Wireless wheel-sensor system for dead reckoning navigation applications

• US 7,714,745 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Fang, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/928,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/442, 340/444, 340/447, 340/448, 340/426.33, 340/438, 340/455, 340/539.1, 340/825.69, 701/209, 701/210
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A dead-reckoning sensory system includes a receiver unit and a transmitter unit in wireless communication with the receiver unit. The transmitter unit is operable to be mounted to a wheel of a vehicle, determine information characterizing the heading and distance traveled by the vehicle, and transmit the information to the receiver unit.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first transmitter unit operable to be mounted to a left wheel on a left side of a vehicle, comprising a first gyroscope, a first processor, a first wireless transmitter, and a first power source;

a second transmitter unit operable to be mounted to a right wheel on a right side of the vehicle, comprising a second gyroscope, a second processor, a second wireless transmitter and a second power source; and

a receiver unit in wireless communication with the first and second transmitter unit communicatively coupled to a third processor; and

wherein the third processor calculates information characterizing a heading and distance traveled by the vehicle based on combining data from the first transmitter unit and the second transmitter unit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver unit is configured to be located in the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first transmitter unit further comprises a first accelerometer; and

the second transmitter unit further comprises a second accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first and second accelerometers each comprise a dual-axis accelerometer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first transmitter unit is disposed in the center of the left wheel; and

the second transmitter unit is disposed in the center of the right wheel.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processor is operable to calculate the rotational position of the left wheel.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first transmitter unit is configured to transmit to the receiver unit information characterizing the position of the left wheel.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first transmitter unit is configured to transmit the information when the left wheel is moving.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the information is transmitted via radio frequency.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first processor is operable to calculate the rotational speed of the left wheel; and

the second processor is operable to calculate the rotational speed of the right wheel.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processor is operable to calculate the distance traveled by the left wheel.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second processors is operable to calculate the sense of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the first processor is operable to shut down power to the first transmitter unit upon determining that the left wheel has discontinued movement for a predetermined period of time; and

the second processor is operable to shut down power to the second transmitter unit upon determining that the right wheel has discontinued movement for a predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging component operable to charge the first power source using rotational energy associated with the left wheel; and

a charging component operable to charge the second power source using rotational energy associated with the right wheel.

15. The system of claim 1 where the third processor is operable to calculate the rotation position of at least one of the left wheel and the right wheel.

16. A vehicle, comprising:

a left wheel on a left side of the vehicle and a right wheel on a right side of the vehicle;

a receiver unit communicatively coupled to a processor; and

a first transmitter unit in wireless communication with the receiver unit, the first transmitter unit operable to be mounted to the left wheel and comprising a first gyroscope, the first transmitter unit further operable to transmit information relating to a heading and distance traveled by the vehicle to the receiver unit; and

a second transmitter unit in wireless communication with the receiver unit, the second transmitter unit operable to be mounted to the right wheel and comprising a second gyroscope, the second transmitter unit further operable to transmit information relating to the head and distance traveled by the vehicle to the receiver unit;

wherein the processor calculates information characterizing the head and distance traveled by the vehicle based on combining data from the first transmitter unit and the second transmitter unit.