broadcast positioning can be used to provide error estimates or other accuracy metrics and / or confidence levels. In one embodiment, GNSS measurement information can be used to calculate a more precise position, especially for nearby vehicles that may require a high level of accuracy to avoid collisions and / or optimize traffic. In one embodiment, the broadcast can include vehicle identification, vehicle position (possibly accompanied by error estimates or accuracy information and / or confidence levels), vehicle GNSS measurement information, and / or other vehicle and position information. In the broadcast model, there can also be mechanisms (such as intermittent broadcasts, frequency division, time division, and / or code division) employed to minimize cross-interference between vehicle communications to allow many vehicles and devices to broadcast information while minimizing interference. In the broadcast model, to reduce the processing overhead on each vehicle, the vehicle can process GNSS measurement information to determine the highly accurate relative positions of a subset of vehicles. For example, a vehicle can utilize broadcast positioning to determine its approximate distance and / or relative positioning from adjacent vehicles and can use the GNSS measurements provided by vehicles within the approximate distance to determine a more precise relative position. In one embodiment, there can be multiple threshold distances, as in the embodiment described in Figure 7 In such embodiments, the vehicle can process GNSS measurement information from vehicles within different threshold bins at different rates, and outside the maximum bin, the GNSS measurement information may not be processed at all or may only be processed on the occasion of a specific event or request. The processing rate bins are implemented similar to Figure 7 's implementation, except that in some broadcast embodiments, GNSS measurement information as well as position and identification information can be broadcast, while Figure 7Some embodiments of the peer model in [the system] may provide GNSS measurement information only upon request from other vehicles. Thus, in embodiments of the broadcast model, GNSS measurement information broadcast by vehicles within loop 910 is processed at the fastest rate (e.g., once per second or more than once per second), while GNSS measurement information broadcast by vehicles between loop 910 and loop 920 is processed at a slower rate (e.g., once per minute or once every 30 seconds), and GNSS measurement information broadcast by vehicles outside loop 920 may be ignored or processed only on demand or triggered by an event (such as an accident or speeding). In the broadcast model, each vehicle may broadcast information including GNSS measurement information at a fairly high rate (possibly corresponding to the GNSS measurement rate at the GNSS receiver of that vehicle or possibly a subset thereof). For example, if a vehicle determines a GNSS signal measurement once per second, the GNSS measurement may not be broadcast faster than once per second, but may be broadcast at a slower rate (such as once every five seconds) or at a variable rate depending on the signal noise floor. If the noise floor is high, the broadcast is less frequent, and if the noise floor is low, the broadcast is more frequent, to avoid causing excessive interference in the spectrum.

[0097] Figure 10A decision diagram of a broadcast-based embodiment is explained. At step 1010, broadcast positioning and GNSS measurements and / or other positioning measurements are received from surrounding vehicles. At step 1020, the received broadcast positioning and location of the vehicle are used to determine the distance (i.e., range) between the vehicle and the source vehicle of the broadcast positioning. If the distance is less than a threshold range, then at block 1030, the GNSS and / or other positioning measurements are processed to determine the relative positioning of the source vehicle of the broadcast positioning with respect to the vehicle. Other actions and / or applications may also be triggered, for example, based on a distance less than a threshold or a specific location (such as in front of, behind, or on either side of the vehicle). For example, in one embodiment, the relative positioning in front of and / or behind the vehicle may trigger routines and vehicle movements to manage the spacing between vehicles to manage a safe following distance between vehicles. For example, the vehicle may accelerate, decelerate, or request actions from adjacent vehicles to increase or decrease the vehicle spacing, and / or may switch lanes to avoid situations where insufficient vehicle spacing is available (e.g., being closely followed by a manually driven vehicle at the rear). If the distance is not less than the threshold distance, then at block 1040, the vehicle may be monitored, or in some embodiments, the vehicle may be ignored. The process may be triggered by receiving broadcast positioning and vehicle ID information at block 1010. In one embodiment, the processing of the broadcast measurements for a specific vehicle ID may also depend on the distance from the vehicle and be determined at different rates such that block 1020 may compare the distance with multiple threshold ranges (such as less than threshold A, between threshold A and threshold B, and greater than threshold B), such that each condition enters a different block 1030, and block 1030 processes the GNSS measurement information and / or other positioning measurement information at different rates depending on the zone in which the source vehicle of the broadcast positioning is located. In one embodiment, for a specific vehicle in a specific zone, the positioning measurement information between rate boundaries may be ignored, discarded, or saved until newer information or calculated rate boundaries appear.

[0098] Figure 11 An embodiment of determining relative positioning in a hybrid mode is explained, in which all cars exchange (e.g., via broadcast) VID (user and / or vehicle identification information) and positioning information. However, vehicle information is requested by cars that meet specific relative position criteria and / or is only sent to these cars. For example, as Figure 11As shown, a vehicle (here, with a star thereon) may optionally request GNSS measurement information only from vehicles within a specific range, or only from vehicles in front of, behind, or on either side of it, or only from vehicles within a specific geometric boundary (ring, rectangle, square). As in the peer-to-peer and broadcast models, there may be multiple nested boundaries, which may have different shapes and / or criteria associated with them (such as an inner boundary corresponding only to cars in front of, behind, and on either side of the vehicle and an outer boundary based on a threshold distance), where GNSS measurement information from cars within the inner boundary is requested and processed at a faster rate compared to GNSS measurement information from cars between the inner and outer boundaries. In some embodiments, there may be multiple threshold boundaries. In some embodiments, the boundaries may be concentric. In some embodiments, the boundaries may be aligned. In some embodiments, some or all of the boundaries may be asymmetric or may be modified depending on various conditions. For example, a boundary may be selected such that vehicles on the other side of a physical median are not monitored or located, or such that only cars that pose a collision risk or a risk above a threshold are located. For example, if the left side of the vehicle is occupied by a physical median or guardrail (e.g., the vehicle is in the leftmost lane of a physically separated highway), the boundary may only monitor cars behind, in front of, and to the right of the vehicle. In Figure 11 In it, the solid double-headed arrows represent the exchange of GNSS and / or other positioning measurement information between vehicles within a specific geographic boundary.

