Doppler Ground Speed Sensing with Radar and IMU Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining vehicle ground speed, such as wheel odometry and GPS, are prone to errors due to variations in wheel/tire diameters, tire inflation levels, traction, and signal interference.
Innovation Solution
A doppler ground speed sensing system comprising multiple ground-oriented RADAR devices, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), and a machine learning model that processes data from RADAR devices and IMUs to estimate vehicle ground speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If wheel odometry is used to measure vehicle speed, then the measurement system is simple and low-cost, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to variations in wheel/tire diameters, tire inflation levels, and traction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical wheel odometry with electromagnetic radar technology. Ground-oriented RADAR devices transmit electromagnetic signals that reflect off the ground surface, and the Doppler shift of these reflected signals is used to calculate vehicle ground speed, eliminating dependence on mechanical wheel-tire-ground interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the ground surface as an intermediary medium. Instead of measuring wheel rotation directly, the system uses the ground surface as a reflective medium for radar signals, allowing indirect measurement of vehicle speed through Doppler shift analysis of ground-reflected signals
2Ease of operation
If GPS telemetry data is used to calculate vehicle speed, then the measurement system is non-contact and simple, but the reliability deteriorates due to signal interference and reception quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces GPS satellite-based electromagnetic signal reception with ground-based radar signal transmission and reception. Instead of relying on external satellite signals that may be blocked or interfered with, the system uses onboard radar devices to actively transmit and receive signals from the ground surface
3Productivity
If ground-facing radar is used to measure ground speed via doppler shift, then the measurement is non-contact and direct, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to noise and large variations from topographical changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple measurement approaches by combining ground-oriented radar Doppler shift measurements with inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. The electronic processing device integrates radar-derived speed information with accelerometer and gyroscope data from IMUs to produce a more reliable and precise ground speed measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from multiple sensors (multiple RADAR devices and IMUs) to continuously monitor and adjust the ground speed calculation. The electronic processing device processes data from all sensors in real-time, using feedback loops to filter noise and compensate for topographical variations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides more accurate and stable ground speed measurements by combining RADAR data with IMU data, reducing errors associated with traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a doppler ground speed sensing system comprising multiple ground-oriented RADAR devices
Implementation Method 2
multiple ground-oriented RADAR devices, at least one Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device
Implementation Method 3
at least one Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device... receiving, from the at least one IMU device, data descriptive of a movement of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A ground speed computation system for a vehicle includes ground-oriented RADAR devices, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) device, a communication device, an electronic processing device in communication with the RADAR devices, the IMU device, and the communication device, and a non-transitory memory storing (i) a machine learning (ML) ground speed calculation model and (ii) instructions that when executed by the electronic processing device result in receiving, from the RADAR devices, data descriptive of a ground surface in proximity to the vehicle, receiving, from the IMU device, data descriptive of a movement of the vehicle, computing, by the ML ground speed calculation model and utilizing (i) the data descriptive of the ground surface and (ii) the data descriptive of the movement of the vehicle, to determine an estimated ground speed of the vehicle and outputting, by the communication device, an indication of the estimated ground speed of the vehicle.