Mobile base station calibration and recalibration

{
  "publication_number": "US12117532B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Mobile base station calibration and recalibration",
  "abstract": "Disclosed is an approach for recalibrating a mobile base station (MBS) after it has moved to a non-survey location by determining a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location for the mobile base station based on GPS signals received by the mobile base station and further determining a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for the mobile base station based on the determined SSA location for the mobile base station and applying an offset calculated by the navigational vehicle based on relatively fixed objects for which near-survey-accurate locations are known.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for recalibrating a mobile base station communicatively coupled to an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising: determining a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location for the mobile base station based on GPS signals received by the mobile base station; and determining a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for the mobile base station based on the determined SSA location for the mobile base station and applying an offset calculated by the navigational vehicle.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the offset calculated by the navigational vehicle is based on a difference between a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle based on GPS signals received by the navigation vehicle, and a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, wherein the near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle is based on the navigational vehicle sensing the relative locations of a plurality of objects each having a known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location.",
    "4. The method of claim 3, wherein the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated based on a direct-survey-accurate (DSA) location.",
    "5. The method of claim 4, wherein the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated by the navigational vehicle or by a second navigational vehicle.",
    "6. The method of claim 5, wherein a subset of objects from among the plurality of objects comprises dynamic objects.",
    "7. The method of claim 6, wherein the dynamic objects are solar panels and posts.",
    "8. A system for recalibrating a mobile base station communicatively coupled to an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising at least one subsystem configured for: determining a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location for the mobile base station based on GPS signals received by the mobile base station; and determining a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for the mobile base station based on the determined SSA location for the mobile base station and applying an offset calculated by the navigational vehicle.",
    "9. The system of claim 8, wherein the offset calculated by the navigational vehicle is based on a difference between a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle based on GPS signals received by the navigation vehicle, and a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle is based on the navigational vehicle sensing the relative locations of a plurality of objects each having a known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location.",
    "11. The system of claim 10, wherein the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated based on a direct-survey-accurate (DSA) location.",
    "12. The system of claim 11, wherein the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated by the navigational vehicle or by a second navigational vehicle.",
    "13. The system of claim 12, wherein a subset of objects from among the plurality of objects comprises dynamic objects.",
    "14. The system of claim 13, wherein the dynamic objects are solar panels and posts.",
    "15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for recalibrating a mobile base station communicatively coupled to an autonomous vehicle, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for: determining a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location for the mobile base station based on GPS signals received by the mobile base station; and determining a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for the mobile base station based on the determined SSA location for the mobile base station and applying an offset calculated by the navigational vehicle.",
    "16. The computer-readable instructions of claim 15, further comprising instructions whereby the offset calculated by the navigational vehicle is based on a difference between a satellite-signal-accurate (SSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle based on GPS signals received by the navigation vehicle, and a near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle.",
    "17. The computer-readable instructions of claim 16, further comprising instructions whereby the near-survey-accurate (NSA) location determined for the navigational vehicle is based on the navigational vehicle sensing the relative locations of a plurality of objects each having a known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location.",
    "18. The computer-readable instructions of claim 17, further comprising instructions whereby the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated based on a direct-survey-accurate (DSA) location.",
    "19. The computer-readable instructions of claim 18, further comprising instructions whereby the known near-survey-accurate (NSA) location for each object from among the plurality of objects was previously calculated by the navigational vehicle or by a second navigational vehicle.",
    "20. The computer-readable instructions of claim 19, further comprising instructions whereby a subset of objects from among the plurality of objects are dynamic objects, and whereby a subset of dynamic objects from among the dynamic objects comprise at least one solar panel and post."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Under normal circumstances a GPS receiver can accurately determine the location of an autonomous vehicle to within certain tolerances - tolerances that have improved over time in step with improvements and refinements in GPS technologies. The accuracy of the location determinations for an autonomous vehicle will naturally carry over to determinations made by the autonomous vehicle for site features such as fixed obstacles and dynamic objects (as discussed earlier herein). However, there are situations when more accurate location determinations are needed and GPS alone is not precise enough. Moreover, for real-time GPS location determinations, several sources of error related to timing, satellite orbits, and atmospheric conditions (among other things) may negatively affect the receipt of GPS signals and thereby result in varying and changeable degrees of inaccuracy in GPS location determinations at different times.\n\nStated differently, typical GPS receivers that utilize RTK corrections can be accurate to within a few centimeters but, while these measurements can be substantially accurate relative to the one or more base stations that provide corrections (i.e., locally accurate), the accuracy in a global frame (e.g., WGS84) is dependent on how accurately these base stations have been surveyed. While performing an accurate survey of an RTK base station location is generally preferred, an accurate survey may require purpose-built survey equipment or a relatively long sample auto-survey process may required too much time (e.g., two days or more) to achieve sub-centimeter accuracy.",
  "cpc": [
    "G01S 19/071",
    "G01S 19/06",
    "G01S 19/073",
    "G05D 1/242",
    "G05D 1/248",
    "G05D 1/622",
    "G05D 1/648",
    "G05D 2105/15",
    "G05D 2107/75",
    "G05D 2109/10",
    "G05D 2111/17"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01S 19/06",
    "G01S 19/07"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Renu Robotics Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Michael Odell Blanton, JR.",
    "Kristopher Charles Kozak"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-08-20",
  "publication_date": "2024-10-15",
  "grant_date": "2024-10-15",
  "priority_date": "2019-01-17",
  "application_number": "US-202117408353-A",
  "family_id": "93018496",
  "cited_by_count": 7,
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}