EP3781904A2

EP3781904A2 - Electrically integrated device and application platform

Info

Publication number: EP3781904A2
Application number: EP19773892.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Robert P.G. GIELIANS; Giovanni Bellusci; Michele CARBOLU
Original assignee: Xsens Holding BV
Current assignee: Movella Holdings BV
Priority date: 2018-04-16
Filing date: 2019-04-18
Publication date: 2021-02-24
Also published as: WO2019202404A3; WO2019202404A2

Abstract

In an embodiment of the disclosed principles, an external device is configured to be electrically integrated into an application platform. The device includes a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a processor, an external data connection interface to a sensor external to the device to receive external sensor data and one or more integration elements for integrating the device into the application platform.

Description

ELECTRICALLY INTEGRATED DEVICE AND

APPLICATION PLATFORM

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. provisional application 62/658,326, filed April 16, 2018, and such application is incorporated herein by reference for all that it teaches without exclusion of any portion thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is related generally to one or both of orientation and position tracking and, more particularly, to a system and method for efficiently integrating a device and an application platform to use external sensors for at least one of orientation and position tracking.

BACKGROUND

[0003] It is known to facilitate navigation based on sensor fusion of data coming from an accelerometer, gyroscope, and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and processed by a dedicated processor implementing sensor fusion algorithms. Devices providing such functionality are well known in literature and may be partitioned in two main classes.

[0004] The first class includes devices having an integrated GNSS receiver. An example of this type of devices is represented by the XSENS MTi-G-710. The second class includes devices that accept data from a GNSS receiver external to the device. Currently available devices in this class are typically encased and mechanically mounted on the application platform by use of screws, bolts, clamps, or other similar mechanical mounting means. Furthermore, such devices typically accept data from the external GNSS receiver via a dedicated electro-mechanical connector on the device or in the enclosure (casing/housing) of the device. However, both classes of device exhibit certain shortcomings. [0005] Before proceeding, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure is directed to a system that may address some of the shortcomings listed or implicit in this Background section. However, any such benefit is not a limitation on the scope of the disclosed principles, or of the attached claims, except to the extent expressly noted in the claims.

[0006] Additionally, the discussion of technology in this Background section is reflective of the inventors’ own observations, considerations, and thoughts, and is in no way intended to accurately catalog or comprehensively summarize any prior art reference or practice. As such, the inventors expressly disclaim this section as admitted or assumed prior art. Moreover, the identification herein of one or more desirable courses of action reflects the inventors’ own observations and ideas, and should not be assumed to indicate an art-recognized desirability.

SUMMARY

[0007] In an embodiment of the disclosed principles, a device is provided comprising at least a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a processor, as well as elements to gather additional data from at least a sensor external to the device via at least an external data connection interface, and elements for integrating the device into an application platform (e.g. autopilot platform for drones, ground vehicle or robotic applications). The additional data are gathered from an existing application infrastructure and/or sensor external to the device, rather than being obtained via sensors enclosed in the device. In this way, the system efficiently takes advantage of already existing infrastructure or existing sensors present at the application side in an effective way.

[0008] Moreover, embodiments of the invention eliminate the need for additional dedicated electro-mechanical interfaces (e.g. connectors, headers, screws, etc....), either to mount the device on the application platform or to gather the further data from the external sensor(s) to the device. In this way, a flexible, high level of integration into the application of interest is enabled with the use of inexpensive hardware with minimal size and weight. The invention in many embodiments is especially beneficial in applications such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot to mention a few examples.

[0009] External data inputs may comprise, for example, GNSS, Real Time Kinematics (RTK) GNSS, odometry, wheel speed information, camera, Lidar, Radar, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, magnetometer, and pressure sensor. In the examples herein, the case of GNSS as example of further data from at least an external sensor to the device is considered for illustration purposes, without limiting the applicability of the disclosed devices, systems, principles, and methods to this case.