[0099] Figure 12An exemplary embodiment of a decision tree that illustrates embodiments for determining relative positioning in a hybrid mode is presented, where all vehicles exchange (e.g., via broadcast) VID (user and / or vehicle identification information) and positioning information, but where GNSS measurement information and / or other position measurement information is exchanged and / or processed based on distance criteria. Various vehicles broadcast vehicle ID information and position information. At step 1210, a vehicle receives broadcast positioning and measurement information from other vehicles. At step 1220, the vehicle determines whether an existing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connection may have been established (e.g., a connection to a vehicle with a distance less than a threshold). If a V2V connection has been established and if the distance is less than the threshold range at block 1230, then GNSS measurement information and / or other positioning-related measurement information may be requested and processed at block 1260. At block 1260, in one embodiment, relative positioning may also trigger other applications and / or actions performed by the vehicle, such as realigning the spacing between vehicles behind, in front of, or on either side of the vehicle. If the vehicle has not been connected at decision block 1220 and the distance is less than the threshold range at block 1240, then a connection may be established to request GNSS measurement information and / or other position measurement information (as may be received at block 1210). Additionally, if the distance is greater than the threshold at block 1230, the V2V connection may be disconnected. At block 1255, the distance to broadcast vehicles with a distance not less than one or more threshold ranges may be monitored such that if the distance drops below the threshold at block 1240, a new V2V connection may be established at block 1270. It will be understood that in some embodiments, there may be multiple threshold ranges (e.g., as previously discussed), where GNSS measurement information from vehicles in different threshold bands is processed at different rates. In the multiple threshold range embodiments, the maximum threshold may be used to determine whether a connection should be made and / or whether GNSS and / or other position measurement information should be processed. It will be understood that at block 1260, in some embodiments, in the presence of multiple threshold ranges (e.g., as previously discussed), the rate at which GNSS and other position measurement information may be processed may be determined by the threshold band within which the vehicle is located.

[0100] Figure 13Disclosed is a messaging diagram for a hybrid embodiment in which vehicle and / or device IDs are broadcast together with positioning information, and GNSS measurement information and other positioning-related measurement information are exchanged between vehicles to determine the accurate relative positions between vehicles. In step 1310, vehicle 1 (V1) 1302, vehicle 2 (V2) 1304, and vehicle 3 (V3) 1306 broadcast vehicle identifiers and their corresponding positions. It will be understood that in some embodiments, position accuracy / error information and / or confidence may also be broadcast to avoid vehicle collisions based on high-error positions. It will also be understood that in some vehicles, sensor systems (such as LIDAR or camera-based systems) may provide additional information to correct, verify, or replace the broadcast position information to avoid collisions based on inaccurate broadcast position information and / or prevent spoofing attempts that could trigger vehicle collisions. In steps 1318, 1320, and 1322, each vehicle determines which other vehicles are adjacent or otherwise within its processing range. Thus, in step 2018, V1 1302 monitors the position of V2 1304 because V2 1304 is within the processing range of V1. In step 1320, V2 1304 monitors the position of V1 1302 because V1 1302 is within the processing range of V2. Similarly, in step 1322, V3 1306 determines that V1 1302 and V2 1304 are outside its processing range and do not need to be monitored, at least in part based on the broadcast information received from V1 1302 and V2 1304. In step 1324, V1 and V2 send requests to each other for GNSS measurement data and / or other positioning location measurement data, and in step 1326, V1 1302 and V2 1304 share position measurement information including GNSS measurement information with each other. In steps 1328 and 1330, vehicle V1 1302 and vehicle V2 1304 process the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data from each other, respectively, and use the measurement data to determine the relative position with respect to the other vehicle V1 1302 and / or vehicle V2 1304. Thus, vehicle V1 1302 can use the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data from vehicle V2 1304 to calculate the relative position to determine the relative position of vehicle V2 1304, while vehicle V2 1304 can use the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data from vehicle V1 1302 to calculate the relative position of vehicle V1 1302. In one embodiment, the relative position may be used to trigger or support actions or applications (such as an action to adjust the inter-vehicle spacing (here, for example, between V1 1302 and V2 1304)).

