Roadside IR Vehicle Tracking for Accurate Real-Time Kinematics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current traffic management systems struggle to provide accurate and real-time kinematic data for autonomous vehicles, leading to increased complexity, cost, and safety hazards, while existing roadside systems fail to achieve the necessary accuracy and frequency for safe navigation at high speeds and increased traffic flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle tracking device using IR sensors to detect and track vehicles, providing accurate kinematic data through IR radiation detection, unique identification, and position data, with a processor determining current kinematic data and transmitting it to a receiver, enabling precise vehicle control and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and sensor fusion are used for situational awareness in autonomous vehicles, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces roadside sensing equipment as an intermediary system that provides situational awareness data to vehicles. Instead of relying solely on complex onboard sensor fusion, the roadside infrastructure acts as a mediator that detects, localizes, tracks, and communicates vehicle positions, thereby reducing the burden on individual vehicle sensor systems while maintaining high measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The roadside sensing equipment serves multiple functions: detection, localization, tracking, and communication of vehicle positions. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate specialized systems on each vehicle, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive situational awareness capabilities
2Device complexity
If roadside sensing equipment is used for vehicle detection, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/optical sensing systems with electromagnetic sensing technologies. The roadside equipment uses electromagnetic fields to detect and track vehicles, providing accurate kinematic data without requiring complex mechanical sensor arrays on each vehicle. This substitution maintains measurement precision while significantly reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The roadside sensing equipment serves as an external intermediary that provides accurate kinematic measurements to vehicles. Rather than each vehicle carrying complex sensing systems, the infrastructure acts as a mediator that measures vehicle positions, speeds, and trajectories with high precision and communicates this data to the vehicles, thereby achieving accurate measurement with reduced onboard complexity
3Productivity
If higher vehicle speeds and densities are achieved, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where roadside sensing equipment continuously monitors vehicle positions, speeds, and densities, and communicates this information back to vehicles in real-time. This feedback loop enables autonomous vehicles to adjust their behavior dynamically, maintaining safe separation distances even at higher speeds and densities, thereby preserving reliability while improving productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and tracking of vehicle positions and trajectories before conflicts arise. By continuously monitoring the traffic environment in advance and providing predictive information about other vehicles' movements, the system enables vehicles to take preventive actions to maintain safe spacing, allowing higher overall traffic flow while preserving safety reliability
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 high-accuracy, real-time kinematic data transmission for autonomous vehicles, reducing complexity and safety hazards, and facilitating safer and more efficient traffic management systems.
Implementation Method 1
one or more infra-red (IR) sensors having a field of view and being configured to detect IR radiation being emitted from or reflected by the one or more vehicles
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a vehicle tracking device for tracking one or more vehicles at a geographic location of a transport network within which the one or more vehicles are able to move, the vehicle tracking device comprising: one or more infra-red (IR) sensors having a field of view and being configured to detect IR radiation being emitted from or reflected by the one or more vehicles at the geographic location within the field of view; a receiver configured to receive unique identification data which uniquely identifies each of the one or more vehicles and position data which indicates an initial position of each of the one or more vehicles when the one or more vehicles enter the field of view at the geographic location; a processor configured to determine current kinematic data of the one or more vehicles in at least two dimensions based upon the IR radiation detected by the one or more IR sensors, the received unique identification data and the received position data; and a transmitter configured to transmit the determined current kinematic data of a particular vehicle of the one or more vehicles to a kinematic data receiver spaced apart from the transmitter. The transmitter of a first vehicle tracking device is configured to transmit the current kinematic data determined at the first vehicle tracking device and unique identification data of the one or more vehicles to a second vehicle tracking device of the plurality of tracking devices and the receiver of the first vehicle tracking device is configured to receive current kinematic data determined at a third vehicle tracking device of the plurality of vehicle tracking devices and unique identification data of the one or more vehicles from a third vehicle tracking device.