Relative Object Localization Using Reliability and Velocity Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining the location of an object relative to another object, such as a mobile phone relative to a vehicle, are inefficient and unreliable, particularly when using technologies like UWB, Bluetooth, or LF-based localization, which fail to provide accurate positional information and are prone to errors due to absorption, reflections, and height determination challenges.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method utilizing UWB nodes to determine the location of a first object relative to a second object, involving preprocessing, reliability estimation, and velocity-based filtration, including low-pass filtering to enhance accuracy and reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UWB, Bluetooth, or LF-based localization technologies are used to determine object location, then location determination capability is provided, but accuracy and reliability deteriorate due to absorption, reflections, and measurement errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation determination reliabilityVSAvoidpositioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the reliability of location estimates and using this information to adjust processing. The reliability indicator generated from multiple measurements feeds back into the filtering process, allowing the system to adaptively weight and combine measurements based on their assessed quality, thereby improving both reliability and precision simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by generating reliability indicators before final location determination. Multiple measurements are taken and assessed for validity in advance, with invalid measurements filtered out beforehand. This preliminary assessment of measurement quality allows the system to prepare weighted estimates that are more reliable before the final location calculation is made

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple measurements are processed to improve accuracy, then positioning reliability improves, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and separates the reliability assessment function from the main location calculation process. By generating a dedicated reliability indicator that evaluates the quality of measurements independently, the system can filter out invalid measurements and weight valid ones without complicating the core location determination algorithm. This extraction simplifies the overall processing while maintaining high reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by introducing a reliability indicator as an additional parameter that governs how multiple measurements are combined. Instead of using fixed weighting schemes, the reliability indicator dynamically adjusts the influence of each measurement based on its assessed quality. This parameter change allows efficient processing of multiple measurements while optimizing positioning reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 method provides efficient and reliable location determination with improved accuracy, even with data containing inaccuracies, by filtering out invalid measurements and using velocity-based models to stabilize positioning over time.

Implementation Method 1

distances (for example determined based on Time-of-Flight and speed of light)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTime-of-Flight: Time of Flight

Data Source

PatentEP4675302A1Methods and systems for determining a location of a first object relative to a second object
Publication Date: 2026.01.07 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG
  • EP4675302A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4675302A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4675302A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A computer implemented method for determining a location of a first object relative to a second object comprises the following steps carried out by computer hardware components: determining an estimate for the location of the first object relative to the second object; determining a reliability of the estimate; updating the estimate based on the reliability to obtain an updated estimate; and filtering the updated estimate using a velocity based filtration to obtain the location of the first object relative to the second object.