[0010] Other features and aspects of the disclosed principles will be apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the included figures, of which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] While the appended claims set forth the features of the present techniques with particularity, these techniques, together with their objects and advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a simplified schematic view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles;

[0013] Figure 2 is a simplified schematic view of a device according to a further embodiment of the described principles;

[0014] Figure 3 is a simplified schematic view of a device according to a further embodiment of the described principles; [0015] Figure 3 is a plan view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing pads used for interface and soldering purposes;

[0016] Figure 4 is a simplified Multiview of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing side and bottom pads used for interface and soldering purposes;

[0017] Figure 5 is a simplified side view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing the placement and use of solder balls;

[0018] Figure 6 is a simplified side view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing the use of bond wires for external data;

[0019] Figure 7 is a simplified side view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing the use of leads and/or pins for external data;

[0020] Figure 8 is a simplified plan view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles showing the use of a socket for connection;

[0021] Figure 10 is a schematic view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles;

[0022] Figure 11 is a schematic view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles implemented as a system on board, in which a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a processor are mounted on a PCB;

[0023] Figure 12 is a schematic view of a device according to an embodiment of the described principles; and

[0024] Figure 13 is a table showing an example of a possible configuration of the pads as pinout of the device according to an embodiment of the described principles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] As noted above, there are two classes of GNSS inertial navigation systems, with the first class includes devices having an integrated GNSS receiver and the second class including devices that accept data from a GNSS receiver external to the device. Both types of device exhibit certain shortcomings.

[0026] For example, devices having an integrated GNSS receiver may only use the GNSS receiver that is actually integrated in the device itself. Unfortunately, in many applications it may be beneficial to use the GNSS receiver that is already installed in the application infrastructure. For example, this may be the case in applications in the field of precision navigation and/or agriculture, where it may be common to have an RTK-GNSS infrastructure already installed, for example, and precisely surveyed, to enable centimeter level position tracking. Alternatively, it may be desired to use a GNSS receiver with different class of performance.

[002h Another limitation of this class of devices arises from the need to connect the GNSS receiver to a GNSS antenna. In many applications, it is common to choose specific types of GNSS antennas based on specific application requirements (e.g. directionality, SNR, gain, etc.). However, there may be limitations in connecting specific GNSS antennas with GNSS receivers, and typically, a given GNSS receiver may only support a limited number of possible GNSS antennas, e.g. adapted in terms of active/passive amplification and/or power, impedance matching to preserve signal integrity, signal frequencies transmitted by the constellation and bandwidth supported by the GNSS receiver, etc.

[0028] When a specific GNSS receiver is integrated with the device, only a limited number of possible antennas may be interfaced, limiting potential use of the device in actual applications, typically having a broad range of, among others, cost, size, weight, and/or performance requirements. Additionally, when an existing application infrastructure is already equipped with a GNSS receiver with integrated GNSS antenna, the antenna may not be used by the device having already integrated a GNSS receiver, since it may not be possible to support two different GNSS receivers at the same time.

[0029] A further limitation of said class of devices is their sharing of power resources; the accelerometer, gyroscope, processors, and GNSS receiver may need to share tiie same power source. However, GNSS receivers typically have different power requirements, preventing an ideal choice of components for achieving optimal power efficiency.

[0030] With respect to the second class, currently available devices in this class are typically encased and mechanically mounted on the application platform by use of screws, bolts, clamps, or other similar mechanical mounting means. Furthermore, such devices typically accept data from the external GNSS receiver via a dedicated electromechanical connector on the device or in the enclosure (casing/housing) of the device.

[0031] An additional dedicated interface such as an electro-mechanical connector is typically used to provide data from the external GNSS device. However, such connectors typically decrease signal integrity while increasing the risk of a malfunction due to the presence of multiple connection transitions. Additionally, this solution is typically uneconomical, due to the use of multiple connectors/headers (e.g. plugs/receptacles, male/female, pin/socket) and the associated additional cost of materials and labor. This class of devices may further result in an increase in overall size and weight due to the use of electro-mechanical connectors and the use of a dedicated mechanical mounting and housing. This limits use in applications requiring the highest level of integration and the smallest size and weight, e.g., drone and UAV applications.

[0032] Turning to the disclosed inventive concepts, in an example embodiment, a device according to this disclosure contains at least an accelerometer measuring acceleration in three dimensions, a gyroscope measuring angular velocities in three dimensions and a processor, in connection with the accelerometer and gyroscope. The device further supports data from an external sensor. The exemplary situation in which the external sensor may be represented by an external GNSS receiver is considered for illustrative purposes in the following, without limiting the scope of the disclosure to GNSS.

[0033] The device may use a single (e.g. horizontal) Printed Circuit Board (PCB) without the need for an enclosure (e.g. casing/housing). In some implementations, the accelerometer, gyroscope, and processor may be packaged components, mounted on the same PCB (this device may be often denoted in art as System on Board (SoB)). In applications in which low size, cost, and weight may be desired, the accelerometer and gyroscope may be integrated 3D or integrated 6D (IMU) digital components.

