Vehicle Antenna Alignment Prediction Using Sensor Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication methods for mobile devices using millimeter waves face challenges in maintaining efficient alignment between moving vehicles, leading to reduced data transmission time and increased energy consumption due to frequent realignment of antenna arrays, especially in multi-device scenarios, and require costly sensors for precise positioning and orientation correction.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize sensors on board vehicles to predict the future position and orientation of antennae by combining sensor data with vehicle dynamics, allowing for precise beamforming without continuous realignment, using an electronic control unit to implement driving control and assistance functions, and maintaining alignment through periodic updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If frequent realignment of antenna arrays is performed to maintain alignment between moving vehicles, then communication reliability is improved, but data transmission time is reduced and energy consumption is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoiddata transmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future positions and orientations of vehicles using sensor data (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes) and sharing this prediction information between devices. This allows the antenna arrays to be pre-aligned with future positions rather than reacting to current positions, reducing the frequency and duration of realignment operations while maintaining communication reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If frequent realignment of antenna arrays is performed to maintain alignment between moving vehicles, then communication reliability is improved, but energy consumption is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future positions and orientations of vehicles using sensor data (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes) and sharing this prediction information between devices. This allows the antenna arrays to be pre-aligned with future positions rather than reacting to current positions, reducing the frequency and duration of realignment operations while maintaining communication reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If alignment step is performed in each transmission time frame using probe signals, then alignment precision is improved, but the amount of transmittable data is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoiddata transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future positions and orientations of vehicles using sensor data (GPS, accelerometers, gyroscopes) and sharing this prediction information between devices. This allows the antenna arrays to be pre-aligned with future positions rather than reacting to current positions, reducing the frequency and duration of realignment operations while maintaining communication reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where vehicles periodically share their actual position and orientation data with each other. This feedback allows the prediction algorithms to be corrected and refined over time, maintaining alignment precision without requiring continuous probe signal exchange, thus preserving data transmission efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

4Device complexity

If estimated position based on initial position and speed is used for alignment, then device complexity is reduced, but alignment precision is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple existing sensor systems already present in vehicles (GPS for position, accelerometers for linear acceleration, gyroscopes for angular velocity) to create a comprehensive prediction capability. By combining data from these sensors with kinematic models, the system achieves high alignment precision without adding dedicated alignment sensors, thus maintaining low device complexity while improving precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3942710B1Method and system for pointing electromagnetic signals emitted by moving devices
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 POLITECNICO DI MILANO
  • EP3942710B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3942710B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3942710B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method (600,700) for transmitting electromagnetic signals by a vehicle (1) moving towards a target device (2). In particular, the moving vehicle (1) comprises a communication system (40), provided with a radiating system (41) by means of which it receives and transmits electromagnetic signals, which performs (701) an alignment step with the target device to establish a first communication direction with the target device, communicates (703) with the target device by orienting the radiating system (41) in order to receive and transmit data along said first communication direction, and performs (705 - 711) a subsequent phase for maintaining the alignment with the target device in which determines (603), based on data measured by at least one sensor (33) of the vehicle (1), a future position and an orientation of the radiating system (41), said sensor being operatively connected to an electronic control unit (31) of the vehicle (1) configured to implement control and/or driving assistance functions of the vehicle (1) based on information received from said sensor (33), receives (705) information indicative of or adapted to predict a future position and orientation of a radiating system (41B) of the target device, determines (709) a second communication direction (RLOS(t)) which connects the future position of the radiating system (41) to the future position of the radiating system of the target device (2), and orientates (709) the electromagnetic signals emitted by the radiating system (41) on the basis of the determined direction of communication (RLOS(t)).