Multi sensor position and orientation system

• US 20120075109A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wensheng Hua, Xianghui Wang
• Original Assignee: Wensheng Hua, Xianghui Wang
• Inventors: Hua, Wensheng, Wang, Xianghui
• Granted Patent: US 9,024,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/14 by making use of gyroscopes gyroscopes per se G01C19/00

Abstract

A system is invented to combine different signals from various sensors together so that an object (such as a car, an airplane etc.)'"'"'s position and/or orientation can be measured.

Claims

1. a system that multiple sensors are used to measure an object'"'"'s orientation and/or position

2. a system as in claim 1, wherein sensors are used to measure at least one vector in the object'"'"'s body frame

3. a system as in claim 2, wherein signals from the sensor that measures vector the object'"'"'s body frame are combined together

4. a system as in claim 3, wherein signals from the sensor that measures vector the object'"'"'s body frame are combined together after aligned to a certain reference frame

5. a system as in claim 4, wherein signals from the sensor that measures vector the object'"'"'s body frame are combined together after aligned to the object'"'"'s body frame at a certain time

6. a system as in claim 5, wherein the combined vector is used to determine the object'"'"'s orientation

7. a system as in claim 6, wherein the combined vector is used to determine the object'"'"'s orientation by comparing to the matching vector measured in global reference frame.

8. a system as in claim 6, wherein the object'"'"'s position is obtained

9. a system as in claim 8, wherein the object'"'"'s position is obtained by combining the signals from inertial measurement and absolute position measurement with or without other information

10. a system as in claim 8, wherein the object'"'"'s position is obtained by combining the signals from inertial measurement rotated to the global reference frame and absolute position measurement in the global reference frame.

11. a system as in claim 9, wherein the combination is done using a recursive update linear or nonlinear filter

12. a system as in claim 11, wherein the combination is done using a recursive update linear or nonlinear Kalman filter

13. a system as in claim 11, wherein at least one combined aligned vector is used as a virtual sensor.

14. a system as in claim 11, wherein at least one combined aligned vector is used as state variable

15. a system as in claim 4, accelerometer'"'"'s output is combined together

16. a system as in claim 5, accelerometer'"'"'s output is combined together

17. a system as in claim 5, the combined signal provides better orientation estimation than majority of original sensor outputs