Vehicle positioning method and system

• US 10,514,468 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Mobike Technology Co.Ltd. (Beijing Sankuai Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Mobike Technology Co.Ltd. (Beijing Sankuai Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xia, Yiping, Liu, Xinwu, Yang, Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US15/726,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20180100933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 5/00 Appliances preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of cycles; Locks integral with cycles fittings for preventing or indicating use or theft of vehicles in general B60R; general features of locks E05B
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 5/20 indicating unauthorised use, e.g. acting on signalling devices alarm locks in general E05B45/00, e.g. alarm cable or chain lock E05B45/005
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/00 Electrical equipment arrangements specially adapted for use as accessories on cycles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/412 Speed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

A vehicle positioning method and system are provided. The vehicle positioning method comprises: receiving a first sampling signal from a mobile communication device and a second sampling signal from a vehicle; selecting a target sampling signal from the first and second sampling signals; and determining a position of the vehicle based on the target sampling signal. The vehicle positioning method and system can improve the vehicle positioning accuracy while reducing battery consumption.

Claims

1. A rental vehicle positioning method for a rental vehicle positioning system which comprises a mobile communication device, a bicycle, and a backend server, a position of the mobile communication device being the same as that of the bicycle during riding of the bicycle by a user carrying the mobile communication device, the method being executed by the backend server and comprising the steps of:

receiving a first sampling signal from the mobile communication device and a second sampling signal from the bicycle, wherein the first sampling signal includes a sampling position and a corresponding sampling time stamp sampled at a first sampling interval, the second sampling signal including a sampling position and a corresponding sampling time stamp sampled at a second sampling interval, and the second sampling interval being larger than the first sampling interval;

selecting a target sampling signal from the first and second sampling signals; and

determining a position of the bicycle based on the target sampling signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the selecting the target sampling signal comprises selecting a sampling signal corresponding to a smaller sampling interval in the first and second sampling intervals as the target sampling signal; and

determining the position of the bicycle comprises determining the sampling position corresponding to the last sampling time stamp in the target sampling signals as the position of the bicycle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises the step of receiving a locking signal including a locking time from the bicycle;

the selecting the target sampling signal comprises;

calculating a first time difference between the locking time and the last sampling time stamp in the first sampling signals, and

when determining that the first time difference is not greater than a preset time, selecting the first sampling signal as the target sampling signal, otherwise, selecting the second sampling signal as the target sampling signal; and

the determining the position of the bicycle comprises determining the sampling position corresponding to the last sampling time stamp in the target sampling signals as the position of the bicycle.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the preset time is the first sampling interval.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

detecting and acquiring an average speed and a movement direction of the bicycle, and/or receiving an average speed and a movement direction of the bicycle sent by the mobile communication device or the bicycle; and

based on the average speed and the movement direction of the bicycle, compensating for the position of the bicycle to obtain a final position of the bicycle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the compensating for the position of the bicycle to obtain a final position thereof comprises:

when the target sampling signal is the first sampling signal, calculating a product of the first time difference and the average speed to obtain a movement distance, and taking a position obtained by moving the sampling position corresponding to the last sampling time stamp in the first sampling signals by the movement distance in the movement direction, as the final position of the bicycle; and

when the target sampling signal is the second sampling signal, calculating and acquiring a second time difference between the locking time and the last sampling time stamp in the second sampling signals, calculating a product of the second time difference and the average speed to obtain a movement distance, and taking a position obtained by moving the sampling position corresponding to the last sampling time stamp in the second sampling signals by the movement distance in the movement direction, as the final position of the v bicycle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises the step of at least one of generating an alarm signal or receiving an alarm signal sent by the mobile communication device or the bicycle;

the selecting the target sampling signal comprises selecting the second sampling signal as the target sampling signal; and

the determining the position of the bicycle comprises determining the sampling position corresponding to the last sampling time stamp in the second sampling signals as the position of the bicycle.

8. A backend server, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor for performing the rental vehicle positioning method according to claim 1 under control of the instructions.

9. A rental vehicle positioning system comprising:

a backend server according to claim 8;

a mobile communication device; and

a bicycle.