[0101] Figure 14A messaging diagram is illustrated for an embodiment in which broadcast positions are utilized in interaction with a roadside unit (RSU) that controls access to an area, such as through an intersection. At step 1410, both vehicle V1 1402 and vehicle V2 1404 broadcast their vehicle IDs and the positions of the respective vehicles. In some embodiments, GNSS measurement information and other location-related measurement information are also broadcast, in which case steps 1424 and 1426 for requesting and receiving GNSS measurement information and other location measurement information may be unnecessary and, in one embodiment, are not performed. At step 1420, the roadside unit 1406 monitors the broadcast information from vehicles within the communication range and / or other threshold ranges, such as a pre-specified distance or control area. In non-broadcast embodiments, messages notifying the RU 1406 of their presence may be sent from vehicles entering the influence area of the roadside unit to the roadside unit 1406. In server-coordinated embodiments, messaging may be coordinated by a server that will notify or otherwise cause vehicles entering the influence area of the roadside unit to share location and GNSS measurement data with the RU 1406. In map-coordinated embodiments, the influence area of the RU 1406 may be specified on a map as metadata associated with the area. Entering the influence area may cause the vehicle to share location and GNSS measurement data with the RU 1406 of that area. At step 1422, based on the location information of V1 1402, which is typically provided by V1 1402, such as the vehicle ID and location from step 1410 or otherwise sent from V1 1402, the roadside unit 1406 determines that V1 1402 is in the control area or, in one embodiment, near the control area. Similarly, although not illustrated in Figure 14 (for Figure 14The scenario described assumes that vehicle V2 1404 may be outside the broadcast range), but in step 1422, if a message exchange (including location and vehicle identification) is received from V2 1404 (whether received from V2 1404 as a broadcast message or a direct message), the roadside unit 1406 will similarly determine whether V2 1404 is in the impact area. In various embodiments, the message exchange (including location and vehicle identification) of step 1410 may be sent directly to the roadside unit as an alternative or supplement to the broadcast. In step 1424, the roadside unit 1406 (in response to determining that V1 is in or near the control area or impact area) requests GNSS measurement information and / or other positioning measurement information from V1 1402. The roadside unit 1406 will similarly request GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data from vehicles determined to be in the impact area of the roadside unit 1406. Note that in some embodiments, especially in embodiments where the vehicle knows that it is entering the impact area of the roadside unit, the vehicle may automatically send GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data without the roadside unit 1406 sending a request (i.e., step 1424 and potentially also step 1422 may be optional in some embodiments where the vehicle determines whether it is in the impact area and initiates communication with the roadside unit). In step 1426, vehicle V1 1402 responds by sending GNSS measurement information and / or other positioning measurement information to the roadside unit 1406. In step 1428, the roadside unit 1406 processes the received GNSS data and / or other positioning-related measurement data and determines the relative position of vehicle V1 1402. The relative positions of vehicles in the impact area may be used by the roadside unit to influence and / or control vehicles within the impact area, for example, by sending driving instructions and / or entry permits (such as entry to an intersection or lane), requesting the vehicle to change speed or travel at a specific speed, requesting the vehicle to change lanes or travel in a specific lane, requesting the vehicle to change direction, turn or stop, or other operation instructions and / or requests. Based on the determined relative position of vehicle V1 1402 and in some embodiments, the movement information of vehicle V1 1402 (such as direction, heading, and speed), the roadside unit 1406 determines and sends action-related requests, entry grants, entry denials, and / or other instructions to vehicle V1 1402. For example, action requests or instructions may include granting or denying entry to an intersection, instructions to stop, start, accelerate or decelerate, instructions to change lanes, and / or instructions for other vehicle actions for vehicle V1 1402 to change lanes or otherwise.

[0102] Figure 15Embodiments for determining the relative positioning of vehicles within a processing range are described. At step 1510, a vehicle transmits one or more broadcast messages by which it broadcasts its position and vehicle identification (ID). In one embodiment, other information may also be broadcast, such as an error estimate associated with the position (which may be determined, for example, using a least squares fit of measurement information such as GNSS pseudorange and / or various sensor data), a timestamp associated with the position (e.g., GNSS time associated with the position determination), and / or an uncertainty associated with the position. In some embodiments, the position may be considered current and time information may not be necessary. At step 1520, the vehicle receives broadcast position information and vehicle IDs from multiple vehicles. In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle may receive the positions and IDs of adjacent and / or nearby vehicles from a server. At step 1530, the vehicle uses the received positions and the position of the vehicle and determines which transmitting vehicles are within a threshold range of the vehicle. In one embodiment, a simple distance formula may be used to determine the distance, where point 1 is represented by coordinates X 1 , Y 1 , and point 2 is represented by coordinates X 2 , Y 2 , and the distance between the two points may be represented by [(x 2 - x 1 ) 2 + (Y 2 - Y 1 ) 2 ) 1 / 2 .

[0103] At step 1540, the vehicle may request and receive GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data from the vehicle(s) within the threshold range. In various embodiments, there may be multiple threshold ranges, each corresponding to a different relative position determination rate. For example, within a first threshold T1, GNSS measurements and other position-related data may be requested at a first rate R 1 . Between a first threshold T 1 and a second threshold T 2 , GNSS measurements and other position-related data may be requested at a second rate. Outside the second threshold T 2 , GNSS measurements and other position-related data may be requested at a third rate R 3 or not requested at all. In one embodiment, the rate of requesting GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may decrease as the distance of the vehicle from the central vehicle increases, such that R 1 > R 2 > R 3。It will also be understood that in various embodiments, the threshold region can have various shapes; for example, as Figure 11 shown, the inner region is rectangular and the outer region is oval. Similarly, the region can follow a lane or a group of lanes, or be located around an intersection. Additionally, in some embodiments, GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data can be automatically sent to the vehicle by surrounding vehicles. For example, if a vehicle determines that it is within the threshold range of another vehicle, it can automatically start sending ongoing measurements of GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data to the other vehicle, and vice versa. That is, the exchange of GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data can be automatically triggered by each vehicle to provide data to the other vehicle. In one embodiment, if another vehicle is within the threshold range, it can be used to trigger the ongoing broadcast of GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data, which will have the advantage of reducing or eliminating the request message overhead.

[0104] In step 1550, the vehicle can determine the relative position of at least one vehicle within the threshold range based at least in part on the GNSS measurement data. In one embodiment, the vehicle can determine the relative positions of all vehicles within the threshold range, or based on the received (s) position(s) and (s) vehicle identifier(s), the vehicle can only process the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data for vehicles that are directly adjacent to it, or based on the received (s) position(s) and (s) vehicle identifier(s), the vehicle can only process the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data for vehicles with a threshold likelihood of collision or interaction that is higher, or based on the received (s) position(s) and (s) vehicle identifier(s), the vehicle can only process the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data for vehicles that are approaching on a relative or crossing lane, in front, behind, and / or on either side of it or various combinations thereof, or based on the received (s) position(s) and (s) vehicle identifier(s), the vehicle can only process the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data for vehicles that will request and / or interact with it (e.g., to adjust the spacing between the requesting and receiving vehicles or to request space for a lane change or merge).

