Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for sensing motionlessness in a vehicle

US5736923A · kind A · utility

44Cited by
11References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 11, 1995
Grant dateApr 7, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01P13/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for sensing motionlessness for sensing motionlessness in a land-based vehicle is provided. The apparatus can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) mounted in a predetermined orientation on the vehicle and a programmable computer. The IMU can have an inertial sensor which generates a plurality of motion signals. More than one inertial sensor can be used and, in that case, each of the sensors can be mounted in a second predetermined orientation with respect to the others, such as an orthogonal orientation, thereby creating a selected spatial reference frame. The inertial sensor can be one or more accelerometers, or one or more gyroscopes, or an accelerometer-gyroscope combination. The computer receives the motion signals and determining a motion state of the vehicle therefrom. The computer provides the motion state to a target application which acts in accordance therewith. The method can include sensing a reference sample of motion signals during a reference period; extracting a reference characteristic signal from the reference sample; sensing an operational sample during an operational period; extracting an operational characteristic signal from the op…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.