Vehicle Beacon Detection for Low Power Position Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle tracking systems face challenges in reducing power consumption while continuously monitoring vehicle positions, especially when the engine is stopped, which can lead to insufficient battery charge.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a vehicle equipped with a first control unit that detects beacons from road-mounted beacon transmitters and notifies a server, and a server with a second control unit that determines if the vehicle has passed a predetermined point based on the beacon detection, thereby reducing power consumption by using low-power beacon reception instead of continuous GPS data acquisition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS data acquisition is used to continuously monitor vehicle position, then position tracking reliability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from continuous GPS data acquisition to periodic beacon-based position monitoring. The vehicle's control unit periodically checks for beacon signals from road-side transmitters rather than continuously acquiring GPS data, thereby maintaining position tracking capability while significantly reducing power consumption during engine-off periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces road-side beacon transmitters as intermediary devices that provide position information to the vehicle. Instead of the vehicle directly acquiring GPS data continuously, the system uses these intermediary beacons mounted on poles or infrastructure along the road to transmit position information when the vehicle passes by, reducing the vehicle's power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If beacon reception is used instead of continuous GPS acquisition, then power consumption is reduced, but position tracking precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by monitoring only the necessary beacons along the vehicle's expected path rather than continuously scanning all possible directions. The control unit monitors beacons in the forward direction based on the vehicle's movement, acquiring position information only when needed (when passing near beacons) rather than attempting continuous omnidirectional tracking, thus balancing precision requirements with power conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a vehicle and a server. The vehicle includes a first control unit configured to, when detecting a beacon from a beacon transmitter disposed on a road, notify the server that the beacon has been detected in response to the engine of the vehicle being stopped. The server includes a second control unit configured to, in response to receiving a notification that a beacon has been detected from the vehicle, determine whether the vehicle has passed a predetermined point, and in response to determining that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point, notify an administrator of the vehicle that the vehicle has passed the predetermined point.