METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE ATTITUDE OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for estimating the attitude (A) of a vehicle (1000) by using a global navigation satellite system, GNSS, (2000) having a plurality of satellites (2010, 2020, 2030, 2040), wherein the vehicle comprises at least a first antenna (1200) and a second antenna (1210) having a separation (d) to each other, comprising the steps of: detecting that said vehicle is moving and not turning and obtaining a heading using the GNSS; calculating an integer ambiguity fix corresponding to the relative position vector of the antennas using said heading the separation (d); determining the attitude of the vehicle, including validating candidate values of the attitude obtained from the GNSS by analysing residuals in respect of the relative position vector.

Claims

1. A method for estimating an attitude of a vehicle, comprising: detecting, by a computer, that a vehicle is moving and not turning, the vehicle comprising a first antenna and a second antenna having a separation to each other; obtaining, by the computer, a heading of at least one of the antennas using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) having a plurality of satellites; calculating, by the computer, an integer ambiguity fix corresponding to a relative position vector of the first and second antenna using the heading and the separation of the first and second antenna; determining, by the computer, the attitude of the vehicle, including validating candidate values of the attitude obtained from the GNSS by analysing residuals in respect of the relative position vector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the attitude of the vehicle includes analysing integer residuals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the attitude of the vehicle includes applying a threshold that is dependent on expected noisiness of measurements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the attitude of the vehicle includes requiring that the threshold be met for a number of consecutive samples.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the vehicle is moving and not turning comprises: estimating a movement speed of the vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein detecting that the vehicle is moving and not turning comprises: estimating a yaw rate of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a calculated integer ambiguity fix.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising estimating the attitude of the vehicle, while the vehicle is stationary, by using the stored calculated integer ambiguity fix.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a search space for possible candidate values of the attitude and evaluating all possible candidates within the search space with respect to the relative position vector.

10. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of any of claims 1-9 when the program is run on a computer.

11-13. (canceled)

14. A vehicle comprising: a first antenna and a second antenna having a separation to each other; and a movement estimation device comprising a computer configured to: detect that the vehicle is moving and not turning; obtain a heading of at least one of the antennas using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) having a plurality of satellites; calculate an integer ambiguity fix corresponding to a relative position vector of the first and second antenna using the heading and the separation of the first and second antenna; determining the attitude of the vehicle, including validating candidate values of the attitude obtained from the GNSS by analysing residuals in respect of the relative position vector.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are configured to communicate with a global navigation satellite system to provide raw satellite observables.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising at least one movement speed estimation unit having at least one movement speed sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0041] In the drawings:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle having two antennas interacting with a global navigation satellite system in order to estimate the attitude of said vehicle,

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a vehicle having two antennas in a topview,

[0044] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a method according to the invention, and

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention.

[0046] Still other objects and features of embodiments herein will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits hereof, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1000, in particular a truck, having an attitude A and interacting with a global navigation satellite system 2000 via a first and a second antenna 1200, 1210 in order to obtain said attitude A of said vehicle 1000.

[0048] Hence, said vehicle comprises at least a first antenna 1200 and a second antenna 1210 having a separation d to each other for communicating with the global navigation satellite system 2000. In a preferred embodiment, said vehicle 1000 also comprises two receivers for communicating with the global navigation satellite system 2000.

[0049] Moreover, said vehicle 1000 also comprises a movement estimation device 1100 and a movement speed estimation unit 1300.

[0050] Said movement estimation device 1100 comprises a computer program 1110, a computer readable medium 1120 and an estimation unit 1130.

[0051] Said movement estimation device 1100 is further adapted for performing said above or below described method 100 for estimating the attitude A of said vehicle 1000.

[0052] In particular, said movement estimation device 1100 is connected to said antennas 1200, 1210 and said movement speed estimation unit 1300.

[0053] Preferably, said antennas 1200, 1210 are installed at the roof of said vehicle 1000 and the movement speed estimation unit 1300 comprises a movement speed sensor 1310, which is arranged for estimating the angular velocity of at least one wheel of said vehicle 1000.

[0054] Said global navigation satellite system 2000 comprises at least a plurality of satellites 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040 interacting with said antennas 1200, 1210 of said vehicle 1000, in particular via the signals S.sub.1, S.sub.1′, S.sub.2; S.sub.2′, S.sub.3, S.sub.3′, S.sub.4, S.sub.4′.

[0055] Thus, said vehicle 1000 is adapted for double difference via said antennas 1200, 1210.

[0056] One way of estimating said attitude A of said vehicle 1000 is proposed in FIG. 3 and/or FIG. 4.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a vehicle 1000 having two antennas 1200, 1210 in a topview, in particular the topview of said vehicle 1000 in FIG. 1.

