Echo Signal Time Synchronization for Multi-Sensor Emulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive detection and ranging systems face challenges in synchronizing emulated echo signals for multiple sensors, leading to incorrect sensor fusion and decision delays during in-lab testing, which affects the accuracy and reliability of autonomous driving systems.
Innovation Solution
A drive emulation system utilizing the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) IEEE 1588 standard for real-time clock synchronization, combined with a prediction model to project target information to precise future times, ensuring all sensors receive synchronized and timely emulated echo signals, thereby maintaining time-alignment and minimizing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple hardware echo signal emulators are used for different sensors, then comprehensive multi-sensor testing is enabled, but time synchronization between emulated echo signals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent emulator operations under a unified time synchronization framework. A central time synchronization module coordinates all echo signal emulators, ensuring they operate on a common time base despite generating signals for different sensors. This combining approach maintains measurement precision while enabling comprehensive multi-sensor testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a time synchronization module as an intermediary between the drive scene simulator and multiple echo signal emulators. This mediator receives simulation data and distributes time-stamped echo signals to appropriate sensors, ensuring temporal coherence across all sensors without requiring direct coordination between emulators.
2Loss of time
If processing time for generating emulated echo signals is reduced, then real-time testing accuracy is improved, but signal processing quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and buffering echo signal data during periods when processing capacity is available. The system prepares simulation data in advance and stores it in buffers, so that when real-time signal generation is needed, pre-processed data can be quickly retrieved and transmitted with minimal latency while maintaining processing quality.
3Reliability
If on-road testing is performed for safety-critical situations, then real-world validation is achieved, but testing safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of real-world driving scenarios through hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Instead of physically exposing test vehicles to dangerous situations, the system generates emulated echo signals that replicate complex reflection, diffraction, and multi-time reflection characteristics of real objects. This copying approach enables real-world validation while eliminating safety risks associated with actual dangerous driving conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An emulation test system and method are provided for time adjusting emulated echo signals in response to a periodic electromagnetic signal. The method includes generating a scene simulation including a simulated object; generating a simulation frame indicating object transform information regarding the simulated object; calculating positions and velocities of an emulated targets corresponding to the simulated object using the object transform information; generating a ray tracing frame corresponding to the simulation frame indicating the calculated positions and velocities of the emulated targets; predicting a time point in a next feature in a feature pattern of the electromagnetic signal; calculating predicted target information of the simulated object at the predicted time point using the calculated positions and velocities; and generating an echo signal in response to the next burst of the electromagnetic signal using the predicted target information to compensate for latencies introduced by differences between real world and simulation times.