Articulated Vehicle Sensor Fusion With Pivot-Aware Environmental Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems struggle to jointly evaluate output data from different sensor units in a synchronized and precise manner, particularly in vehicles pivotably coupled to one another, leading to incomplete and inaccurate environmental mapping.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system with synchronized time information and an electronic control unit that evaluates output data from first and second sensor units positioned on separate vehicles, considering their relative positioning and pivot angle, to generate a precise two-dimensional environmental model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If sensor units are positioned on separate pivotably coupled vehicle units, then the environmental coverage area is expanded, but the synchronization and joint evaluation of sensor data becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges sensor data from multiple sensor units positioned on different vehicle units by creating a unified environmental model. The electronic control unit combines detection data from all sensor units, accounting for their respective positions and orientations, to generate a single comprehensive representation of the environment rather than separate models for each sensor unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic control unit acts as an intermediary that receives synchronized time information from all sensor units and uses this common time reference to coordinate and integrate the sensor data. This intermediary component processes the relative positioning information and pivot angles to properly align and combine data from the distributed sensor units.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensor units capture different environmental areas, then the overall detection capability is improved, but the precision of joint evaluation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having each sensor unit capture and process data for its specific local environmental area with high precision. Each sensor unit maintains accurate detection of objects within its own field of view and capture area, while the electronic control unit then integrates these locally precise measurements into the global environmental model, preserving the precision of each local measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the precision issue by adding spatial dimensionality to the data integration process. The electronic control unit incorporates three-dimensional positioning information, including the relative positions of sensor units on different vehicle units and their pivot angles, to accurately map and combine data from different environmental areas into a coherent multi-dimensional environmental model.
3Measurement precision
If synchronized time information is implemented, then the accuracy of environmental mapping is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronized time information serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a common reference for capturing environmental data from multiple sensor units, enables accurate temporal correlation of detections across different sensors, and facilitates the integration of data into a unified environmental model. This single synchronization mechanism performs multiple critical functions that would otherwise require separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor system including at least a first and a second sensor unit. The sensor system is designed to at least partially capture the environment of at least a first and second vehicle unit pivotably coupled to one another. The first sensor unit is positionable on the first vehicle unit and the second sensor unit is positionable on the second vehicle unit. The first and second sensor unit capture different environmental areas. The sensor system has an electronic control unit connected to the first and second sensor unit and designed such that it jointly evaluates output data from the first and second sensor unit. The first and the second sensor unit each provide their sensor data with a synchronized item of time information. The electronic control unit is designed such that it takes into account relative positioning of the first and second sensor unit when generating an environmental model.