Ranging Apparatus Vibration Compensation for Mobile Body Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ranging apparatuses struggle to accurately distinguish between attitude changes due to vibration and inclination, leading to inappropriate direction adjustments of the light beam, which can result in erroneous self-localization or collisions when navigating inclined surfaces with bumps or steps.
Innovation Solution
A ranging apparatus comprising a light emitting device, a light detector, a signal processing circuit, a vibration detector, and a control circuit that detects changes in attitude attributed to vibration and corrects the light beam's direction based on a vibration signal, separating it from inclination changes, allowing precise emission on inclined surfaces with bumps and steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the light beam direction is adjusted based on attitude sensor data without distinguishing vibration from inclination, then the system can respond to terrain changes, but it causes erroneous direction adjustments on inclined surfaces with bumps or steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the attitude sensor output signal into two distinct components: inclination signal (low-frequency component representing terrain slope) and vibration signal (high-frequency component representing bumps or steps). This segmentation allows the system to process each component separately and apply appropriate corrections, resolving the contradiction between responding to terrain changes and maintaining direction adjustment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selectively correcting only the vibration component rather than the entire attitude signal. The control circuit applies correction based on the extracted vibration signal while ignoring the inclination component, enabling the system to compensate for vibration-induced errors without overcorrecting for terrain inclination, thus maintaining accurate light beam direction on inclined surfaces with bumps or steps.
2Reliability
If the system corrects light beam direction based on total attitude change, then it can compensate for terrain inclination, but it cannot distinguish vibration-induced errors from legitimate inclination adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter domain by transforming the time-domain attitude signal into frequency-domain components. By applying frequency-based filtering (low-pass filter for inclination, high-pass filter for vibration), the system effectively separates and identifies vibration from inclination based on their distinct frequency characteristics, resolving the difficulty of discrimination while maintaining ranging accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency filtering as an intermediary process between the attitude sensor and the control circuit. The low-pass and high-pass filters act as intermediaries that selectively extract inclination and vibration components from the composite attitude signal, enabling the control circuit to make accurate corrections without directly processing the mixed signal, thus improving reliability while simplifying the detection task.
3Device complexity
If no vibration compensation is applied, then the system structure remains simple, but vibration causes light beam direction deviation and ranging errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by enabling the attitude sensor to serve dual purposes: detecting both terrain inclination and vehicle vibration using the same sensor hardware. By processing the sensor output through frequency-based filtering, the system extracts both inclination and vibration information from a single sensor source, avoiding the need for separate sensors while maintaining light beam direction accuracy despite vibration.
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
Enables accurate ranging and self-localization by ensuring the light beam is emitted in the appropriate direction, even on complex terrain, reducing the risk of collisions and improving navigation on uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting device being capable of emitting a light beam in a plurality of directions at different elevation angles
Implementation Method 2
a light detector that detects reflected light of the light beam
Implementation Method 3
a vibration detector that detects a change in attitude of the main body attributed to vibration in distinction from a change in attitude of the main body attributed to an inclination of a ground surface
Data Source
AI summary
A ranging apparatus includes: a main body including a light emitting device which is configured to emit a light beam in a plurality of directions at different elevation angles and a light detector which detects reflected light of the light beam; a signal processing circuit; a vibration detector; a control circuit. The signal processing circuit generates distance data based on a signal outputted from the light detector. The vibration detector detects a change in attitude of the main body attributed to vibration in distinction from a change in attitude of the main body attributed to an inclination of a ground surface at a location where the main body is installed, and outputs a vibration signal indicating an amount of change in the attitude attributed to the vibration. The control circuit corrects a direction of emission of the light beam by the light emitting device based on the vibration signal.