Acceleration compensated inclinometer

• US 8,150,651 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Loomis, Peter Van Wyck
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US12/157,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.14, 342/357.06, 702/154, 702/96, 702/141, 702/95, 702/150, 701/214, 701/220, 701/34, 701/41, 701/70
• US Class Current: 702/154
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/08 Means for compensating acceleration forces due to movement of instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

An inclinometer using a speedometer and a forward-looking accelerometer for measuring inclination angle.

Claims

1. An inclinometer, comprising:

a speedometer to determine a forward speed;

an accelerometer to measure a forward acceleration;

a yaw rate sensor to measure a yaw angle rate;

a yaw distance compensator configured to use said yaw angle rate with a linear position offset of said accelerometer respective to a turn radius line to determine a position offset error; and

an incline angle calculator configured to use said acceleration, said yaw angle rate, said position offset error and said speed to calculate an incline angle.

2. The inclinometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a return-to-position compensation detector to estimate said linear position offset using a double return loop having a first return to position after one of a clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop and a second return to position after the other of said clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop.

3. The inclinometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a return-to-position compensation detector to estimate an accelerometer bias based on a comparison of a return altitude with a start altitude after a return to the same position; and

the incline angle calculator is further configured to use said accelerometer bias to calculate said incline angle.

4. The inclinometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a return-to-position compensation detector to estimate an accelerometer bias based on a comparison of a return altitude to a start altitude after a return to the same position facing in an opposite direction; and

the incline angle calculator is further configured to use said accelerometer bias to calculate said incline angle.

5. The inclinometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a restart bias detector to estimate an accelerometer bias at a restart of motion after a dormant time period, said estimate based on a last said incline angle before said dormant time period; and

the incline angle calculator is further configured to use said accelerometer bias to calculate said incline angle.

6. The inclinometer of claim 1, further comprising:

a DR altitude calculator to calculate an altitude change based on said acceleration, said position offset error, and said speed;

a Kalman filter configured to filter said altitude change with at least one external altitude fix to estimate an accelerometer bias; and

the incline angle calculator is further configured to use said accelerometer bias for calculating said incline angle.

7. An inclinometer, comprising:

a speedometer to determine a forward speed;

an accelerometer to measure a forward acceleration;

a yaw rate sensor to measure a yaw angle rate;

a yaw alignment compensator configured to use said yaw angle rate with said speed and a yaw alignment angle of said yaw rate sensor respective to a forward direction to determine a yaw alignment error; and

an incline angle calculator configured to use said acceleration, said yaw alignment error and said speed to calculate an incline angle.

8. The inclinometer of claim 7, further comprising:

a return-to-position compensation detector to estimate said yaw alignment angle using a double return loop having a first return to position after one of a clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop and a second return to position after the other of said clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop.

9. An inclinometer, comprising:

a speedometer to determine a forward speed;

an accelerometer to measure a forward acceleration;

a restart bias detector to estimate an accelerometer bias at a restart of motion after a dormant time period, said estimate based on a last incline angle before said dormant time period; and

an incline angle calculator configured to use said acceleration, said accelerometer bias and said speed to calculate a new said incline angle.

10. An inclinometer, comprising:

a speedometer to determine a forward speed;

an accelerometer to measure a forward acceleration;

a DR altitude calculator to use said speed and said acceleration to calculate an altitude change;

a Kalman filter configured to filter said altitude change with at least one external altitude fix to estimate an accelerometer bias; and

an incline angle calculator configured to use said acceleration, said accelerometer bias and said speed to calculate an incline angle.

11. The inclinometer of claim 10, wherein:

said external altitude fix is derived from GNSS signals.

12. The inclinometer of claim 10, wherein:

said external altitude fix is derived from map matching.

