Vehicle location device

• US 10,317,517 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dsilva, Jeftha, Crasto, Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Sivji, Nizar N
• Application Number:
  US15/980,809
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/08 involving use of the magnetic field of the earth
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0249 Determining position using measurements made by a non-stationary device other than the device whose position is being determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

A detection device includes a receiver, an inertial-measurement-unit, an electronic-compass, and a controller-circuit. The receiver determines intensity of a homing-signal transmitted from a vehicle and received at the device. The inertial-measurement-unit determines a distance the device is moved. The electronic-compass determines a heading in which the device is moving. The controller-circuit is in communication with the receiver, the inertial-measurement-unit, and the electronic-compass. The controller-circuit determines a first-range between a first-position of the device and the vehicle. The controller-circuit determines that that the device has moved to a second-position based on a first-distance and a first-heading. The controller-circuit determines a second-range between the second-position and the vehicle. The controller-circuit determines that the device has moved to a third-position based on a second-distance and a second-heading. The controller-circuit determines a third-range between the third-position and the vehicle. The controller-circuit determines a travel-distance and a travel-direction from the device to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A detection device, said device comprising:

a receiver, the receiver determining intensity of a homing-signal transmitted from a vehicle and received at the device;

an inertial-measurement-unit, the inertial-measurement-unit determining a distance the device is moved;

an electronic-compass, the electronic-compass determining a heading in which the device is moving; and

a controller-circuit in communication with the receiver, the inertial-measurement-unit, and the electronic-compass, the controller-circuit determining a first-range between a first-position of the device and the vehicle based on a first-intensity of the homing-signal;

in accordance with the determination of the first-range, the controller-circuit determining whether the device has moved to a second-position based on a first-distance and a first-heading;

in accordance with the determination that the device has moved to the second-position, the controller-circuit determining a second-range between the second-position and the vehicle based on a second-intensity of the homing-signal;

in accordance with the determination of the second-range, the controller-circuit determining whether the device has moved to a third-position based on the a second-distance and a second-heading;

in accordance with the determination that the device has moved to the third-position, the controller-circuit determining a third-range between the third-position and the vehicle based on a third-intensity of the homing-signal;

wherein

the controller-circuit determines a travel-distance and a travel-direction from the device to the vehicle based on the first-range, the second-range, the third-range, the first-distance, the second-distance, the first-heading, and the second-heading.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device further includes a clock in communication with the controller-circuit, and wherein the homing-signal includes a time-stamp indicative of a time-of-transmission indicated by the clock that the homing-signal was transmitted from the vehicle, whereby the controller-circuit determines the first-range, the second-range, and the third-range based on a difference between the time-of-transmission and a time-of-receipt of the homing-signal received by the receiver.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the receiver receives an initial-homing-signal, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the receiver receives the initial-homing-signal.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the first-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

5. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than a variation-threshold for a time greater than a time-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than the variation-threshold for the time greater than the time-threshold.

6. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the first-distance is greater than a distance-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the second-position in accordance with the determination that the first-distance is greater than the distance-threshold.

7. The device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the second-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the second-position in accordance with the determination that the second-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

8. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the second-distance is greater than a distance-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the third-position in accordance with the determination that the second-distance is greater than the distance-threshold.

9. The device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the third-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the third-position in accordance with the determination that the third-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

10. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the homing-signal is received by a single receiver.

11. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device further includes a visual-display in communication with the controller-circuit, whereby both the travel-distance and the travel-direction to the vehicle are displayed on the visual-display.

12. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device further includes an audible-device in communication with the controller-circuit, whereby both the travel-distance and the travel-direction to the vehicle are transmitted through the audible-device.

13. A detection method, said method comprising:

determining an intensity of a homing-signal transmitted from a vehicle, with a receiver installed in a device;

determining a distance the device is moved, with an inertial-measurement-unit installed in the device;

determining a heading in which the device is moving, with an electronic-compass installed in the device;

determining, with a controller-circuit in communication with the receiver, the inertial-measurement-unit, and the electronic-compass, a first-range between a first-position of the device and the vehicle based on a first-intensity of the homing-signal;

in accordance with the determination of the first-range, determining with the controller-circuit whether the device has moved to a second-position based on a first-distance and a first-heading;

in accordance with the determination that the device has moved to the second-position, determining with the controller-circuit a second-range between the second-position and the vehicle based on a second-intensity of the homing-signal;

in accordance with the determination of the second-range, determining with the controller-circuit whether the device has moved to a third-position based on the a second-distance and a second-heading;

in accordance with the determination that the device has moved to the third-position, determining with the controller-circuit a third-range between the third-position and the vehicle based on a third-intensity of the homing-signal; and

determining with the controller-circuit a travel-distance and a travel-direction from the device to the vehicle based on the first-range, the second-range, the third-range, the first-distance, the second-distance, the first-heading, and the second-heading.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the device further includes a clock in communication with the controller-circuit, and wherein the homing-signal includes a time-stamp indicative of a time-of-transmission indicated by the clock that the homing-signal was transmitted from the vehicle, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, the first-range, the second-range, and the third-range based on a difference between the time-of-transmission and a time-of-receipt of the homing-signal received by the receiver.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the receiver receives an initial-homing-signal, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the receiver receives the initial-homing-signal.

16. The method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the first-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

17. The method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than a variation-threshold for a time greater than a time-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the first-position in accordance with the determination that the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than the variation-threshold for the time greater than the time-threshold.

18. The method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the first-distance is greater than a distance-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the second-position in accordance with the determination that the first-distance is greater than the distance-threshold.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the second-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the second-position in accordance with the determination that the second-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

20. The method in accordance with claim 13, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the second-distance is greater than a distance-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the third-position in accordance with the determination that the second-distance is greater than the distance-threshold.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the third-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than an intensity-threshold, whereby the controller-circuit designates the third-position in accordance with the determination that the third-intensity of the homing-signal is greater than the intensity-threshold.

22. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the device further includes a visual-display in communication with the controller-circuit, further including the step of displaying both the travel-distance and the travel-direction to the vehicle on the visual-display.

23. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the device further includes an audible-device in communication with the controller-circuit, further including the step of transmitting both the travel-distance and the travel-direction to the vehicle through the audible-device.