[0105] In one embodiment, the relative position of adjacent vehicles can be used to trigger and / or notify an interaction with an adjacent vehicle or other vehicles that can interact with the vehicle. For example, vehicles approaching in a relative or intersecting lane, a vehicle ahead, a vehicle behind, and / or a vehicle on either side may be likely to interact with the vehicle. For example, the vehicle may request that a vehicle in an adjacent lane create a space for the vehicle to merge into. For example, the vehicle may request that a vehicle ahead and / or behind it adjust the spacing between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead and / or behind it. For example, the vehicle may notify a vehicle behind it of an upcoming stop, deceleration, or lane change. For example, the vehicle may notify a vehicle behind it of an upcoming road hazard. In one embodiment, the vehicle may send commands or requests for spacing adjustment, lane change, and emergency maneuvers to vehicles around it. The vehicle may also use the determined relative positioning to notify how it will respond to requests and notifications from adjacent vehicles.

[0106] In Figure 16 an embodiment for a vehicle to interact with a roadside unit within the influence area of the roadside unit is illustrated. In step 1610, the vehicle or other mobile device broadcasts location information and identification information. It will be understood that in similar embodiments, a mobile phone or other pedestrian device may similarly broadcast or otherwise send location information and identification information, and the following embodiments may also be implemented in mobile phones and / or other pedestrian devices. In various embodiments, the vehicle may also directly send location information and identification to the roadside unit instead of broadcasting it. In the scenario where the vehicle directly sends to the roadside, the vehicle sending location information and vehicle ID can be triggered based on various triggers as follows: for example, entering an influence area that can be determined by metadata and / or markers on a map, or for example, based on a request from the roadside unit; or for example, based on a request from a server that monitors the position of the vehicle relative to the influence area of the roadside unit; or based on detecting a broadcast signal from the roadside unit (e.g., a broadcast signal from the roadside unit announcing control of intersection entry).

[0107] In one embodiment, the roadside unit may broadcast or otherwise send its location and identification. The roadside unit may also send a request for location information to mobile bodies within its transmission range. The requested location information may include latitude and longitude, phase offset, heading, speed, the ability to stop or otherwise maneuver at intersections or for pedestrians, or other location-related information. The roadside unit may also provide absolute or relative to the roadside unit positioning information for vehicles and pedestrians within the influence zone of the roadside unit. For example, the roadside unit may determine or update the locations of cars and pedestrians located within the influence zone (such as within a specific radius of the roadside unit, or within a specific distance from an intersection, or within a specific distance of a crosswalk). This is particularly useful when tracking the movement of pedestrians and vehicles that are not publishing their locations. The location of the pedestrian and / or vehicle may be determined and / or verified using their broadcast location (if available) and sensor data (such as cameras, radar, sonar, LIDAR, infrared or other light-based ranging systems, road-based magnetic sensors, and / or other sensor inputs capable of determining the location of objects in the influence zone). The roadside unit may also be able to actively query the vehicle and / or pedestrian device (such as a smartphone) for location information, which may include absolute information (such as latitude and longitude) or relative location information (such as distance and heading or GNSS or other measurement information (such as phase offset measurements)).

[0108] In step 1620, the vehicle may receive a request from the roadside unit for periodic GNSS measurement data and / or sensor-based measurement data. The measurement data may include computed latitude, longitude, heading, and / or speed, or may include raw measurement data, such as pseudorange measurements and / or phase offset data for various satellite carriers or various combinations thereof. The measurement data may also be sensor measurement data, such as acceleration and vehicle and / or wheel rotation information. In one embodiment, the wheel rotation data may be used by the roadside unit to determine road surface conditions. It will be understood that in various embodiments, a set of GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may be requested and sent individually; or in one embodiment, the roadside unit may send a request to vehicles and / or other devices within or near the impact area to continuously turn on / broadcast GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data (and the vehicle and / or pedestrian device responds to the request). The roadside unit may also request a repeated request for GNSS information from the vehicle or pedestrian device, and the repeated request may be sent directly point-to-point from the vehicle or pedestrian device to the roadside unit. In some embodiments, the requested data may vary with the request. For example, in some embodiments, the initial request may include a request for absolute position (such as latitude and longitude), and subsequent requests may only request phase offset information or pseudorange information or relative position information or various combinations thereof; similarly, in some embodiments, in response to a request from the roadside unit, the vehicle or pedestrian device may include absolute position (such as latitude and longitude), and subsequent responses may provide phase offset information or pseudorange information or relative position information or various combinations thereof, with or without absolute position information.

[0109] In one embodiment, the request from the roadside unit to the vehicle or pedestrian device for GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may specify that the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data be sent within a specified time period or within a specific geographic boundary. In one embodiment, the request from the roadside unit to the vehicle and / or pedestrian device for GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may specify that the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data be sent at a specified time interval / rate, and the time interval / rate may be fixed or may vary, for example, with the distance or position relative to the roadside unit, or with the direction / heading relative to the roadside unit or other georeference point.

[0110] In one embodiment, a request for location information (e.g., periodic GNSS measurement data or absolute location information) may also be accompanied by the location information of vehicles and / or pedestrian devices (such as mobile devices) within the influence area of the roadside unit. In one embodiment, the roadside unit may provide information about vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area to the vehicle or other mobile device as part of the request for information, repeatedly, or in combination. The location information about vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area may be unsolicited. The location information about vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area may be limited to information about vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area that are near or may intersect the travel direction of the vehicle or other mobile device. In some embodiments, the location information about vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area may be broadcast by the roadside unit and received by vehicles and / or pedestrian devices within the influence area. In some embodiments, the location information sent by the roadside unit and received by the vehicle and / or mobile device may be limited to information about vehicles and / or mobile devices and / or objects and / or pedestrians that do not broadcast or otherwise self-advertise their location; for example, so that the vehicle can be made aware of the location of pedestrians and / or animals and / or obstacles, whether or not they are capable of and / or currently sending and / or broadcasting their current location. Thus, the vehicle can receive the location of pedestrians and pets or other animals within the influence area and / or that are likely to affect the passage of the vehicle, and can use the location information provided by the roadside unit to determine the vehicle's maneuvering and passage control. For example, the vehicle may determine that it should stop for a pedestrian based on the pedestrian's direction of travel and the location provided or supplemented by the roadside unit. This may be particularly useful for pedestrians, bicycles, pets, etc. that may not be detected by the vehicle due to darkness, occlusion by fixed objects (such as buildings, fences, shrubs, and / or bushes), lack of visual / camera contrast, or other detection failure scenarios.

