System and method for characterizing radio and antenna performance using RSS measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10567094-B2
Application number	US-201815922173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Aug 1, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A communications system for a vehicle includes an antenna mounted on a vehicle and configured to communicate with a plurality of remote units. A diagnostic controller is configured to detect obstacles or damage to the antenna. The diagnostic controller is configured to receive remote messages, measure a receive signal strength of the remote messages, and determine a ratio of low receive signal strength sample messages to total sample messages. The diagnostics controller is further configured to trigger a diagnostic output to the vehicle when the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communications system for a vehicle comprising:
an antenna mounted on a vehicle and configured to communicate with a plurality of remote units; and
a diagnostic controller, coupled to the antenna, configured to perform detecting of obstacles or damage to the antenna,
wherein the diagnostic controller, coupled to the antenna, is configured to perform receiving remote messages sent from the plurality of remote units, measuring a receive signal strength of the remote messages, and determining a ratio of low receive signal strength sample messages to total sample messages, and
the diagnostics controller triggers a diagnostic output to the vehicle when the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold.

2. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic controller includes a remote message receiving unit that determines a number of active remote units within a predetermined range based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote units transmitted through the remote messages.

3. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic controller includes a remote message filter unit that discards the remote message if a range of the remote message is greater than a predetermined threshold, and a remote message receiving unit that determines the range of the remote message based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote unit transmitted through the remote message.

4. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic controller includes a data determination unit that determines a transmit power, the receive signal strength, and an azimuth angle of the remote message and a message sorting unit that sorts the remote message into one of a plurality of bins representing a segment of 360 degrees surrounding the antenna.

5. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostics controller includes
a data determination unit that determines the receive signal strength and a minimum receive signal strength for the remote message, and
a failure determination unit that compares the receive signal strength with the minimum receive signal strength, increments the low receive signal strength sample messages if the receive signal strength is less than the minimum receive signal strength, and increments the total sample messages.

6. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic output is at least one of a visual display, an audible alarm, and an electronic message.

7. The communications system of claim 1 , wherein the remote message is a basic safety message.

8. A diagnostics system configured to detect obstacles or damage to a communications antenna on a vehicle, the diagnostics system comprising:
a remote message receiving unit, coupled to the antenna, configured to perform receiving messages from a plurality of remote units;
a data determination unit, coupled to the antenna, measuring a receive signal strength of each message and determining a ratio of low receive signal strength sample messages to total sample messages; and
a failure determination unit, coupled to the antenna, triggering a diagnostic output when the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , wherein the remote message receiving unit is configured to determine a number of active remote units within a predetermined range based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote units transmitted through each message.

10. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , further comprising a remote message filter unit configured to discard the message if a range of the message is greater than a predetermined threshold,
wherein the remote message receiving unit is configured to determine the range of the message based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote unit transmitted through the message.

11. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , wherein the data determination unit is configured to determine a transmit power, the receive signal strength, and an azimuth angle of the message and a message sorting unit is configured to sort the message into one of a plurality of bins representing a segment of 360 degrees surrounding a communication antenna.

12. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , wherein the data determination unit is configured to determine the receive signal strength and a minimum receive signal strength for the message, and
the failure determination unit is configured to compare the receive signal strength with the minimum receive signal strength, increment a low receive signal strength sample messages counter if the receive signal strength is less than the minimum receive signal strength, and increment a total sample messages counter.

13. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , wherein the diagnostic output is at least one of a visual display, an audible alarm, and an electronic message.

14. The diagnostics system of claim 8 , wherein the message is a basic safety message.

15. A method for determining an integrity of a communications antenna on a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, by a remote message receiving unit, a remote message sent by a remote unit;
measuring, by a data determination unit, a receive signal strength of the remote message;
determining, by a data determination unit, a ratio of low receive signal strength sample messages to total sample messages; and
triggering, by a failure determination unit, a diagnostic output when the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining, by the remote message receiving unit, a number of active remote units within a predetermined range based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote units transmitted through the remote messages.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising discarding, by a remote message filter unit, the remote message if a range of the remote message is greater than a predetermined threshold; and
determining, by the remote message receiving unit, the range of the remote message based on global positioning system coordinates of the remote unit transmitted through the remote message.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining, by the data determination unit, a transmit power, the receive signal strength, and an azimuth angle of the remote message; and
sorting, by a message sorting unit, the remote message into one of a plurality of bins representing a segment of 360 degrees surrounding the communication antenna.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining, by the data determination unit, the receive signal strength and a minimum receive signal strength for the remote message;
comparing, by the failure determination unit, the receive signal strength with the minimum receive signal strength;
incrementing, by the failure determination unit, the low receive signal strength sample messages if the receive signal strength is less than the minimum receive signal strength; and
incrementing, by the failure determination unit, the total sample messages.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising triggering, by the failure determination unit, at least one of a visual display, an audible alarm, and an electronic message as the diagnostic output.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Stinnett Joe

Classifications

• H01Q1/3275

  mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• H04W4/46

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title

• H01Q1/3216

  where the road or rail vehicle is only used as transportation means · CPC title

• H01Q1/3225

  Cooperation with the rails or the road · CPC title