Vehicle data bus system with positioning means

• US 6,792,352 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Stefan, Hoyland, Peter, Schlutter, Matthias, Maehner, Michael, Knapp, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US10/088,211
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/48-49, 701/216-217, 701/220-221, 701/213, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/214, 701/29, 342/357.1, 342/357.11, 342/357.12, 342/450, 342/462, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 342/357, 342/17, 342/357.14, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/11-12, 307/38
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/204 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/40 Steering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/824 Travel path sensing; Track monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/16 GPS track data
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/0422 involving data transmission, e.g. via satellite or GPS; for data monitoring, telemetry or platooning purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/94 Electronic Stability Program (ESP, i.e. ABS+ASC+EMS)
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A vehicle data bus system includes locating means which comprise a locating computing unit and a locating sensor system which contains at least one GPS receiver with associated GPS antenna and gyro data acquisition means, and a data bus via which connects a plurality of bus users in data communication with one another. The locating means contain a locating module which is embodied as one of the bus users and is configured to receive at least wheel speed data and forward/backward direction of travel data via the data bus, to acquire at least vehicle position data, direction of travel angle data, travel speed data and altitude position data as well as to output this acquired data onto the data bus. For this purpose, the locating module contains the location computing unit, the GPS receiver and a gyroscope or means for the bus-end reception and evaluation of gyro data of a travel dynamics/traction control system.

Claims

1. A vehicle data bus system comprising:

a data bus which connects a plurality of bus users in data communication with one another; and

locating apparatus, including a locating module connected as one of the bus users, said locating module being configured to determine vehicle position data, direction of travel angle data, and travel speed data and to output this determined data onto the data bus;

wherein,

the locating module has a locating computing unit and a locating sensor system which comprises at least a GPS receiver with associated GPS antenna, and a gyro data-determining means;

the locating module is configured to receive wheel speed data and forward/backward direction of travel data via the data bus;

the locating module is further configured to determine position data and to output said altitude position data onto the data bus; and

the gyro data-determining means comprises one of gyro data-sensing means in the form of a gyroscope, and means for the bus-end reception and evaluation of gyro data of a travel dynamics/traction control system.

2. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing location precision classification information which indicates a degree of unreliability of calculated position data.

3. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 2, wherein the locating precision classification is output onto the data bus.

4. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 1, wherein the locating module contains an integrated GPS antenna.

5. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 1, further comprising an additional bus user in the form of a navigation unit, which receives vehicle position data from the locating module via the data bus, and by means of a map-matching process determines position correction data, which it inputs into the data bus in order to feed it back to the locating module.

6. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 5, wherein the navigation unit determines a corrected, precise vehicle position with a new locating precision classification and outputs it onto the data bus.

7. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 5, wherein the navigation unit determines accompanying travel network information and outputs it onto the data bus.

8. The vehicle data bus system according to claim 1, wherein:

the locating module is part of a further bus user; and

the locating computing unit is used by the further bus user, for additional tasks.

9. A vehicle data bus system comprising:

a data bus which connects a plurality of bus users in data communication with one another; and

locating apparatus, including a locating module connected as one of the bus users, said locating module being configured to determine vehicle position data, direction of travel angle data and travel speed data, and to output this determined data onto the data bus;

wherein,

the locating module has a locating computing unit and a locating sensor system which comprises at least a GPS receiver with associated GPS antenna and gyro data-determining means;

the locating module is configured to receive wheel speed data and forward/backward direction of travel data via the data bus;

the locating module is further configured to determine altitude position data and to output acquired altitude position data onto the data bus; and

the gyro data-determining means comprises one of gyro data-sensing means in the form of a gyroscope, and means for the bus-end reception and evaluation of gyro data of a travel dynamics/traction control system; and

the bus system includes at least one telematics service unit coupled thereto as a bus user, which uses data acquired from the locating module or from a navigation unit.

10. A vehicle data bus system comprising:

a data bus which connects a plurality of bus users in data communication with one another; and

locating apparatus, including a locating module connected as one of the bus users, said locating module being configured to determine vehicle position data, direction of travel angle data and travel speed data, and to output this determined data onto the data bus;

wherein,

the locating module has a locating computing unit and a locating sensor system which comprises at least a GPS receiver with associated GPS antenna and gyro data-determining means;

the locating module is configured to receive wheel speed data and forward/backward direction of travel data via the data bus;

the locating module is further configured to determine altitude position data and to output acquired altitude position data onto the data bus; and

the gyro data-determining means comprises one of gyro data-sensing means in the form of a gyroscope, and means for the bus-end reception and evaluation of gyro data of a travel dynamics/traction control system; and

said altitude position data from the locating module is supplied via said data bus to an engine or gear box control as a further bus user, which uses said altitude position data in place of data from a separate altitude sensor.