Position determining device and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10515545-B2
Application number	US-201515520246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A position determining device and an operating method thereof are disclosed. According to the present invention, a position of a neighboring vehicle is determined by using the differences of the receiving time and strengths between two sensing signals received from two ultrasound sensors installed in a vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to estimate a position and a moving path for neighboring vehicles while driving a vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A position determining device for determining a position of a neighboring vehicle, comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive a first sensing signal related to the neighboring vehicle from a first ultrasound sensor installed in a vehicle;
receive a second sensing signal related to the neighboring vehicle from a second ultrasound sensor installed at a position separated away from the first ultrasound sensor;
determine the position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal;
confirm the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal;
position each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal on a time-frequency plane to confirm the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal; and
determine a position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of a difference in the receiving time and strength of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

2. The position determining device for determining a position of a neighboring vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the difference in the receiving time and strength of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal is confirmed from a relative signal attenuation-time delay histogram which is generated with respect to one signal of the first and the second sensing signals on the basis of the other signal thereof on the time-frequency plane.

3. A method of operating a position determining device for determining a position of a neighboring vehicle, comprising:
receiving a first sensing signal related to the neighboring vehicle from a first ultrasound sensor installed in a vehicle and receiving a second sensing signal related to the neighboring vehicle from a second ultrasound sensor installed at a position separated away from the first ultrasound sensor;
determining the position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal; and
confirming the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal,
wherein the step of confirming positions each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal on a time-frequency plane to confirm the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and
wherein the step of determining determines a position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of a difference in the receiving time and strength of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

4. The method of operating a position determining device for determining a position of a neighboring vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the difference in the receiving time and strength of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal is confirmed from a relative signal attenuation-time delay histogram which is generated with respect to one signal of the first and the second sensing signals on the basis of the other signal thereof on the time-frequency plane.

5. A computer program stored in a non-transitory medium for executing:
receiving a first sensing signal relating to a neighboring vehicle from a first ultrasound sensor installed in a vehicle and receiving a second sensing signal related to the neighboring vehicle from a second ultrasound sensor installed at a position separated away from the first ultrasound sensor;
determining the position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal; and
confirming the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal,
wherein the step of confirming positions each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal on a time-frequency plane to confirm the receiving time and strengths of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and
wherein the step of determining determines a position of the neighboring vehicle on the basis of a difference in the receiving time and strength of each of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Sys Corp
• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Kim Ji Seon

Classifications

• G01S15/46

  Indirect determination of position data · CPC title

• G01S2015/465

  by Trilateration, i.e. two transducers determine separately the distance to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, i.e. the distance between the transducers, the position data of the target is determined · CPC title

• G01S15/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S15/876

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S15/872 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S11/14 Primary

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title