AUTOMATED VEHICLE SENSOR CALIBRATION SYSTEM
A calibration system and method for calibrating a sensor installed on a vehicle includes a target proximate to a travel-path of a vehicle, a digital-map, the digital-map configured to indicate a coordinate of the target, a sensor mounted on the vehicle, said sensor configured to detect the target, and a controller in communication with the digital-map and the sensor. The controller or the method is configured to, in accordance with a determination that the target is detected by the sensor, perform a calibration of the sensor. By using targets documented on a digital-map to perform calibration, the vehicle does not need to be taken to a specialized facility in order to be calibrated.
1 . A calibration system for calibrating a sensor installed on a vehicle, said system comprising:
a target proximate to a travel-path of a vehicle;
a digital-map, the digital-map configured to indicate a coordinate of the target;
a sensor mounted on the vehicle, said sensor configured to detect the target;
a controller in communication with the digital-map and the sensor, said controller configure to, in accordance with a determination that the target is detected by the sensor, perform a calibration of the sensor.
2 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said controller configured to, in accordance with a determination that the target is detected by the sensor and in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is proximate to the coordinate, perform a calibration of the sensor.
3 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the digital-map indicates an expected-attribute of the target, and the controller determines a correction-factor in accordance with a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a correction-threshold.
4 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the digital-map indicates an expected-attribute of the target, and the controller indicates that the sensor needs to be serviced in accordance with a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a repair-threshold.
5 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a first-device configured to indicate a first-direction to the target, a second-device configured to indicate a second-direction to the target, and the controller performs an alignment of the first-device and the second-device in accordance with a determination that the first-direction and the second-direction differ by more than a direction-threshold.
6 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the controller performs the calibration in accordance with a determination that a predefined-event has occurred.
7 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the target is characterized by a shape that corresponds to a pedestrian.
8 . A controller for calibrating a sensor on a vehicle, said controller comprising:
an input configured to receive a signal from a sensor;
a processor configured to determine a coordinate of a target on a digital-map, determine when the vehicle is proximate to the target in accordance with the coordinate, and perform a calibration of the sensor in accordance with the signal and the coordinate in response to a determination that the target is detected by the sensor.
9 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said processor is configure to, in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is proximate to the coordinate and in accordance with a determination that the target is detected by the sensor, perform a calibration of the sensor.
10 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the digital-map indicates an expected-attribute of the target, and the controller is configured to determine a correction-factor in accordance with a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a correction-threshold.
11 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the digital-map indicates an expected-attribute of the target, and the controller is configured to indicate that the sensor needs to be serviced in accordance with a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a repair-threshold.
12 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the sensor includes a first-device configured to indicate a first-direction to the target, a second-device different from the first-device, said second-device configured to indicate a second-direction to the target, and the controller is configured to perform an alignment of the first-device and the second-device in accordance with a determination that the first-direction and the second-direction differ by more than a direction-threshold.
13 . The controller in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the calibration in accordance with a determination that a predefined-event has occurred.
14 . A method of calibrating a sensor mounted on a vehicle, said method comprising:
receiving from the sensor an indication of the sensor detecting a target; and
performing, by a controller in communication with a sensor mounted on a vehicle and in accordance with a determination that the sensor detected the target, a calibration of the sensor.
15 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the method includes
determining, by the controller in communication with a digital-map, that the vehicle is proximate to a coordinate of the target;
performing, by the controller and in accordance with a determination that the sensor detected the target and that the vehicle is proximate to the coordinate, a calibration of the sensor.
16 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the method includes
accessing a digital-map, said digital-map configured to indicate a coordinate of a target proximate to a travel-path of the vehicle;
17 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes
determining, by the controller in communication with a digital-map, that the vehicle is proximate to a coordinate of the target;
performing, by a controller in communication with a sensor mounted on a vehicle and in accordance with a determination that the sensor detected the target and that the vehicle is proximate to the coordinate, a calibration of the sensor.
18 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes
retrieving an expected-attribute of the target from the digital-map; and
determining a correction-factor in response to a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a correction-threshold.
19 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes
retrieving an expected-attribute of the target from the digital-map; and
indicating that the sensor needs repair in response to a determination that a detected-attribute of the target differs from the expected-attribute by more than a repair-threshold.
20 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the method includes
performing the calibration in response to a determination that a predefined-event has occurred.
21 . A system, comprising:
a target, the target positioned in space proximate a travel-path of a vehicle;
a digital map, the digital map indicating the travel-path and an indicated-coordinate of the target positioned in space proximate the travel path;
a sensor, mounted on the vehicle, the sensor detecting a detected-coordinate of the target positioned in space; and
a processor, the processor in communication with the sensor, the processor determining a difference between the indicated-coordinate and the detected-coordinate, and in accordance with a determination that the difference is greater than a predetermined-threshold, performing a calibration of the sensor.
22 . A system, comprising:
a vehicle;
a map, the map indicating a travel-path of the vehicle and at least one coordinate of a target positioned in space proximate the travel path;
a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the sensor detecting at least one coordinate of the target positioned in space proximate the travel path as the vehicle travels along the travel path; and
a processor, the processor in communication with the sensor, the processor determining a difference between the at least one coordinate indicated by the map and the at least one coordinate detected by the sensor, and
in accordance with a determination that the difference is greater than a predetermined-threshold, performing a calibration of the sensor.