[0111] In step 1630, the vehicle sends periodic GNSS measurement data and / or sensor-based measurement data and / or other position measurement data to the roadside unit. It will be understood that in various embodiments, each GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data set may be requested and sent individually; or in one embodiment, the roadside unit may send a request to the vehicles in or near the affected area regarding the vehicles continuously turning on / broadcasting GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data. In one embodiment, the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may be sent to the roadside unit within a specified time period or within a specific geographical boundary. In one embodiment, the GNSS measurement data and / or other position measurement data may be sent at a specific time interval or rate, and the time interval or rate may be fixed or may vary, for example, with the distance or position relative to the roadside unit, or with the direction / heading relative to the roadside unit or other geographical reference points. In various embodiments, the GNSS measurement data may include absolute position or phase offset data of GNSS satellites or other signals, or may include pseudorange measurements for GNSS satellites or other signals. The signal sources may include satellite signals, communication transceivers, and / or beacon signals and / or signals from the roadside unit itself. In some embodiments, the signal measurement data may also include round-trip time measurements and / or angle-of-arrival measurements (specifically of signals transmitted by ground signal sources).

[0112] At step 1640, the vehicle receives at least one action request sent by the roadside unit. For example, the vehicle may receive instructions or requests from the roadside unit for affecting and / or controlling its actions and movement within the affected area. In one embodiment, the vehicle may receive driving instructions and / or entry permission (such as permission to enter an intersection or a lane), or a request to change speed or travel at a specific speed, or a request to change lanes or drive in a specific lane, or a request to change direction, turn, or stop, or a request for other operations. In one embodiment, the requested action may be associated with one or more coordinates (such as the location to stop), and / or the distance to move and / or measurement and / or number of lanes, and the direction or vector of movement (e.g., left or right or angle). In one embodiment, the braking position may be absolute (such as specified by latitude and longitude (or other location designation or marker)), or the braking position may be relative to another vehicle, person, mobile device, stationary device, and / or object. In one embodiment, the vehicle may receive an action request to directly coordinate lane changes, braking, starting, and other actions with other vehicles and / or devices, and may receive the identification of other vehicles and / or other devices (such as mobile phones or Internet of Things devices) with which it is to coordinate movement, so that traffic flow safety is maintained and / or optimized and / or pedestrians can safely cross the passage area, whether there is a crosswalk or a light indicator or not. The coordination may be determined by the roadside device, or may be determined by individual devices, or may be a combination of both, where some actions are delegated by the roadside unit to the vehicle and / or other mobile devices. In one embodiment, at least one action request may be confirmed to the roadside unit, where the confirmation may include whether the vehicle or other mobile device will and / or be able to follow the action request, or whether the roadside unit should request actions from other vehicles and / or pedestrians / mobile devices to compensate for the vehicle's or other device's inability to follow the action request. For example, a truck moving at a certain speed may not be able to stop before an intersection and may issue a non-compliance response to at least one action request, forcing the roadside unit to instead instruct the intersection traffic to stop (if possible) or instruct other vehicles and / or devices that would otherwise have collided with or interacted unsafely with the truck or other vehicle that issued the non-compliance response to perform avoidance maneuvers. The vehicle or other device may also determine that it can follow and may issue a compliance response. In one embodiment, for example, due to reasons of priority or time-critical passage (such as for emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire truck, or other emergency vehicles) or for a person in need of urgent transportation to a hospital or other emergency destination), a vehicle that could originally follow the roadside unit may issue a request not to follow the action request and wait for permission from the roadside unit for non-compliance.In response to a request from another or more vehicles and / or a possible non - compliance, the roadside unit may send a replacement action request to other vehicles to request a change in action or revocation of permission (such as permission to pass through an intersection).

[0113] In step 1650, the vehicle may perform at least one of the requested actions, such as but not limited to those described in step 1640. For example, the vehicle may stop or enter the intersection or start moving in a particular direction, or accelerate or decelerate, or change lanes, or change lanes or initiate coordination with other vehicles to change lanes or pass through the intersection, or take other vehicle actions. In one embodiment, in response to an action request, the vehicle (or other device) may interact and / or coordinate with other nearby vehicles and / or devices, for example, to coordinate to provide space in the lane for the requested lane change. In one embodiment, a mobile phone acting as a pedestrian device may send an audible request to a pedestrian to take a particular action (such as stop or cross the street or stay on the sidewalk or avoid the street); such requests may be in response to avoiding oncoming traffic or safely crossing the street, or providing additional street buffer from the street (such as to avoid splashes from puddles) or providing additional safety buffer from a vehicle out of control on a slippery road condition). In one embodiment, the vehicle or other mobile device, pedestrian device, and / or device may also provide a status response to the roadside unit during or after the requested action is completed.

[0114] Figure 17 Illustrated are three vectors between three vehicles, where the three vectors can be used to mathematically constrain the solution of the positions of the three vehicles. As discussed above, using three GNSS receivers, we can determine three baselines between any two receivers (i.e., ) and thus three corresponding double - difference ambiguities. The ambiguities constrained according to the following formula can be used for integer ambiguity resolution, thereby reducing the resolution time and improving the reliability: Similarly, if the measurements from three GNSS receivers are processed together, we can form three positioning vectors between the three receivers (1, 2, and 3) where This vector relationship is clearly illustrated in Figure 17 . The positioning vector constraint can be used to accelerate baseline and / or ambiguity resolution and improve the reliability.

