Inertial Sensor Error Compensation via Remote Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inertial sensor systems face challenges in accurately measuring both large, abrupt changes required for occupant restraint systems and smaller, subtler changes needed for vehicle dynamics control systems, due to gain and offset errors, which are difficult to minimize through sensor improvements or calibration alone, making it costly.
Innovation Solution
A system that combines an inertial measurement unit with a remote sensing system, such as a vision, range, or GPS system, to estimate rotational and translational accelerations, allowing for compensation of gain and offset errors, enabling wide dynamic range sensors to be used for both crash event sensing and vehicle stability applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single inertial sensor is selected to measure large signals for restraint systems, then the sensor can detect crash events, but the gain and offset errors become greater than the requirements for stability control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote sensing system (camera, GPS, range sensor) as an intermediary to measure vehicle motion independently. This external reference system provides accurate measurements of vehicle acceleration and rotation that serve as a mediator to calibrate and compensate for errors in the inertial sensor, enabling both crash detection and stability control functions
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares inertial sensor measurements with remote sensing system measurements and uses the difference (error) as feedback to dynamically adjust compensation parameters. This feedback loop maintains measurement accuracy across varying operating conditions, allowing the same sensor to serve both restraint and stability control functions
2Measurement precision
If sensor improvements and individual calibration are used to minimize gain and offset errors, then measurement precision improves, but the cost becomes prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by using the remote sensing system to automatically detect and correct inertial sensor errors during normal vehicle operation. This self-service approach eliminates the need for expensive manual calibration procedures while maintaining high measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The remote sensing system serves as a cost-effective intermediary reference that enables automatic error detection and compensation, replacing expensive individual sensor calibration processes with a system-level solution that uses external environmental references
3Adaptability or versatility
If an inertial sensor is designed for wide dynamic range to handle both large and small signals, then versatility improves, but gain and offset errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The remote sensing system acts as an intermediary reference that enables wide dynamic range inertial sensors to maintain accuracy across both large and small signals. By providing an external reference for calibration, the system allows the inertial sensor to operate across its full dynamic range without sacrificing precision
Data Source
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AI summary
A system is provided for enhancing inertial sensing within a vehicle. The system determines measured rotational rates and translational accelerations of the vehicle using an inertial measurement unit. In addition, the system also determines estimated rotational rates and translational accelerations of the vehicle based on a remote sensing system. The system generates compensated rotational rates and translational accelerations to reduce gain errors or offset errors of the inertial measurement unit based on the estimated rotational rates and translational accelerations.