[0034] In one embodiment, the device may be a multi-chip module. Such a multi-chip module may be composed by an electronic assembly where multiple integrated circuits (ICs or "chips"), semiconductor dies, and/or other discrete components may be integrated, usually onto a unifying substrate.

[0035] In some embodiment the device may be a system on chip (SoC). A system on chip may comprise different integrated circuits in the same chip. In some implementations, the chip may be further packaged (the resulting system being often called System in Package (SiP)). Examples of package may include any of a chip scale package (CSP), BGA (ball grid array), LGA (land grid array), ceramic, or similar.

[0036] In another embodiment the device may be a chip on board (CoB). A CoB may be implemented by mounting multiple integrated circuits (IC) on a PCB. The CoB integrated circuits and/or wire bonding may be protected by applying covering material (e.g. epoxy, thixotropic), e.g. by using a glob top or dam-and-fill glob techniques. The applied material may further provide mechanical reinforcement and tamper-resistance.

[003h In one embodiment, the device may be connected to an application platform using permanent electrical connections. Permanent electrical connections may be achieved by use of electrical interfaces. Electrical interfaces may offer means to both carry electrical signals, and to solder the device on the application platform. In this way, need for dedicated (electro-) mechanical connectors (e.g. connectors, headers, screws, etc.) may be prevented. Possible examples of electrical interfeces suited for the purpose may be any of pads, bonding pads, pins, leads, solder balls, solder bumps, to mention a few possibilities, without limiting applicability of disclosed systems to these exemplary cases only.

[0038] In some embodiments, permanent electrical connections may be implemented by means of soldering (solderable) electrical pads to the application platform. While some pads may be used for power, configuring the device, communication to a host device, logging data, programming of the processor, synchronization with other devices, testing/calibration of the device or mechanically fixating the device in the application platform, some of the pads, or other pads may be connected directly to the interface lines of the external GNSS receiver, removing in this way the need for a dedicated electromechanical connectors (e.g. socket, header, etc.). Pads may be any of, or a combination of, side pads, bottom pads and top pads.

[0039] When permanent electrical connections are used, the possibility to improve the signal integrity and SNR of the signal by matching impedance and/or trace lengths constraints (interface connection on the PCB) may be enabled. With a permanent electrical connection, the electrical interfaces (e.g. pads) may also be used to connect a precise external clock, which may allow synchronization of the device with external multiple devices and/or improve the synchronization of the internal sensors. In one embodiment, time signal reference may be directly received by the external GNSS module and provided to the device by means of so called PPS (pulse per second) signals. PPS is a time signal with a global reference that may have an accuracy down to tens of picoseconds. In some applications, using this signal, multiple components and/or devices (internal and external) may be globally synchronized in time, using for example an existing infrastructure. [0040] In one implementation, the electrical interfaces may allow for a permanent electrical connection by well-known wire bonding techniques. This design may offer wide flexibility when integrating the device on the application platform.

[0041] In some embodiments, the electrical interfaces may allow for a permanent electrical connection by solder balls. A solder ball, (also known as a solder bump) may provide the contact between the device and the substrate/printed circuit board by using a ball or bump of solder, gold, conductive epoxy, or copper, to provide a few examples of materials which may be used.

[0042] In some further implementations, the electrical interfaces may allow for a permanent electrical connection by leads and/or pins. A lead/pin may provide the contact between the device and the printed circuit board by using for example solder.

[0043] In some implementations, the device may be mounted on the same PCB as the GNSS receiver. In some other implementations, the device may be mounted at a physically different location and/or on a different PCB or other electronic board, compared to the GNSS receiver.

[0044] The device may additionally contain any of a crystal or clock source, a temperature sensor, camera, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio module, GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, ultra-wideband radio, magnetometer, pressure sensor, a data logger, memory, a battery, proximity sensor, microphone, Ethernet connectivity, additional processors (e.g. to control sensors and/or interface management), LED, photodiodes, light detector, to mention a few possibilities.

[0045] The external GNSS receiver may be mounted on the same application platform as the device, but at a different physical location, e.g. in close proximity to the same device. Any possible lever arms may be accounted for, e.g. by directly measuring them, or by using dedicated calibration routines for estimation purposes. In various embodiments, said calibration routines may be implemented on the same processor contained in the device. [0046] The processor included in the device may be configured to perform calibration of the sensor data. In one embodiment, temperature calibration may be performed using a temperature sensor present in the device. Additionally, well known strap-down integration of accelerometer and gyroscope data may be implemented on the processor, for so called coning and sculling compensation.

