Stationary state determination, speed measurements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415432-B2
Application number	US-201916577315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Sep 20, 2018
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A standalone odometry device includes an accelerometer and/or gyroscope configured to be mounted on a wheel or axle of a vehicle. A controller in communication with the accelerometer and/or gyroscope is configured to receive data from the accelerometer and/or gyroscope. The controller processes the data to determine one or more of the speed, wheel rotation direction, accumulated distance travelled, stationary status, acceleration, deceleration, wheel diameter, and grade of surface on which the wheel is in contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A standalone odometry device comprising:
dual-axis accelerometers, wherein the accelerometers define an array with a first accelerometer mounted at 0°, a second accelerometer mounted at 90°, a third accelerometer mounted at 180°, and a fourth accelerometer mounted at 270°; configured for mounting on a wheel or axle of a vehicle;
an inclinometer; and
a controller in communication with the accelerometers and the inclinometer, the controller being configured to receive data from the accelerometers and the inclinometer, the controller processes the data to determine one or more of the acceleration due to motoring, deceleration due to braking, a self-calibrated wheel diameter, a grade of a surface with which the wheel is in contact, acceleration due to the grade, and deceleration due to the grade.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller processes the data using one or more equations.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
a c =ω 2 r+g cos θ Grade cos θ− a M/B sin θ− a V cos θ.  Equation (1)

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
V=r Wheel ω=r Wheel (( a c +a M/B sin θ+ a V cos θ− g cos θ Grade cos θ)/ r ) 1/2 .  Equation (2)

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
θ=θ 0 +ωt+ ½α t 2 .  Equation (3)

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
V=r Wheel ω=r Wheel (( a c1 +a c2 )/( r 1 +r 2 )) 1/2 .  Equation (4)

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
a t =αr+g cos θ Grade sin θ+ a M/B cos θ− a V sin θ.  Equation (5)

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
θ Grade =cos −1 ( A Cos θ+ B )/( g (sin θ+cos 2 θ)).  Equation (6)

where
A =( r 2 ( a c1 +a t3 )− r 1 ( a c2 +a t1 +a t2 −a t3 ))/(2( r 1 +r 2 )) and

B =( r 2 ( a t1 −a c3 )− r 1 ( a t2 +a c3 −a c1 −a c2 ))/(2( r 1 +r 2 )).

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
a M/B =g cos θ Grade cos θ− A,   Equation (7)

where
A =( r 2 ( a c1 +a t3 )− r 1 ( a c2 +a t1 +a t2 −a t3 ))/(2( r 1 +r 2 ).

10. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
α=( a t1 +a t2 )/( r 1 +r 2 )=( a t3 +a t4 )/( r 1 +r 2 ).  Equation (8)

11. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
ω 2 =( a c1 +a c2 )/( r 1 +r 2 )=( a c3 +a c4 )/( r 1 +r 2 ).  Equation (9)

12. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
a M/B +g sin θ Grade =r Wheel α.  Equation (10)

13. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
r Wheel =( a M/B +g sin θ Grade )/α.  Equation (11)

14. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
d=ΣV×Δt.   Equation (12)

15. The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more equations comprise:
d=n 2π r Wheel +((θ−θ 0 )π r Wheel /180).  Equation (13)

16. A standalone odometry device comprising:
a plurality of dual-axis accelerometers, wherein the accelerometers define an array with a first accelerometer mounted at 0°, a second accelerometer mounted at 90°, a third accelerometer mounted at 180°, and a fourth accelerometer mounted at 270°;
an inclinometer;
a controller in communication with the accelerometers and the inclinometer, the controller being configured to receive data from the accelerometers and the inclinometer,
wherein, with the odometry device mounted on a wheel of a vehicle, the controller processes the data from the accelerometers and the inclinometer to determine a parameter selected from the group consisting of acceleration due to motoring, deceleration due to braking, a self-calibrated wheel diameter, a grade of a surface with which the wheel is in contact, acceleration due to the grade, and deceleration due to the grade;
a battery for powering the controller; and
an output for communicating the parameter to an external position/speed computer.

Assignees

• Thales Canada Inc

Inventors

• De-Thomasis Marco
• Green Alon

Classifications

• G01C22/00 Primary

  Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers · CPC title

• G01C9/00

  Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels · CPC title

• G01P3/44

  for measuring angular speed (G01P3/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01P13/00

  Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement (electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00) · CPC title

• G01P3/36

  Devices characterised by the use of optical means, e.g. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light (G01P3/68 takes precedence; gyrometers using the Sagnac effect, i.e. rotation-induced shifts between counter-rotating electromagnetic beams G01C19/64) · CPC title