Resolution-Agnostic Gate Detection with Temporally Spaced GNSS Pings

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing navigation systems for large vehicles like semi-trucks often inaccurately predict entrance and exit points for sites such as truck stops, leading to delays and safety issues.

Innovation Solution

A method using temporally-spaced satellite pings from GNSS receivers to identify entrance and exit points by correlating satellite pings with geofence cells, classifying pings as entrance or exit based on vehicle location transitions, and determining cell counts for precise point assignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If navigation systems use predicted entrance and exit points based on site connections to surrounding roads, then the system complexity remains low, but the measurement precision of entrance and exit point detection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveentrance and exit point detection accuracyVSAvoidnavigation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing satellite ping data from multiple vehicles over time before navigation queries are made. This pre-collected data is then used to accurately determine entrance and exit points when needed, improving detection precision without increasing the complexity of the navigation system itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces satellite ping data as an intermediary element between the navigation system and the entrance/exit point detection. Instead of directly predicting points based on road connections, the system uses satellite ping data from multiple vehicles as a mediator to accurately identify actual entrance and exit locations, significantly improving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of time

If navigation systems rely on generic geolocation and road connection predictions, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the loss of time due to incorrect predictions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime delay from incorrect navigation predictionsVSAvoidnavigation system usability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically collecting, processing, and analyzing satellite ping data from multiple vehicles to identify entrance and exit points. This automated process eliminates the need for manual input or complex user interactions, maintaining ease of operation while significantly reducing time losses from incorrect predictions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms by continuously collecting satellite ping data from vehicles and using this information to improve entrance and exit point detection accuracy over time. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from actual vehicle behavior patterns, reducing navigation errors and time delays without complicating the user interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If navigation systems use simple prediction algorithms based on road connections, then the device complexity remains low, but the reliability of navigation accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation accuracyVSAvoiddetection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the detection process into distinct components: collecting satellite ping data from multiple vehicles, processing the data to identify patterns, and using these patterns to determine entrance and exit points. This segmented approach improves navigation reliability by using multiple data sources while keeping each individual processing step manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges satellite ping data from multiple different vehicles to collectively identify entrance and exit points. By combining data from multiple sources, the system achieves higher reliability and accuracy in navigation predictions without requiring a single complex detection algorithm.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Achieves high accuracy in detecting entrance and exit points with success rates of 97.6% and 100% in real-world tests, enhancing navigation efficiency and safety for large vehicles.

Implementation Method 1

each of the satellite pings indicating a location of a corresponding vehicle from the set of transmitting vehicles computed using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals received at the corresponding vehicle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGlobal navigation satellite system (GNSS):

Data Source

PatentEP4607246A1Resolution agnostic gate detection method using temporally-spaced GPS pings
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 TRIMBLE INC
  • EP4607246A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4607246A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4607246A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Described herein are a system, a method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium for detecting an entrance point and an exit point for a site of interest using temporally-spaced satellite pings received from a set of transmitting vehicles. A geofence is obtained for the site of interest. A subset of the satellite pings that are within a set of cells along a border of the geofence are identified. A list of entrance satellite pings and a list of exit satellite pings are compiled using the subset of the satellite pings. The satellite pings from the list of entrance satellite pings and the list of exit satellite pings are counted for each of the set of cells and the entrance and exit points are assigned to cells respectively based on maximum values from the counts of entrance satellite pings and the counts of exit satellite pings.