[0058] Said vehicle 1000 has an attitude A and said antennas 1200, 1210 are mounted at the roof at said vehicle 1000, having a separation d to each other. Preferably, said antennas 1200, 1210 are installed at said roof such that said separation d is square to said attitude A.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a method 100 for estimating the attitude of a vehicle, preferably a truck as shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2.

[0060] The method 100 comprises the steps of: detecting that said vehicle is moving and not turning 110; calculating an integer ambiguity fix 120; and validating the integer ambiguity fix 130.

[0061] In a first step 110, the movement of said vehicle is detected and also whether said vehicle is turning or not. If said vehicle is not turning and the movement speed of said vehicle is high enough to provide accurate GNSS heading, a second step is started.

[0062] In the second step 120, an integer ambiguity fix is calculated, in particular by using a relative position calculation and the separation of said first and second antenna, in particular the separation of said antennas of said vehicle as shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2.

[0063] In a third step 130, the integer ambiguity fix is validated, in particular by analysing the residuals of the relative position calculation, as mentioned in said second step 120.

[0064] With continued reference to FIG. 3, there will be described an alternative embodiment of a method 100 for estimating the attitude of a vehicle, preferably a truck as shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2.

[0065] The method 100 comprises the steps of: detecting that said vehicle is moving and not turning and obtaining a heading of at least one of the antennas 110; calculating an integer ambiguity fix corresponding to the relative position vector of the first and second antenna 120; and determining the attitude of the vehicle using the integer ambiguity fix 130.

[0066] In a first step 110, the movement of said vehicle is detected and also whether said vehicle is turning or not. If said vehicle is not turning and the movement speed of said vehicle is high enough to provide an accurate GNSS heading, a heading v is obtained for at least one of the antennas. (Clearly, the GNSS heading may be an approximation of the attitude A of the vehicle. To estimate the attitude A with improved accuracy, however, this method 100 uses the GNSS heading as one of several inputs.) Then a second step is initiated.

[0067] In the second step 120, the relative position vector D is estimated which satisfies r.sub.1210=r.sub.1200+D, where r.sub.1200, r.sub.1210 are position vectors of the first and second antennas 1200, 1210. An estimate D* of the relative position vector D will be used to derive an integer ambiguity fix.

[0068] In the third step 130, the attitude A of the vehicle is determined, wherein candidate values of the attitude obtained from the GNSS are validated by analysing residuals in respect of the estimated relative position vector estimate D*, which is applied to find the integer ambiguity fix. The estimate D* corresponds to the number of wavelengths, per GNSS satellite 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, by which a carrier phase measurement is to be corrected in a double-differenced comparison of data received at the first and second antennas 1200, 1210. The correction may be termed integer ambiguity fix.

[0069] The integer ambiguity estimation may include solving a constrained optimization problem, as in P. Teunissen, “The least-squares ambiguity decorrelation adjustment: a method for fast GPS integer ambiguity estimation”, Journal of Geodesy, 70, 65-82, 1995.

[0070] The validation may alternatively apply a LAMBDA method, as in above-cited XP056006728 or XP056010162. The ratio test disclosed therein may include applying a threshold, with which the calculated ratio of integer residuals is compared. The threshold may be a number which depends on the expected noisiness of the carrier phase measurements. Alternatively or additionally, it may be required that the threshold be satisfied for several consecutive samples, such as 3-5 samples.

[0071] In particular, the third step 130 may comprise minimizing an objective function over .sup.3, the space of integer triplets, wherein the objective function includes a term expressing the difference between D*, the estimate of the relative position vector on the basis of the GNSS heading, and {circumflex over (D)}, a float estimate of the relative position vector computed from GNSS position vector candidates representing the first and second antennas 1200, 1210. Such an objective function will penalize any GNSS position vector candidates that are incompatible with the estimate of the relative position vector based on the GNSS heading. Conversely, the objective function will tend to validate position vector candidates that are in good agreement with D*. The validated position vector candidates are generally a useful basis for determining the attitude A of the vehicle.

[0072] Alternatively, the third step 130 can be implemented by modifying the method disclosed in S. M. Martin, GPS carrier phase tracking in difficult environments using vector tracking for precise positioning and vehicle attitude estimation, doctoral dissertation, Auburn University, 2017, in which a Kalman filter is used to estimate low-precision floating-point estimates of the carrier ambiguities. In the Kalman filter, according to this reference, the floating-point estimates are improved by including a measurement with low uncertainty of the distance between two antennas; a residual of this distance (baseline residual) is appended to the measurement vector of the Kalman filter, as one new component. The present invention makes available an estimate D* of the relative position vector between the two antennas 1200, 1210, so that three new components can be added to the measurement vector of the Kalman filter; this may improve the accuracy of Martin's method significantly.