13. An inclinometer, comprising:

a speedometer to determine a forward speed;

an accelerometer to measure a forward acceleration;

an incline angle calculator to calculate incline angle based on said measured acceleration and rate of change of said speed;

a GNSS receiver to determine a GNSS-based position and a three dimensional GNSS-based heading including a GNSS-based incline angle;

a yaw rate sensor to measure a yaw angle rate; and

wherein;

the incline angle calculator is configured to use said yaw angle rate, said GNSS-based position, said speed rate and said measured acceleration to determine a dead reckoning incline angle with a better accuracy than said GNSS-based upward heading.

14. The inclinometer of claim 13, further comprising:

an electronic road map having a first and second parallel connecting ramp roads near to one another having different road incline angles; and

wherein;

said dead reckoning incline angle is used to distinguish between said first and second ramp roads when said ramp roads are not reliably distinguished by said GNSS-based position.

15. A method for determining incline angle, comprising:

determining a forward speed;

measuring a forward acceleration;

measuring a yaw angle rate;

using said yaw angle rate with a linear position offset respective to a turn radius line for determining a position offset error; and

using said acceleration, said position offset error and said speed for calculating an incline angle.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

estimating said linear position offset includes using a double loop having a first return to position after one of a clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop and a second return to position after the other of said clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

estimating an accelerometer bias by comparing a return altitude with a return altitude to a start altitude after a return to the same position; and

using said accelerometer bias with said acceleration, said position offset error, and said speed for calculating said incline angle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

estimating an accelerometer bias by comparing a return altitude with a start altitude after a return to the same position facing in an opposite direction; and

using said accelerometer bias with said acceleration, said position offset error, and said speed for calculating said incline angle.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

at a restart of motion after a dormant time period, estimating an accelerometer bias based on a last said incline angle before said dormant time period; and

using said accelerometer bias with said acceleration, said position offset error, and said speed for calculating said incline angle.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using said speed and said acceleration for calculating an altitude change; and

Kalman filtering said altitude change with an external altitude fix for estimating an accelerometer bias; and

calculating an incline angle based on said acceleration, said accelerometer bias, and said speed.

21. A method for determining incline angle, comprising:

determining a forward speed;

measuring a forward acceleration;

measuring a yaw angle rate;

using said yaw angle rate with said speed and a yaw alignment angle of said yaw rate sensor respective to a forward direction; and

using said acceleration, said yaw alignment error and said speed for calculating an incline angle.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

estimating said yaw alignment angle includes using a double loop having a first return to position after one of a clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop and a second return to position after the other of said clockwise loop or counterclockwise loop.

23. A method for determining incline angle, comprising:

determining a forward speed;

measuring a forward acceleration;

at a restart of motion after a dormant time period, estimating an accelerometer bias based on a last said incline angle before said dormant time period; and

using said acceleration, said accelerometer bias and said speed for calculating an incline angle.

24. A method for determining incline angle, comprising:

determining a forward speed;

measuring a forward acceleration;

using said speed and said acceleration for calculating an altitude change; and

Kalman filtering said altitude change with an external altitude fix to estimate said accelerometer bias; and

using said acceleration, said accelerometer bias and said speed for calculating an incline angle.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

deriving said external altitude fix from GNSS signals.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein:

deriving said external altitude fix from map matching.

27. A method for determining incline angle, comprising:

determining a forward speed;

measuring a forward acceleration;

calculating an incline angle based on said measured acceleration and a rate of change of said speed;

determining a GNSS-based position and a three dimensional GNSS-based heading including a GNSS-based incline angle;

measuring a yaw angle rate; and

wherein;

calculating said incline angle includes using said yaw angle rate, said GNSS-based position, said speed rate and said measured acceleration for providing a dead reckoning incline angle having a better accuracy than said GNSS-based incline angle.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing an electronic road map having a first and second parallel connecting ramp roads near to one another having different road incline angles; and

using said dead reckoning incline angle to distinguish said first and second ramp roads when said ramp roads are not reliably distinguished by said GNSS-based position.