Intelligent ultra high speed distributed sensing system and method for sensing roadway markers for intelligent vehicle guidance and control
First Claim
1. A method for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference marker, comprising:
- sensing, with a sensor associated with an object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to sense both discrete and continuous magnetic reference systems installed in the roadway, and provide information to support lateral and, to some extent, longitudinal and vertical vehicle control and/or driver assistance. The position of an object, such as a vehicle, relative to a magnetic reference infrastructure, such as that representing a dividing line on a roadway, is determined by sensing, with a sensor associated with the object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from the magnetic reference, computing a ratio of the sensed axial field strength components, and then determining the positional offset of the object as a function of the ratio. The lateral offset is independent of the magnetic field strength due to the use of the ratio which cancels out the magnetic field strength. The invention is also capable of providing three-dimensional positioning relative to a magnetic reference.
38 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A method for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference marker, comprising:
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sensing, with a sensor associated with an object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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sensing, with each of at least two sensors associated with an object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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sensing, with each of at least two sensors associated with an object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio;
wherein said positional offset is independent of magnetic reference field strength. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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sensing, with each of at least two sensors associated with an object, at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference infrastructure defining a roadway reference line;
computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components;
mapping lateral offset of said object in relation to said magnetic reference to said field strength ratio, said mapping representing an inverse map of said lateral offset as a function of said ratio;
inverting said inverse mapping to provide a forward map of said lateral offset as a function of said ratio; and
determining said lateral offset of said object from said forward map;
wherein said lateral offset is independent of magnetic reference field strength. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An apparatus for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference marker, comprising:
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a sensor associated with an object;
said sensor configured for sensing at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
a digital data processor; and
programming associated with said digital data processor for computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components, and determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An apparatus for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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at least two sensors associated with an object;
each said sensor configured for sensing at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
a digital data processor; and
programming associated with said digital data processor for computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining said positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. An apparatus for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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at least two sensors associated with an object;
each said sensor configured for sensing at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference;
a digital data processor; and
programming associated with said digital data processor for computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining a positional offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio;
wherein said positional offset is independent of magnetic reference field strength. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. An apparatus for determining the position of an object relative to a magnetic reference, comprising:
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at least two sensors associated with an object;
each said sensor configured for sensing at least one axial field strength component of the magnetic field emitted from a magnetic reference infrastructure defining a roadway reference line;
a digital data processor; and
programming associated with said digital data processor for computing a ratio of said sensed axial field strength components; and
determining lateral offset of said object from said magnetic reference as a function of said ratio by domain mapping said ratio to said positional offset;
wherein said lateral offset is independent of magnetic reference field strength. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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Specification