Unified Navigation System Using Cross-Device Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems for mobile devices and vehicles operate independently, using separate GNSS and sensor data, which can lead to inadequate navigation solutions in areas with poor satellite signal reception, such as urban environments, where there is a need to unify and coordinate sensor data from both systems for improved navigation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves communicatively coupling the navigation systems of mobile devices and vehicles to share sensor and GNSS signals, allowing for the use of a Kalman filter to combine and improve navigation solutions by integrating data from both systems, including sensors like accelerometers, gyroscopes, and GNSS units, and selecting the best signals based on quality and type to compute position, velocity, and heading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate navigation systems are used for mobile devices and vehicles, then each system can operate independently, but navigation accuracy deteriorates in areas with poor satellite signal reception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines navigation data from mobile device sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) with vehicle navigation system sensors and GNSS receivers into a unified navigation solution. This merging of multiple independent navigation systems allows the system to maintain reliable operation while improving position determination accuracy by leveraging complementary sensor data from both platforms.
2Device complexity
If multiple independent navigation systems operate separately, then system complexity is reduced, but navigation solution quality deteriorates in urban environments
Solution Approach 1:
The unified navigation system is designed to process multiple types of sensor data (GNSS signals, accelerometer measurements, gyroscope data, magnetometer readings) from both mobile devices and vehicles through a common filtering algorithm. This multi-functional approach allows the same navigation processor to handle diverse data sources, improving navigation solution quality without requiring separate processing chains for each sensor type.
3Loss of time
If separate sensor data processing is used, then processing time is reduced, but navigation accuracy in signal-challenged areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing of sensor data by continuously maintaining filtered state estimates from both mobile device and vehicle sensors even when GNSS signals are unavailable. This preliminary action ensures that accurate position, velocity, and orientation solutions are already prepared and can be immediately provided when needed, without requiring intensive real-time processing during signal-denied periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatus and methods to supplement, combine, replace, verify and calibrate in-vehicle and in-device sensors and GNSS systems are presented. A mobile device and a vehicle navigation system share sensor and GNSS information to arrive at an improved navigation solution. For example, a navigation solution computed by a vehicle may rely on a sensor signal from a mobile device. Similarly, a navigation solution computed by a mobile device may use a sensor signal or a GNSS signal from a vehicle.