CONNECTED VEHICLE APPLICATION TESTING IN THE LABORATORY

• US 20130345926A1
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spirent Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spirent Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Boulton, Peter George, Pottle, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/32.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons

Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to testing of connected vehicle systems. The connections involved are sometimes referred to as Car-2-Car (C2C), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Car-2-Infrastructure (C2I), or Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I). More generically, the connections are referred to as C2X and V2X. The technology disclosed provides an over the wire simulation of signals that a system will receive in operation, which allows testing of algorithms, breadboards, prototypes and complete systems. The system simulates the position of multiple on board units as the move with the vehicles that carry them. It attenuates signals between the OBUs and can attenuate signals among the OBUs and other test components, including roadside units and synthetic OBUs. The simulation is can be practiced as a method, a device, or computer readable medium that causes a device to practice the method or that, when combined with appropriate hardware, produces the device.

Claims

1. A method of testing vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-roadside unit, abbreviated V2x, performance, including:

connecting communication transceivers of first and second on board units, abbreviated OBUs, to an attenuator network;

connecting positioning signal receivers of the first and second OBUs to one or more GNSS emulators;

controlling the attenuator network and the GNSS emulators with a simulation controller, wherein the simulation controller;

tracks simulated positions of the first and second OBUs;

controls the attenuator network to simulate signal attenuation between the first and second OBUs; and

controls the GNSS emulators to provide signals based on the simulated positions of the first and second OBUs; and

further including logging behavior of the OBUs responsive to test stimulus.

2. The method of claim 1, further including connecting at least one communication transceiver of a roadside unit, abbreviated RSU, to the attenuator network and controlling the attenuator network to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs and RSU.

3. The method of claim 1, further including connecting one or more communication transceivers of a plurality of synthetic OBUs to the attenuator network and controlling the attenuator network to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and RSU, wherein the synthetic OBUs generate communications and have simulated positions, under control of the simulation controller.

4. The method of claim 2, further including connecting one or more communication transceivers of a plurality of synthetic OBUs to the attenuator network and controlling the attenuator network to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and RSU, wherein the synthetic OBUs generate communications and have simulated positions, under control of the simulation controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the attenuator network comprises a channel emulator that generates multipath signals for at least one communication channel between units connected to the attenuator network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulation controller controls the attenuator network to simulate attenuation resulting from obstructions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulation controller controls the attenuator network to simulate attenuation resulting from imperfect antenna gain patterns.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulation controller controls the attenuator network to simulate attenuation resulting from random fading.

9. A device for testing on board units, abbreviated OBUs, and at least one roadside unit, abbreviated RSU, the device including:

first and second communication signal ports adapted for connection with first and second OBUs;

first and second positioning signal ports adapted for connection with first and second OBUs;

an attenuation network the includes individual communication channel attenuation of each communication channel being simulated, wherein the attenuation network is coupled between the communication signal ports;

one or more GNSS emulators coupled to the positioning signal ports;

a simulation controller that;

tracks simulated positions of the first and second OBUs;

controls the attenuator network to simulate signal attenuation on the individual communication channels;

controls the GNSS emulators to provide signals based on the simulated positions of the first and second OBUs; and

further including logs behavior of the OBUs responsive to test stimulus.

10. The device of claim 9, further including:

at least one third communication signal port adapted for connection with at least one roadside unit, abbreviated RSU, coupled to the attenuation network;

wherein the simulation controller individually attenuates each communication channel among the OBUs and the RSU.

11. The device of claim 9, further including:

at least one fourth communication signal port adapted for connection with at least one synthetic OBU, coupled to the attenuation network;

wherein the simulation controller individually attenuates each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and the RSU.

12. The device of claim 10, further including:

at least one fourth communication signal port adapted for connection with at least one synthetic OBU, coupled to the attenuation network;

wherein the simulation controller individually attenuates each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and the RSU.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a device connected to an attenuation network that communicatively couples on board units, abbreviated OBUs, the device further connected to one or more GNSS emulators that are communicatively coupled to the OBUs, cause the device to:

track simulated positions of first and second on board units OBUs;

control the attenuator network to simulate signal attenuation on the individual communication channels;

control the GNSS emulators to provide signals based on the simulated positions of the first and second OBUs; and

log behavior of the OBUs responsive to test stimulus.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the attenuation network is further coupled to at least one communication transceiver of a roadside unit, abbreviated RSU, further including computer program instructions that cause the device to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs and RSU.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the attenuation network is further coupled to a plurality of synthetic OBUs, further including computer program instructions that cause the device to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and RSU, and to cause the synthetic OBUs to generate communications and have simulated positions.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the attenuation network is further coupled to a plurality of synthetic OBUs, further including computer program instructions that cause the device to individually attenuate each communication channel among the OBUs, the synthetic OBUs and RSU, and to cause the synthetic OBUs to generate communications and have simulated positions.