Vehicle Position Correction Using Sensor Error Models

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining a moving vehicle's position, especially in slow-moving situations, suffer from high error rates due to dependencies on temperature, air pressure, and tire wear, leading to significant positional inaccuracies when creating environment models, which can be hazardous, particularly in parking garages.

Innovation Solution

A method that uses an error model to correct the predicted vehicle position by correlating data from inertial and environmental sensor systems, allowing for adaptive error modeling specific to the driver and vehicle, thereby reducing positional errors without requiring additional sensors, and enabling the creation of two- or three-dimensional environment models using smaller, cost-effective sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If coupled navigation with inertial and environmental sensors is used to determine vehicle position, then position determination is enabled, but high error rates occur especially in slow-moving situations due to temperature, air pressure, and tire wear dependencies

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle position accuracyVSAvoiderror rate in slow-moving situations
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the environment sensor system to detect surrounding objects and compare their actual positions with predicted positions based on inertial sensor data. The deviations are fed back to correct the position determination, creating a closed-loop system that continuously reduces errors in slow-moving situations where inertial sensors alone are unreliable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces the environment sensor system as an intermediary element that mediates between the inertial sensor system and the final position determination. Instead of relying solely on inertial sensors, the system uses environmental object detections as intermediate reference points to correct and verify position calculations, thereby reducing the harmful effects of inertial sensor errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If inertial sensors are used to calculate distance covered and wheel revolutions, then kinematic vehicle variables are obtained, but errors accumulate over longer distances and periods leading to unacceptably large values

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous position monitoring capabilityVSAvoidposition accuracy over longer distances
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes a feedback mechanism where environment sensor detections of surrounding objects serve as periodic reference points. Each time an object is detected, the system compares the actual position with the predicted position from inertial sensors, calculates the deviation, and uses this feedback to correct the accumulated error, enabling continuous monitoring over longer distances without error accumulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by using environment sensors to detect and store positions of surrounding objects in advance. These pre-detected object positions serve as known reference points that can be used later to correct inertial sensor drift, allowing the system to compensate for accumulated errors before they become unacceptably large.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If environment models are created using faulty sensor data, then two-dimensional or three-dimensional environment models are generated, but considerable risk arises due to unacceptable error variables

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironment model creation capabilityVSAvoidsafety risk in maneuver assistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from environment sensor detections to continuously verify and correct the environment model. By comparing detected object positions with predicted positions from the model, the system identifies and corrects errors in real-time, ensuring that the environment model remains reliable and safe for maneuver assistance applications even when using coupled navigation data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2694916B1Method for determining the position of a moving vehicle, and maneuvering assistance system
Publication Date: 2017.12.27 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2694916B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2694916B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining the position of a moving vehicle (10) with respect to objects (100) in the surroundings of the vehicle (10), having the following steps: ° detecting the surroundings of the vehicle (10) using a surroundings sensor system (20), ° detecting kinematic variables of the vehicle (10) using an inertial sensor system (30), ° predicting the position of the vehicle (10) on the basis of at least one of the previous detection steps, and ° applying an error model to the predicted position of the vehicle (10) in order to generate a corrected position of the vehicle (10).