Vehicular Position Estimation Using Adaptive UWB and BLE Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular position estimation systems face challenges in accurately determining the position of a portable terminal with respect to a vehicle when the number of functional in-vehicle communication devices is less than three, due to communication failures or obstructed views, leading to increased costs and reduced accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular position estimation system that utilizes multiple in-vehicle communication devices to generate distance information and includes a position coordinate calculation portion to determine the terminal's position when three or more devices communicate, and an area inside-outside determination portion to assess the terminal's presence within the system actuation area even if fewer devices are operational, using UWB communication and BLE technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If three or more in-vehicle communication devices are used for position estimation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system requires three or more communication devices for optimal position estimation accuracy, but the dual-mode operation allows the system to function with fewer devices when necessary. The area inside-outside determination mode can operate with one or two devices, providing a partial solution that maintains basic functionality when the full three-device configuration is not available, thus resolving the contradiction between requiring multiple devices for precision and the complexity of deploying and maintaining that many devices.
2Reliability
If the number of in-vehicle communication devices is increased, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between two operational modes based on the number of functional communication devices. When three or more devices are available, the system operates in position coordinate calculation mode for high reliability. When fewer than three devices are functional, it automatically transitions to area inside-outside determination mode, maintaining system reliability through adaptive operation rather than requiring a fixed high-number device configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The in-vehicle communication devices serve multiple functions: they can operate individually for area determination or collectively for precise position coordinate calculation. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware to provide different levels of service based on availability, improving reliability without requiring separate systems for different operational scenarios.
3Measurement precision
If three or more communication devices are required for position calculation, then measurement precision is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates when devices fail
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed with a backup operational mode that activates beforehand when device failures occur. The area inside-outside determination mode serves as a cushioning mechanism that prevents complete system failure when communication devices malfunction. This prior preparation ensures that the system can gracefully degrade from precise position calculation to area-based determination without operational interruption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces the likelihood of unknown terminal positions without increasing the number of in-vehicle devices, maintaining accuracy and user convenience by enabling vehicle control functions even with fewer operational devices, and providing detailed user position information for advanced services.
Implementation Method 1
a method using an electric wave propagation time (in other words, flight time)... include a TOA (Time Of Arrival) method
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular position estimation system estimates a portable terminal position with respect to a vehicle. Each of three or more in-vehicle communication devices is attached at a different position of the vehicle. Each of the multiple in-vehicle communication devices generates distance information indicating a distance from the in-vehicle communication device to the portable terminal. The vehicular position estimation system includes a position coordinate calculation portion that calculates a position coordinate of the portable terminal, and an area inside-outside determination portion that determines whether the portable terminal is inside the system actuation area.