Vehicle Location System Using Sensor Signal Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle location systems using GPS struggle to provide accurate location information at a granular scale, particularly in identifying the exact location of vehicles within a facility, such as a car dealership lot.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle location system that employs sensors positioned within and on vehicles to emit unique identification signals, which are received by facility sensors, allowing the system to accurately determine the location of vehicles and filter out signals from adjacent vehicles, enabling precise vehicle location and customization of user experiences based on user preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS is used to locate vehicles in a facility, then large-scale location information can be provided, but accurate location information at a granular scale cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the facility into multiple zones with sensors distributed throughout, breaking down the large-scale location problem into smaller, manageable segments. Each sensor monitors a specific area, enabling precise vehicle location identification at a granular scale while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces facility sensors as intermediary devices between GPS and the vehicle location determination system. These sensors receive signals from vehicles and provide intermediate location data that bridges the gap between coarse GPS information and precise facility-level location tracking.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are deployed throughout the facility to improve location accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The facility sensors are designed to perform multiple functions: detecting vehicle presence, determining location, and providing signal strength information for verification. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby managing complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor network automatically processes and verifies location information using signal strength comparisons without requiring manual intervention or complex external verification systems. Each sensor independently contributes to the location determination process, reducing overall system complexity through decentralized self-service operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system receives a request to locate a vehicle within a facility. The computer system parses the request to identify one or more characteristics of the vehicle. The computer system identifies a sensor corresponding to the vehicle based on the one or more characteristics of the vehicle. The computer system identifies a most recent location of the vehicle based on the last registered position of the vehicle within the facility. The computer system transmits a signal to a parking spot sensor at the most recent location of the vehicle in the facility. The computer system receives the unique identification. The computer system determines that the unique identification of the vehicle sensor co-located with the parking spot sensor matches the sensor of the requested vehicle. The computer system reports to the user a current location of the vehicle within the facility based on a location of the parking spot sensor.