[0115] It will be understood that the processes and methods disclosed above can be implemented using various embodiments, and various devices can be used to implement the disclosed processes and methods, and these devices can include various combinations of hardware and software.

[0116] In various embodiments and as discussed above, vehicle 100 may utilize a positioning system to determine a position, which may be communicated to adjacent and / or nearby vehicles in a position data element. Vehicle 100 may use the position when determining vehicle movement (such as when merging lanes) or when determining the spacing between vehicles. Vehicle 100 may exchange position information with adjacent or nearby vehicles to negotiate and coordinate movement (such as lane changes) and to adjust the spacing between vehicles.

[0117] In this document, it will be understood that the terms ID and identification may be used interchangeably.

[0118] In various embodiments and as discussed above, vehicle 100 (e.g., vehicle A 480 and vehicle B 490) may have circuitry and processing resources capable of performing the following operations: obtaining location-related measurements (e.g., for signals received from GPS, GNSS, or other satellite positioning system (SPS) satellites 410, WAN wireless transceiver 420, or WLAN or PAN local transceiver 430), and possibly calculating a position fix or estimated position of vehicle 100 based on these location-related measurements. In the presently illustrated example, the location-related measurements obtained by vehicle 100 may include measurements of signals (412) received from satellites belonging to an SPS or global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (410) such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou, and / or may include measurements of signals (such as 422 and / or 432) received from a ground transmitter fixed at a known location (such as, by way of example, WAN wireless transceiver 420). Vehicle 100 or location server 460 may then use any one of several positioning methods (such as, by way of example, GNSS, assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), advanced forward link trilateration (AFLT), observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA), or enhanced cell ID (E-CID), network triangulation, received signal strength indication (RSSI), or a combination thereof) to obtain a position estimate for vehicle 100 based on these location-related measurements. In some of these techniques (e.g., A-GNSS, AFLT, and OTDOA, RSSI), a pseudorange, distance, or timing difference relative to three or more ground transmitters at known locations or relative to four or more satellites with accurately known orbital data, or a combination thereof, may be measured at vehicle 100 based at least in part on a pilot, positioning reference signal (PRS), or other location-related signal transmitted by a transmitter or satellite and received at vehicle 100. The server may provide positioning assistance data to vehicle 100 (including, for example, information about signals to be measured (such as signal timing and / or signal strength), the location and identity of ground transmitters, and / or GNSS satellite signals, timing, and orbital information) to facilitate positioning techniques (such as A-GNSS, AFLT, OTDOA, and E-CID). For example, location server 460 may include an almanac indicating the location and identity of wireless transceivers and / or local transceivers in one or more specific areas (such as a particular venue), and may provide information (such as transmit power and signal timing) describing signals transmitted by a cellular base station or AP or mobile ground transceiver.In the case of E-CID, vehicle 100 may obtain measurements of the signal strength of signals received from the WAN wireless transceiver 420 and / or the wireless local area network (WLAN) or PAN local transceiver 430, and / or may obtain the round-trip signal propagation time (RTT) between vehicle 100 and the WAN wireless transceiver 420 or the wireless local transceiver 430. Vehicle 100 may use these measurements together with auxiliary data received from the location server 460 (e.g., terrestrial almanac data or GNSS satellite data, such as GNSS almanac and / or GNSS ephemeris information) to determine the location of vehicle 100, or may transmit these measurements to the location server 460 to perform the same determination.

[0119] In various embodiments, the location may be determined by various means, as described above. For example, in one embodiment, vehicle 100 may use GNSS satellite signal measurements, terrestrial transmitter signal measurements, or some combination thereof to determine its location. In one embodiment, vehicle 100 may use LIDAR, radar, GNSS, sensors, and various combinations thereof to determine its location. In one embodiment, vehicle 100 may use an accelerometer and / or gyroscope and various sensors (wheel ticks, steering direction, etc.) to determine its location to determine the distance and direction traveled from the last determined position via dead reckoning. In one embodiment, vehicle 100 may use a combination of signals and sensors to determine its location; for example, various signal measurements from GNSS and terrestrial transmitters may be used to determine the location, and then dead reckoning may be used to update. Based on the determined location, various signal measurements may be obtained from visible transmitters to obtain an indication of the distance of the transmitter from the determined location. The indication of distance may include signal strength or round-trip time or time of arrival or other distance estimation methods. New signal measurements may be obtained at the newly determined location. By combining the indications of the distance to any given transmitter obtained from multiple locations (whether obtained by one device or by multiple devices), the location of the transmitter (such as the WAN wireless transceiver 420 or the WLAN or PAN local transceiver 430) may be determined. The location of the transmitter may be determined on vehicle 100 or on a crowdsourcing server or on the location server 460 or other network-based servers.

[0120] A vehicle (e.g., Figure 2The transportation vehicles 100 therein, for example, transportation vehicle A 480 and transportation vehicle B 490) may be referred to as devices, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, flying devices (such as airplanes or drones), wireless devices, mobile terminals, terminals, mobile stations (MS), user equipment (UE), SUPL-enabled terminals (SET). Generally, although not necessarily, the transportation vehicles may support wireless communications, such as using V2X, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, CDMA, HRPD, Wi-Fi, BT, WiMAX, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Fifth Generation Wireless (5G) or New Radio Access Technology (NR), V2X communication protocols, etc. The transportation vehicles may also support wireless communications using, for example, Wireless LAN (WLAN), personal area network (PAN) (such as Bluetooth or ZigBee), DSL or packet cable. In one embodiment, the transportation vehicle may support the transmission of Basic Safety Messages (BSM), including various data elements (such as data elements depicting that the corresponding transportation vehicle is being autonomously driven). In one embodiment, the transportation vehicle may support the transmission of ETSI Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAM), for example, in one embodiment, including various data elements (such as data elements depicting that the corresponding transportation vehicle is being autonomously driven).

