Vehicle Localization by Wheel Vertical Motion Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle localization systems, such as GPS, lack sufficient accuracy and resolution, especially in environments with signal interference or overlapping road coordinates, which can lead to errors in determining a vehicle's location on the road.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a combination of sensors, including accelerometers and motion sensors, to sense vertical motion data of vehicle wheels, compare it to stored reference data, and determine location by identifying a 'best-match' road segment based on correlation values, potentially combining with other localization systems for enhanced accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based localization is used, then the system is simple and provides broad coverage, but the localization accuracy and resolution are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GPS localization with accelerometer-based vertical motion sensing to create a hybrid localization system. The GPS provides coarse location and candidate road segment identification, while the accelerometer data provides fine-grained vertical motion characteristics for precise road segment matching, achieving high-resolution localization without complete system replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical motion data from accelerometers as an intermediary measurement to bridge the gap between GPS coordinates and actual road position. This intermediary data enables discrimination between overlapping road segments that GPS alone cannot distinguish, improving localization precision through an additional sensing modality
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to improve localization accuracy, then the measurement precision increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the accelerometer serve multiple functions: it measures vertical motion for localization, characterizes road surface profiles for identification, and provides data for correlation-based road segment matching. This multi-functionality justifies the addition of the sensor by extracting maximum value from a single component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the road's vertical profile characteristics by recording and storing reference vertical motion data for various road segments. This digital fingerprint enables identification without requiring physical road markers or complex infrastructure, achieving high-resolution localization through data replication and comparison
3Measurement precision
If vertical motion data from multiple wheels is sensed, then the localization accuracy improves, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the vehicle into multiple sensing zones by placing accelerometers on different wheels (front, rear, left, right). Each wheel's vertical motion is independently measured and processed, allowing the system to capture spatial variations in road surface characteristics across the vehicle's footprint, improving localization through segmented measurement
4Reliability
If reference vertical motion data is stored for multiple candidate road segments, then the localization reliability improves, but the memory requirements and data access complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent stores reference vertical motion data with specific characteristics tailored to each road segment's unique profile. Rather than uniform high-resolution data for all segments, the system captures and stores the distinctive vertical motion fingerprint of each segment, enabling reliable identification while optimizing storage by retaining only locally relevant discriminatory features
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 approach provides high-resolution, accurate vehicle localization, even in challenging environments, by leveraging road surface characteristics and patterns to determine vehicle position, thereby improving navigation and suspension control systems.
Implementation Method 1
sensing (e.g., by one or more (e.g., by one, two, four) accelerometers) a sequence of vertical motion of one or more (e.g., at least one, at least two, at least three, at least four, more than four) wheels of the vehicle to obtain vertical motion data
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for determining the location of a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for localizing a vehicle includes driving over a first road segment, identifying by a first localization system a set of candidate road segments, obtaining vertical motion data while driving over the first road segment, comparing the obtained vertical motion data to reference vertical motion data associated with at least one candidate road segment, and identifying, based on the comparison, a location of the vehicle. The use of such localization methods and systems in coordination with various advanced vehicle systems such as, for example, active suspension systems or autonomous driving features, is contemplated.