Vehicle Sensor Data Synchronization via GPS Clock Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle communication systems face challenges in synchronizing sensor data acquisition and transmission between vehicles to ensure accurate and reliable sharing of sensor data for enhanced safety and performance, particularly in scenarios requiring cooperative sensing.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for controlling vehicle sensor data acquisition using a vehicular communication network, which involves establishing a connection between vehicles, synchronizing local clocks with a global time signal, determining a capture interval to minimize the time between sensor actuations, and actuating sensors and transmitting data accordingly to maximize data frame rates and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vehicles independently acquire sensor data without synchronization, then each vehicle can operate autonomously, but the time between sensor actuations is unpredictable and data sharing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary clock synchronization using GPS time signals before sensor data acquisition. Each vehicle's local clock is advanced or delayed to align with the master clock, ensuring that subsequent sensor actuations occur at predetermined synchronized intervals. This preliminary timing adjustment eliminates uncertainty in data acquisition timing.
Solution Approach 2:
A master clock signal derived from GPS time serves as an intermediary reference for synchronizing all vehicle clocks. The master clock acts as a common time reference that coordinates sensor actuation across multiple vehicles, ensuring predictable and reliable data acquisition timing without requiring direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication for timing coordination.
2Measurement precision
If vehicles synchronize sensor data acquisition, then data sharing accuracy and reliability improve, but system complexity increases due to coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Each vehicle independently calculates its own clock adjustment based on the received GPS time signal and the predetermined capture interval. The system does not require complex inter-vehicle negotiation or centralized control for timing adjustments - each vehicle autonomously synchronizes its clock and sensor actuation timing based on the common GPS time reference.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameters of local clocks by calculating advance or delay adjustments based on the difference between the current clock time and the expected GPS time. This parameter adjustment ensures that all vehicles operate on a synchronized time base without requiring hardware modifications or complex coordination protocols.
3Productivity
If capture interval is reduced to minimize time between sensor actuations, then data acquisition speed increases, but processing load and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic sensor actuation based on a predetermined capture interval derived from the synchronized clock. Instead of continuous monitoring or irregular sampling, sensors are activated at regular, predictable intervals, which optimizes the balance between data acquisition speed and processing energy consumption by avoiding redundant or unnecessarily frequent activations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling vehicle sensor data acquisition using a vehicular communication network includes, receiving a global time signal at the first vehicle and at the second vehicle. The first vehicle synchronizes a local clock signal of the first vehicle with the global time signal, and the second vehicle synchronizes a local clock signal of the second vehicle with the global time signal. Further, the method includes determining a capture interval that minimizes a time between actuation of a sensor of the first vehicle and actuation of a sensor of the second vehicle. The method includes actuating, according to the capture interval, the sensor of the first vehicle and the sensor of the second vehicle. The first vehicle transmits to the second vehicle the sensor data, and the second vehicle transmits to the first vehicle the sensor data.