[0121] The estimation of the location of a transportation vehicle (e.g., transportation vehicle 100) may be referred to as location, location estimation, location fix, fix, positioning, positioning estimation or positioning fix, and may be geographical, thereby providing location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the transportation vehicle, which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., height above sea level, height above or depth below ground level, floor level or basement level). Alternatively, the location of the transportation vehicle may be expressed as a civic location (e.g., expressed as a postal address or designation of a point or smaller area within a building (such as a specific room or floor)). The location of the transportation vehicle may also be expressed as an area or volume (defined geographically or in civic form) within which the transportation vehicle is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67% or 95%). The location of the transportation vehicle may further be a relative location, which includes, for example, distance and direction defined relative to an origin at a known location or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates, and the known location may be defined geographically, in civic form or with reference to a point, area or volume indicated on a map, floor plan or building plan. In the descriptions contained herein, the use of the term location may include any of these variants, unless otherwise indicated.

[0122] As used throughout this specification, the phrases "an example", "one example", "certain examples", "in one embodiment", or "exemplary implementation" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the feature and / or example can be included in at least one feature and / or example of the claimed subject matter. Thus, the phrases "in one example", "one example", "in certain examples", "in certain implementations", or "in one embodiment", or other similar phrases that appear throughout the specification do not necessarily all refer to the same feature, example, and / or limitation. Furthermore, these particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined or modified in one or more examples and / or features and across various embodiments. Additionally, in various embodiments, references to carrier phase, GNSS carrier phase, and / or GNSS phase measurements may apply to GNSS carrier phase and GNSS carrier phase measurements. However, in one embodiment, these techniques may also be applied to other signal sources, such as terrestrial base stations and access points. Additionally, in various embodiments, other phase differences (such as code phase differences) may be utilized in alternative or in combination with carrier phase. The specified embodiments are not intended to be limiting with respect to the implementations, which may vary in detail; those skilled in the art will recognize that other unspecified embodiments may also be used in conjunction with or modify the described embodiments.

[0123] Some portions of the detailed descriptions included in this document are presented in the form of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on binary digital signals stored within the memory of a particular apparatus or a dedicated computing device or platform. In the context of this particular specification, the term particular apparatus and the like, once programmed to perform particular operations in accordance with instructions from program software, include a general-purpose computer. The algorithmic descriptions or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by ordinary technicians in the signal processing or related fields to convey the substance of their work to other technicians in the field. An algorithm here is generally regarded as a self-consistent sequence of operations or a signal processing-like sequence that leads to a desired result. In this context, an operation or a process involves the physical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically but not necessarily, such quantities may take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. For primarily reasons of common usage, it has proven convenient at times to refer to such signals as bits, data, values, steps, symbols, characters, items, numbers, numerical values, and so on. However, it should be understood that all such or similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenience labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, as is apparent from the discussion in this document, it should be appreciated that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as "processing", "computing", "calculating", "determining", and so on refer to the actions or processes of a particular apparatus (such as a dedicated computer, a dedicated computing device, or a similar dedicated electronic computing device). In the context of this specification, therefore, a dedicated computer or a similar dedicated electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals that are typically represented as physical electronic or magnetic quantities within the memory, registers, or other information storage devices, transmission devices, or display devices of the dedicated computer or the similar dedicated electronic computing device.

[0124] The wireless communication technologies described herein can be combined with various wireless communication networks, such as wireless wide area networks (“WANs”), wireless local area networks (“WLANs”), wireless personal area networks (PANs), and the like. The terms “network” and “system” may be used interchangeably herein. A WAN can be a code division multiple access (“CDMA”) network, a time division multiple access (“TDMA”) network, a frequency division multiple access (“FDMA”) network, an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (“OFDMA”) network, a single carrier frequency division multiple access (“SC-FDMA”) network, Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), Fifth Generation (“5G”), or any combination of the above networks, and so on. A CDMA network can implement one or more radio access technologies (“RATs”), such as cdma2000, wideband CDMA (“W-CDMA”), to name just a few examples of radio technologies. Here, cdma2000 can include technologies implemented according to the IS-95, IS-2000, and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can implement the Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”), the Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (“D-AMPS”), or some other RAT. GSM and W-CDMA are described in documents from an organization named “Third Generation Partnership Project” (“3GPP”). CDMA2000 is described in documents from an organization named “Third Generation Partnership Project 2” (“3GPP2”). 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. In one aspect, a 4G Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) communication network can also be implemented in accordance with the claimed subject matter. A WLAN can include IEEE 802.11x networks, and a PAN can include Bluetooth networks, IEEE 802.15x (e.g., including Zigbee networks). The wireless communication implementations described herein can also be used in conjunction with any combination of WANs, WLANs, or PANs.

[0125] In another aspect, as previously mentioned, a wireless transmitter or access point can include a wireless transceiver device for extending cellular phone service into a business or home or vehicle. In such implementations, for example, one or more vehicles can communicate with the wireless transceiver device via a code division multiple access (“CDMA”) cellular communication protocol.

