Vehicle location device

• US 10,641,880 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Dsilva, Jeftha, Crasto, Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Sivji, Nizar N
• Application Number:
  US16/399,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20190353766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 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; and

a controller-circuit in communication with the receiver, an inertial-measurement-unit configured to determine a distance the device is moved, and an electronic-compass configured to determine a heading in which the device is moving;

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;

wherein

the first-intensity varies less than a variation-threshold;

wherein

the controller-circuit determines whether the device has moved to a second-position based on a first-distance and a first-heading; and

wherein

the controller-circuit determines a second-range between the second-position and the vehicle based on a second-intensity of the homing-signal.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller-circuit determines whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than the 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.

5. 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.

6. The device in accordance with claim 1, 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.

7. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein in accordance with the determination of the second-range, the controller-circuit determines whether the device has moved to a third-position based on a second-distance and a second-heading.

8. The device in accordance with claim 7, 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 7, wherein in accordance with the determination that the device has moved to the third-position, the controller-circuit determines a third-range between the third-position and the vehicle based on a third-intensity of the homing-signal.

10. The device in accordance with claim 9, 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.

11. The device in accordance with claim 9, 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.

12. The device in accordance with claim 9, 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.

13. The device in accordance with claim 12, 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.

14. The device in accordance with claim 12, 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.

15. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the device is a smartphone.

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

17. 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, with a controller-circuit in communication with the receiver, an inertial-measurement-unit configured to determine a distance the device is moved, and an electronic-compass configured to determine a heading in which the device is moving, a first-range between a first-position of the device and the vehicle based on a first-intensity of the homing-signal, wherein the first-intensity varies less than a variation-threshold;

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

determining, with the controller-circuit, a second-range between the second-position and the vehicle based on a second-intensity of the homing-signal.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, 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.

19. The method in accordance with claim 17, 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.

20. The method in accordance with claim 17, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the first-intensity of the homing-signal varies less than the 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.

21. The method in accordance with claim 17, 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.

22. The method in accordance with claim 17, 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.

23. The method in accordance with claim 17, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, whether the device has moved to a third-position based on a second-distance and a second-heading.

24. The method in accordance with claim 23, 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.

25. The method in accordance with claim 23, further including the step of determining, with the controller-circuit, a third-range between the third-position and the vehicle based on a third-intensity of the homing-signal.

26. The method in accordance with claim 25, 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.

27. The method in accordance with claim 25, 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.

28. The method in accordance with claim 25, further including the step of 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.

29. The method in accordance with claim 28, 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.

30. The method in accordance with claim 28, 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.

31. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the device is a smartphone.

32. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the homing-signal is received by a single receiver.