Dual IMU Redundancy for Inertial Navigation Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous driving vehicles face challenges in maintaining accurate localization when inertial measurement units (IMUs) or their processing devices fail, as they rely on synchronized data from both IMUs and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data, and lack redundancy to ensure continuous operation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dual IMUs and micro-controller units (MCUs) with independent synchronization with GNSS data, providing redundancy and ensuring IMU data availability even if one IMU or MCU fails, and using alternative timing sources when GNSS data is unavailable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single IMU is used for localization, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases when the IMU fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a redundant IMU system where a second IMU is prepared in advance as a backup for the first IMU. When the first IMU fails, the system can immediately switch to the second IMU to maintain continuous localization, preventing service interruption without requiring complex real-time fault detection and recovery mechanisms
2Measurement precision
If IMU data is synchronized with GNSS data, then the measurement precision is improved, but the loss of time increases when GNSS data is unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization of IMU data with GNSS data when GNSS signals are available, storing the synchronized timing information for later use. When GNSS data becomes unavailable, the pre-synchronized timing data allows the system to continue operating without immediate re-synchronization delays, maintaining measurement precision while reducing time loss
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver unit, a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a second IMU. The system may further include a first micro-controller unit (MCU) coupled to the first IMU and the GNSS receiver unit to receive data from the first IMU and the GNSS receiver unit and a second MCU coupled to the second IMU and the GNSS receiver unit to receive data from the second IMU and the GNSS receiver unit.