[0126] The techniques described herein may be used with a satellite positioning system (“SPS”) that includes any one and / or combination of GNSS (global navigation satellite systems, such as the Global Positioning System (“GPS”), the Russian GLONASS system, the European Union's Galileo system, and China's Beidou and Beidou-2 systems). Additionally, such techniques may be used with a positioning system that utilizes ground transmitters acting as “pseudolites” or a combination of SVs and such ground transmitters. For example, the ground transmitters may include ground-based transmitters that broadcast PN codes or other ranging codes (e.g., similar to GPS or CDMA cellular signals). Such transmitters may be assigned unique PN codes to permit identification by remote receivers. For example, in scenarios where SPS signals from orbiting SVs may not be available (such as in tunnels, mines, buildings, urban canyons, or other enclosed areas), ground transmitters may be useful to, for example, augment the SPS. Another implementation of a pseudolite is referred to as a radiobeacon. As used herein, the term “SV” is intended to include ground transmitters acting as pseudolites, equivalents of pseudolites, and possibly other items. As used herein, the terms “SPS signal” and / or “SV signal” are intended to include SPS-like signals from ground transmitters (including ground transmitters acting as pseudolites or equivalents of pseudolites).

[0127] In the foregoing detailed description, numerous specific details have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods and apparatuses known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter.

[0128] As used herein, the terms “and,” “or,” and “and / or” may include a variety of meanings that also are, at least in part, dependent upon the context in which such terms are used. Generally, “or” if used in reference to a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C (here used in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (here used in an exclusive sense). In addition, the term “one or more” as used herein may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular or may be used to describe plural features, structures, or characteristics or some other combination thereof. However, it should be noted that this is merely illustrative and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example.

[0129] While the presently considered exemplary features have been explained and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various other modifications can be made without departing from the claimed subject matter, and equivalents can be substituted. Additionally, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular scenario to the teachings of the claimed subject matter without departing from the central concept described herein.

[0130] Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is not intended to be limited to the particular examples disclosed, but the claimed subject matter may also include all aspects falling within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0131] For implementations involving firmware and / or software, these methodologies can be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein. Any machine-readable medium tangibly embodying the instructions can be used to implement the methodologies described herein. For example, software code can be stored in a memory and executed by a processor unit. The memory can be implemented within the processor unit or external to the processor unit. As used herein, the term "memory" refers to any type of long-term, short-term, volatile, non-volatile, or other memory, and is not limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or the type of medium on which memory is stored.

[0132] If implemented in firmware and / or software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable storage medium. Examples include computer-readable media encoded with a data structure and computer-readable media encoded with a computer program. Computer-readable media includes physical computer storage media. Storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, FLASH, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, semiconductor storage, or other storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer; as used herein, disk and disc include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0133] In addition to being stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions and / or data may also be provided as signals on a transmission medium included in a communication device. For example, the communication device may include a transceiver having signals indicative of the instructions and data. These instructions and data are configured to cause one or more processors to implement the functions outlined in the claims. That is, the communication device includes a transmission medium having signals indicative of information for performing the disclosed functions. At a first time, the transmission medium included in the communication device may include a first portion of the information for performing the disclosed functions, and at a second time, the transmission medium included in the communication device may include a second portion of the information for performing the disclosed functions.

Claims

1. A method for interaction between a vehicle and a device, comprising: broadcasting location information and identification information from the vehicle; receiving, at the vehicle, a request for measurement data from the device; and sending the measurement data from the vehicle to the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement data includes periodic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes phase offset information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes pseudorange information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes vehicle acceleration data, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes wheel rotation information, or any combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device corresponds to a Road Side Unit (RSU).

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the vehicle, at least one action request from the device, the at least one action request being configured to request at least one action; and performing the at least one action.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one action request includes a request for parking and a parking location.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the parking location is relative to another vehicle, a pedestrian, or an object, or wherein the parking location is relative to an intersection.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one action request includes a request for lane change and a lane change direction.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one action request includes a request for coordinated action with at least one vehicle or driving at a specified speed or a combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information includes speed and heading information, or wherein the location information includes latitude and longitude information, or a combination thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: broadcasting status information or priority information or a combination thereof.

12. A vehicle, comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: broadcast location information and identification information from the vehicle; receive, at the vehicle via the at least one transceiver, a request for measurement data from a device; and send the measurement data from the vehicle to the device via the at least one transceiver.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the measurement data includes periodic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes phase offset information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes pseudorange information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes vehicle acceleration data, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes wheel rotation information, or any combination thereof.

15. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the device corresponds to a roadside unit RSU.

16. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, at the vehicle via the at least one transceiver, at least one action request configured to request at least one action from the device; and perform the at least one action.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the at least one action request includes a request to park and a parking location.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the parking location is relative to another vehicle, a pedestrian, or an object, or wherein the parking location is relative to an intersection.

19. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the at least one action request includes a request to change lanes and a lane change direction.

20. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the at least one action request includes a request to coordinate an action with at least one vehicle or to drive at a specified speed or a combination thereof.

21. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the location information includes speed and heading information, or wherein the location information includes latitude and longitude information, or a combination thereof.

22. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: broadcast status information or priority information or a combination thereof.

23. A vehicle, comprising: means for broadcasting location information and identification information from the vehicle; means for receiving, at the vehicle, a request for measurement data from a device; and means for sending the measurement data from the vehicle to the device.

24. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the measurement data includes periodic Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS measurement data or sensor-based measurement data or a combination thereof.

25. The vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes phase offset information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the periodic GNSS measurement data includes pseudorange information regarding at least one GNSS satellite signal, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes vehicle acceleration data, or wherein the sensor-based measurement data includes wheel rotation information, or any combination thereof.

26. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the device corresponds to a roadside unit RSU.

27. The vehicle according to claim 23, further comprising: means for receiving, at the vehicle, at least one action request configured to request at least one action from the device; and means for performing the at least one action.

28. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the location information includes speed and heading information, or wherein the location information includes latitude and longitude information, or a combination thereof.

29. The vehicle according to claim 27, further comprising: means for broadcasting status information or priority information or a combination thereof.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a vehicle, cause the vehicle to: broadcast location information and identification information from the vehicle; receive a request for measurement data at the vehicle from a device; and send the measurement data from the vehicle to the device.

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