ABSOLUTE ACCELERATION SENSOR FOR USE WITHIN MOVING VEHICLES

• US 20170205236A1
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vision Works IP Corp.
• Original Assignee: Vision Works IP Corp.
• Inventors: Braunberger, Alfred S., Braunberger, Beau M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,384,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0162 mainly during a motion involving steering operation, e.g. cornering, overtaking B60G17/0164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/01908 Acceleration or inclination sensors characterised by the use of gyroscopes B60G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0195 characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems conjoint control of vehicle sub-units including control of suspension systems B60W10/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/104 lateral or transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/28 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/044 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0124 Roll-over conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/447 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing the shape or intensity of the indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/36 Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/06 Active Suspension System
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/905 the sensor being an xyz axis sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/105 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 : Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/06 : Combustion engines, Gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/22 : Suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/226 : Damping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 : Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/107 : Longitudinal acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/109 : Lateral acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/11 : Pitch movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/18 : Stabilised platforms, e.g. by gyroscope
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 : with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/14 : by making use of gyroscopes gyroscopes per se G01C19/00
• 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: G01S 19/072 : Ionosphere corrections
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 : whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 : Determining attitude

Abstract

A method of and system for detecting absolute acceleration along various axes relative to a desired movement vector while moving relative to a gravity source includes steps of determining a vertical acceleration, perpendicular to the desired movement vector and substantially anti-parallel to a gravitational acceleration due to the gravity source; determining a longitudinal acceleration, parallel to the desired movement vector and to output at vertical acceleration signal and a longitudinal acceleration signal; determining an inclination of the desired movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration; and processing the vertical acceleration signal, the longitudinal acceleration signal, and the inclination signal to produce an absolute vertical acceleration signal and an absolute longitudinal acceleration signal.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A supplemental GPS System, the system comprising:

a. an accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor configured to output heading data of an object and a velocity of the object;

b. an inertial navigation system; and

c. a navigation system controller that receives the heading data and the velocity of the object from the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor and sends the heading data and the velocity of the object to the inertial navigation system,

wherein the inertial navigation system receives the heading data and the velocity of the object from the navigation system controller and outputs navigation data for the object.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the inertial navigation system sends the navigation data of the object to the navigation system controller, which provides the navigation data of the object to a navigation system input/output.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the system is configured to provide navigation data during periods of connection loss with a GPS satellite system.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the GPS satellite system takes priority when available.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the navigation system controller sends a GPS heading data from the GPS satellite system to the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor to enable re-referencing of one or more gyroscopes.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the navigation data comprises a position of the object.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the system is implemented within a vehicle.

53. The system of claim 42, wherein the navigation system controller sends a GPS heading data from the GPS satellite system to the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor to enable re-referencing of one or more gyroscopes.

54. The system of claim 42, wherein the navigation data comprises a position of the object.

55. The system of claim 42, wherein the system is implemented within a vehicle.

49. A method of supplementing a GPS system, the method comprising:

a. detecting a velocity of an object;

b. detecting a heading of the object;

c. based on the velocity of the object and the heading of the object, outputting navigation data for the object.

50. The method of claim 49 comprising providing the navigation data of the object to a navigation system input/output.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the method is configured to supplement the GPS system during periods of connection loss with a GPS satellite system.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the GPS satellite system takes priority when available.

56. A navigation system for a vehicle, the navigation system comprising:

a. an accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor configured to a output a heading data and a velocity of the vehicle;

b. a GPS satellite system;

c. an inertial navigation system;

d. a navigation system input/output; and

e. a navigation system controller that receives a signal from one of the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor and the GPS satellite system based on an availability of the GPS satellite system and sends a signal to one of the navigation system input/output and the inertial navigation system.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the navigation system controller sends the heading data and the velocity of the vehicle to the inertial navigation system, and wherein the inertial navigation system receives the heading data and the velocity of the object from the navigation system controller and outputs navigation data for the object.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the inertial navigation system sends the navigation data of the object to the navigation system controller, which provides the navigation data of the object to a navigation system input/output.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor sends the heading data and the velocity of the vehicle to the navigation system controller during periods of connection loss with a GPS satellite system.

60. The system of claim 56, wherein the GPS satellite system takes priority when available.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the navigation system controller sends a GPS heading data from the GPS satellite system to the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor to enable re-referencing of one or more gyroscopes of the accelerometer-gyroscopic sensor.

62. The system of claim 56, wherein the navigation data comprises a position of the object.

63. A method of determining and using data describing absolute acceleration along various axes relative to a desired movement vector while moving relative to a gravity source and summing absolute accelerations for determining a geographic position comprising:

a. determining a lateral acceleration, perpendicular to the desired movement vector;

b. determining a longitudinal acceleration, parallel to the desired movement vector;

c. determining an inclination of the desired movement vector relative to a gravitational acceleration;

d. determining an absolute lateral acceleration from the lateral acceleration by subtracting a portion of the lateral acceleration which is due to the force of gravity as determined by the inclination of the desired movement vector;

e. determining an absolute longitudinal acceleration from the longitudinal acceleration by subtracting a portion of the longitudinal acceleration which is due to the force of gravity as determined by the inclination of the desired movement vector; and

f. producing the geographic position determined by one or more of the absolute lateral acceleration, the absolute longitudinal acceleration and the inclination of the desired movement vector.

64. A method of determining a geographic position within a moving vehicle comprising:

a. processing acceleration data from an accelerometer;

b. processing inclination data from a gyroscope;

c. determining an absolute acceleration data by removing a portion of the acceleration data which is due to the force of gravity as determined from the inclination data from the gyroscope; and

d. summing the absolute acceleration data to determine geographic position.

65. A device for using data for determining and summing absolute acceleration along one or more axes relative to a desired movement vector while moving relative to a gravity source for the purpose of determining a geographic position of a moving vehicle, the device comprising:

a. one or more accelerometers configured to sense a longitudinal acceleration, parallel to the desired movement vector and a lateral acceleration perpendicular to the desired movement vector and perpendicular to a gravitational acceleration and to output a longitudinal acceleration signal and a lateral acceleration signal;

b. a gyroscope configured to sense an inclination of the movement vector relative to the gravitational acceleration and to output a longitudinal inclination signal and a lateral inclination signal;

c. a logic circuit configured to process the longitudinal acceleration signal, the lateral acceleration signal, the longitudinal inclination signal and the lateral inclination signal, and to produce an absolute longitudinal acceleration signal, an absolute lateral acceleration signal, an absolute longitudinal inclination signal and an absolute lateral inclination signal; and

d. a microprocessor configured to receive one or more of the absolute longitudinal acceleration signal, the absolute lateral acceleration signal, the absolute longitudinal inclination signal and the absolute lateral inclination signal and to produce an output determined at least in part by at least one of the absolute acceleration signals and the absolute inclination signals that it receives.