SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE WITH AN ACCELEROMETER TO DETERMINE A FRAME OF REFERENCE

• US 20130166099A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scope Technologies Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Scope Technologies Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Van den Bergh, Johann
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0051 combined with averaging
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0082 for initialising the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/125 Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/005 measuring translational acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

A system and method for use with a device that includes an accelerometer, which can be used to determine a frame of reference for the device relative to a moving vehicle or other equipment, and which can be subsequently used in assessing or monitoring the status of the vehicle or an operator thereof. In accordance with an embodiment, by sampling accelerometer data over a period of time, the system can determine a rotation matrix or skew between the device/accelerometer'"'"'s orientation and understanding of direction, and the vehicle'"'"'s true orientation or direction in three-dimensions. The information can be used to provide corrections to the accelerometer data, and to more accurately determine the vehicle'"'"'s true orientation/direction and motion within a three-dimensional frame of reference.

Claims

1. A system for use with an accelerometer to determine a frame of reference, for subsequent use in assessing or monitoring a status of a vehicle or other equipment, or operator thereof, comprising:

a data collection and assessment system comprising one or more data collection devices, including one or more accelerometers, that collects information from the one or more accelerometers as the vehicle or other equipment is moving; and

a frame determination module which samples or otherwise receives accelerometer data over a period of time, and also information from one or more other on-board devices, and uses this information to determine a rotation matrix that reflects the skew between the system'"'"'s orientation and understanding of direction, and the vehicle'"'"'s true orientation or direction in three-dimensions, and to determine a frame of reference for use in subsequently characterizing motions of the vehicle or other equipment in three dimensions.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data communication module which enables communication of the collected information, and vehicle motion characterizations, to one or more other systems.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the collected information, and vehicle motion characterizations are used together with pattern matching as part of an operator assessment and monitoring system or service.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the frame determination module determines the frame of reference by sampling the accelerometer data, and

first determining averages over a period of time, to determine the moving vehicle or other equipment'"'"'s x-y plane, and

then averaging the accelerometer data over several braking instances to determine an x-axis, y-axis and z-axis for the moving vehicle or other equipment.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis determinations are stored as a rotation matrix, and used to subsequently characterize motions of the moving vehicle or other equipment in three dimensions.

6. A method for use with an accelerometer to determine a frame of reference, for subsequent use in assessing or monitoring a status of a vehicle or other equipment, or operator thereof, comprising:

using one or more accelerometers to collect information as the vehicle or other equipment is moving; and

sampling or otherwise receiving the accelerometer data over a period of time, and information from one or more other on-board devices, and using this information to determine a rotation matrix that reflects the skew between the system'"'"'s orientation and understanding of direction, and the vehicle'"'"'s true orientation or direction in three-dimensions, and to determine a frame of reference for use in subsequently characterizing motions of the vehicle or other equipment in three dimensions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a data communication module which enables communication of the collected information, and vehicle motion characterizations, to one or more other systems.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the collected information, and vehicle motion characterizations are used together with pattern matching as part of an operator assessment and monitoring system or service.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the frame determination module determines the frame of reference by sampling the accelerometer data, and

first determining averages over a period of time, to determine the moving vehicle or other equipment'"'"'s x-y plane, and

then averaging the accelerometer data over several braking instances to determine an x-axis, y-axis and z-axis for the moving vehicle or other equipment.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis determinations are stored as a rotation matrix, and used to subsequently characterize motions of the moving vehicle or other equipment in three dimensions.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps comprising:

using one or more accelerometers to collect information as the vehicle or other equipment is moving; and

sampling or otherwise receiving the accelerometer data over a period of time, and information from one or more other on-board devices, and using this information to determine a rotation matrix that reflects the skew between the system'"'"'s orientation and understanding of direction, and the vehicle'"'"'s true orientation or direction in three-dimensions, and to determine a frame of reference for use in subsequently characterizing motions of the vehicle or other equipment in three dimensions.