[0073] The present approach is efficient at least when the GNSS heading has better accuracy than the GNSS position vector candidates. This condition is satisfied in a broad range of situations, since the GNSS heading is computed from a plurality of GNSS measurements. Therefore, the GNSS heading can be obtained using a state-of-the-art method, e.g., by reading an output from a commercially available GNSS receiver during uniform movement of the vehicle 1000.

[0074] Concerning the second step 120, the following is a possible approach to determine D*, the estimate of the relative position vector on the basis of the GNSS heading ν. The true relative position vector D satisfies:

|D|=d  (1)

D⊥e.sub.z  (2)

D⊥ν  (3)

[0075] where e.sub.z denotes a basis vector of a local east-north-up (ENU) reference frame. Condition (1) expresses the known separation distance. Condition (2) holds for zero roll when the antennas are at equal height, but regardless of the pitch of the vehicle. Condition (3) holds when the separation is square to the attitude A and the vehicle is not turning. An estimate satisfying conditions (1), (2) and (3) is:

[00001]$D^{*}=\frac{d}{.Math.v\times e_z.Math.}v\times e_z,$

[0076] where × denotes vector product. This estimate may be applied to find an integer ambiguity fix for determining the attitude A.

[0077] Here, it has been assumed that one GNSS heading is used, from either the first or second antenna 1200, 1210. In variations of the method, two GNSS headings ν.sub.1, ν.sub.2 may be used to find the integer ambiguity fix. For example, an average v=½(ν.sub.1+ν.sub.2) of the two GNSS headings may be used to compute D*. Alternatively, two separate estimates D*.sub.1, D*.sub.2 are computed on the basis of a respective GNSS heading ν.sub.1, ν.sub.2, and an average of both, D*=½ (D*.sub.1+D*.sub.2), is fed into the third step 130. Further alternatively, the two separate estimates D*.sub.1, D*.sub.2 are computed and differences with respect to each estimate are included in the objective function.

[0078] A generalized version of the method 100 can be performed also in situations where condition (3) does not apply. If the first and second antennas 1200, 1210 are mounted such that the true relative position vector D differs by an angle α with respect to the lateral direction of the vehicle, then D* according to the above equation is to be rotated back, namely, by an angle −α with respect to e.sub.z. This is accounted for by the following expression for D* in the ENU reference frame:

[00002]$D^{*}=\frac{d}{\left|\nu \times e_z\right|}\left[\begin{array}{ccc}\cos \alpha & \sin \alpha & 0\\ -\sin \alpha & \cos \alpha & 0\\ 0& 0& 1\end{array}\right]v\times e_z.$

[0079] The first, simplified expression for D* corresponds to the special case α=0.

[0080] The carrier ambiguities remain constant as long as the GNSS receiver maintains phase lock; the integer ambiguity fix is valid for this duration. Therefore, the method 100 may comprise an additional step of storing the integer ambiguity fix, which is available after the third step 130, in a memory. The stored data may be used in order to estimate the attitude A later, even after the vehicle 1000 has moved to a different position and/or orientation. This way, the later attitude estimation can be performed while no fresh GNSS heading is available, as may be the case during slow driving, much maneuvering, reversing or when the vehicle 1000 is stationary. The stored integer ambiguity fix may be retrieved and used for the purpose of estimating the attitude A in each of these situations.

[0081] FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a method 100 for estimating the attitude of a vehicle, preferably a truck as shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2.

[0082] The method 100 comprises the steps of: detecting that said vehicle is moving and not turning 110; calculating an integer ambiguity fix 120 and validating the integer ambiguity fix 130.

[0083] In a first step, the movement of said vehicle is detected and also whether said vehicle is turning or not. If said vehicle is not turning and the movement speed of said vehicle is high enough to provide accurate GNSS heading, a second step is started.

[0084] The first step also comprises: estimating the movement speed of said vehicle (112) and estimating the yaw rate of said vehicle (114).

[0085] In the second step 120, an integer ambiguity fix is calculated, in particular by using a relative position calculation and the separation of said first and second antenna, in particular the separation of said antennas of said vehicle as shown in FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 2.

[0086] The second step also comprises a calculation wherein at least the relative position of said antennas (1200, 1210) is calculated and/or estimated. For this, a search space may be defined (160) in order to obtain multiple possible candidates of the integer ambiguity fix. Preferably, the step also comprises: evaluating all possible candidates within the search space.

[0087] In a third step 130, the integer ambiguity fix is validated, in particular by analysing the residuals of the relative position calculation, as mentioned in said second step 120.

[0088] Afterwards, in a fourth step 140, the validated integer ambiguity fix may be stored in a memory.

[0089] The stored data may then be used in a fifth step 150, wherein the attitude of said vehicle is estimated, even when said vehicle is stationary, in particular by using said stored validated integer ambiguity fix.

[0090] The aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.