Wheel-Based Vehicle Positioning for Shape-Independent Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle positioning systems struggle to accurately detect the position and direction of vehicles with varying shapes or changes in shape, leading to a need for a common detection method that is independent of vehicle design.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle positioning apparatus that utilizes wheel information from wheel detectors to estimate the position and direction of vehicles, employing a combination of diagonal corners and reference data to enhance accuracy and reduce processing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire shape of the vehicle is used for position detection, then the detection method can be common to any vehicle shape, but the detection accuracy deteriorates when the vehicle shape has non-dominant features or changes during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vehicle into multiple feature points (corners, wheels, lights) and uses a combination of these segmented features for position detection. Instead of relying on the entire vehicle shape, the system identifies and tracks specific key points, which maintains detection accuracy even when vehicle shapes vary or change during manufacturing processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wheel information from wheel detectors is used for position estimation, then the position detection becomes independent of vehicle shape, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the wheel detector serve multiple functions: it detects wheel positions for vehicle positioning, identifies vehicle orientation, and provides data for trajectory estimation. By making the wheel detector multi-functional, the system achieves shape-independent detection without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same sensor infrastructure supports multiple detection objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference data as an intermediary element that mediates between raw wheel detector information and final position estimation. The reference data, which contains pre-stored wheel position relationships, acts as a bridge that simplifies the processing of wheel information and reduces the computational complexity required for real-time position estimation.
3Measurement precision
If combination of diagonal corners is used for position estimation, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the processing cost increases due to additional calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-storing reference data that contains the positional relationships between diagonal corners and vehicle characteristics. This reference data is prepared in advance and stored for quick retrieval, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations during actual position estimation, thus improving processing efficiency while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by storing reference copies of wheel position relationships in the reference data. Instead of recalculating complex geometric relationships in real-time, the system retrieves pre-computed reference information that copies the essential positional relationships, significantly reducing processing costs while maintaining detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle positioning apparatus comprises a wheel information acquisition unit configured to acquire wheel information from a wheel detector that measures the wheel information, the wheel information being at least either an image of at least one wheel of a plurality of wheels provided with a vehicle capable of running by unmanned driving or three-dimensional point cloud data about the at least one wheel. The vehicle positioning apparatus comprises a wheel position acquisition unit configured to acquire the position of the at least one wheel using the acquired wheel information; and a position estimation unit configured to estimate the position and direction of the vehicle using the acquired position of the at least one wheel.