Adjustable Antenna for Vehicle Location Accuracy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle locating systems lack adjustable antenna arrangements, limiting their ability to detect the distance and direction of a mobile object effectively, as they typically have fixed reception and transmission characteristics, restricting the range and accuracy of vehicle location.

Innovation Solution

The system introduces an adjustable antenna arrangement that can vary its reception and transmission characteristics to create a 360° monitoring area, enabling detection of distance and direction changes, using a phased array antenna or flexible HF antenna systems to generate directional beams and estimate the azimuth position, allowing bidirectional communication for precise vehicle location.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a fixed antenna arrangement is used in remote control systems, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of distance and direction is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedistance and direction detection accuracyVSAvoidantenna arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the antenna arrangement adjustable rather than fixed. The electronic control device can vary the reception and transmission characteristics of the antenna arrangement dynamically, allowing the system to adapt its beam direction and coverage area based on the detected position of the identification device, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring a completely complex fixed multi-antenna system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the reception and transmission characteristics of the antenna arrangement through electronic control. By adjusting parameters such as beam direction, gain, and coverage area, the system can optimize distance and direction detection accuracy while maintaining a relatively simple antenna structure, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If GPS location devices are used in both vehicle and identification device, then the location capability is improved, but the use of energy increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle location accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption of identification device
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the location detection function from the identification device by using the adjustable antenna arrangement on the vehicle side to detect distance and direction. This eliminates the need for the identification device to have its own GPS or active location capabilities, thereby significantly reducing its energy consumption while maintaining accurate vehicle location functionality through the vehicle-side detection system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The vehicle-side system performs self-service by using its adjustable antenna arrangement to actively detect the position of the identification device through signal strength measurement and directional scanning. This removes the burden of active location functionality from the identification device, allowing it to operate with minimal energy consumption while the vehicle system handles all location detection tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Area of stationary object

If the antenna arrangement is adjusted to create 360° monitoring area, then the area of coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring area coverageVSAvoidantenna control system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic action by having the adjustable antenna arrangement perform sequential scanning in different directions to cover the 360° monitoring area. Instead of maintaining constant omnidirectional coverage which would require complex simultaneous multi-directional transmission, the system periodically sweeps through different angular positions, detecting the identification device at each position, thereby achieving complete area coverage with a simpler single-directional antenna at any given time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances the range and accuracy of vehicle location, allowing users to easily find their vehicle within a 0-700 m range by providing clear distance and direction information through signaling or display means, while maintaining the functionality of remote control or access control systems.

Implementation Method 1

using a phased array antenna or flexible HF antenna systems to generate directional beams and estimate the azimuth position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhased array:

Implementation Method 2

HF signals with rising and falling frequency ramps are used to measure the distance between the vehicle and the identification device. The relevant signals are sent out by the vehicle-side control unit and sent back by the identification device. Due to the delay in the signal received by the control unit, a corresponding frequency or phase difference occurs, which is used to calculate the distance

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation:

Data Source

PatentEP1878627B1Locatingsystem
Publication Date: 2008.10.01 DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

The location system has a control unit for a mobile article. The system has a user identification device e.g. transceiver or separated transmitting and receiving devices. The article has an antenna device and the transceiver for a bi directional wireless communication with an identification unit. The receiving and transmitting function of the antenna is adjustable. An area around the article extends in the horizontal surface. A detection device identifies a distance between the identification unit and the article, where a signaling or a display device, signalizes or displays the distance.