OBD-II Dongle Relocating GPS Processing to Conserve Mobile Battery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mobile smart devices experience reduced GPS/GNSS accuracy and battery life when used in urban canyons and low signal environments, as they struggle to maintain satellite signal lock, necessitating a more efficient method for obtaining navigational information.

Innovation Solution

An automotive OBD-II device with a dongle configuration that connects to a vehicle's diagnostic port, utilizing a GPS/GNSS chipset and communication protocols like WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet to provide navigational information, including dead reckoning data, to auxiliary devices like smartphones and tablets, thereby bypassing internal GPS capabilities and conserving battery life.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If on board GPS/GNSS is enabled in mobile devices, then position information can be obtained, but battery life is reduced especially in urban canyons and low signal environments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition information accuracyVSAvoidbattery life
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary device (separate GPS receiver or vehicle navigation system) that acts as a mediator between the satellite signals and the mobile device. This intermediary processes GPS/GNSS signals independently and provides position information to the mobile device without requiring the mobile device's internal GPS to be actively enabled, thereby preserving battery life while maintaining positioning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the GPS/GNSS positioning function from the mobile device itself and relocates it to an external source (vehicle navigation system or separate receiver). By taking out the GPS processing burden from the mobile device, the system achieves position information acquisition without consuming the mobile device's battery power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If mobile devices use internal GPS/GNSS in urban canyons, then position information can be obtained, but accuracy is reduced due to signal hunting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition information accuracyVSAvoidsignal lock stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs an intermediary navigation system with more powerful signal processing capabilities that can reliably extract position information from weak GPS signals in urban canyon environments. This intermediary system stabilizes the signal acquisition process and provides accurate position data to mobile devices without suffering from the signal hunting problems that plague mobile device GPS receivers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If conventional mobile devices obtain navigational information independently, then position data can be acquired, but device complexity increases and battery consumption rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent navigation capabilityVSAvoidnavigation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the navigation system from the mobile device and relocates it to an external vehicle-based system. This extraction eliminates the need for mobile devices to maintain independent GPS receivers and navigation processing capabilities, thereby reducing device complexity and power consumption while preserving ease of operation through automated information provision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3194892B1Automotive OBD-ii device generating navigational information
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 VEONEER US INC
  • EP3194892B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3194892B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP3194892B1 patent drawingFigure 7

AI summary

A system includes a processor circuit and a computer readable storage medium. The processor circuit may be configured to plug into an on board diagnostic connector of a vehicle. The computer readable storage medium generally embodies computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor circuit, enable the processor circuit to communicate with one or more busses of the vehicle and to communicate navigational information to an auxiliary device.