[0047] The processor may further perform sensor fusion of at least the gyroscope data, the accelerometer data, and the external sensor data. The sensor fusion may be based on any of Kalman filter, (non-linear) optimization, particle filter, complementary filter, or similar estimation techniques, to mention a few exemplary cases. The sensor fusion may estimate tracking states including orientation, velocity, speed, course over ground, and/or position in a flame of reference, to mention a few examples. In one embodiment, the flame of reference may be provided by the external GNSS system.

[0048] In an embodiment, the sensor fusion may further process data from any of a clock source, a temperature sensor, camera, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, ultra-wideband radio, proximity sensor, microphone, magnetometer, pressure sensor, LLDAR, radar. Moreover, in various embodiments, the data resulting from the sensor fusion processing may be provided to the output by using any of the aforementioned permanent electrical connections. In other implementations, the output may be transmitted using any of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, ultra-wideband radio, Ethernet connectivity, to mention a few exemplary cases. In further implementations, the sensor fusion output may be logged on a memory mounted on the same device, e.g. for further use in off-line analysis applications. The sensor fusion processing may further provide additional information, e.g. in the form of uncertainties of covariances of tracking states, detection of events (as e.g. quantities of interest exceeding thresholds, sensor saturation, etc.).

[0049] In some implementations, the processor may additionally perform embedded calibration routines, e.g. to estimate system level parameters (as orientation and position alignments of the device with respect to the application platform), wheel radius information in applications in which e.g. odometry data may be available, time offsets or time skews between diverse sensors (e.g. external GNSS, accelerometer and gyroscope), inertial sensor errors (biases and/or scale factors or similar). In embodiments in which a magnetometer may additionally be used, the processor may implement embedded calibration routines to estimate magnetometer biases and gains (so called hard and soft iron effects). Any of such calibration routines may either be driven by a user-event, or be automatic.

[0050] The processor may be one or more of a microcontroller unit (MCU), digital signal processor (DSP), CPU, or GPU, FPGA, ASIC, to mention a few exemplary cases.

[0051] In an embodiment, the device is configured to be easily integrated as peripheral device in embedded systems. In these cases, the device may further communicate with an external host CPU. The device may support different communication interfaces (Ml -duplex, half duplex, synchronous, asynchronous, etc.). Said interfeces may be any of an inter-integrated circuit (I2C), serial peripheral interface (SPI) and/or universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) protocols. These communication interfaces may allow the device to easily communicate with for example an external host CPU, receive data from external sensors or other data inputs and/or outputs.

[0052] Examples of external sensors which may be integrated either in addition, or in place of the GNSS receiver considered above as exemplary case, may include RTK- GNSS, Dual-GNSS, external clock, temperature sensor, camera, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, Lidar, Radar, microphone or microphone array, GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, ultra-wideband radio, magnetometer, pressure sensor, proximity, LED, photodiodes and light detector to name a few possibilities.

[0053] The attached figures provide a visualization of various aspects and embodiments of the described principles. Turning to Figure 1, this figure shows an example device comprising a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a processor, as well as a GNSS receiver external to the device. Data from the external GNSS receiver are carried via interface lines and received by the device through pads dedicated as an external data interface. Additional pads may be available in the device for power, communication and signal interface. Any of the same pads may additionally be used for soldering the device to an application platform, enabling a higher level of integration, superior performance in terms of robustness, and a cost effective solution in small size and light weight.

[0054] Figure 9 shows another example device, this one comprising a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a clock, a BLE radio, and a processor. The figure also shows a pressure sensor and an additional clock external to the device. Data from the external clock may be used to correct the internal clock (e.g. clock bias) and/or obtain better time synchronization. The data from the external pressure sensor and external clock are carried via interlace lines and received by the device through pads dedicated as external data interface (orange color). Additional pads available in the device and used for power, communication and signal interface are indicated in white. Any of the same pads may additionally be used for soldering the device to an application platform, enabling a higher level of integration, superior performance in terms of robustness, and a cost effective solution in small size and light weight.

[0055] Figure 3 shows a device comprising a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a processor, the figure additionally shows a GNSS receiver and odometry sensor external to the device. The data from the external GNSS receiver along with the PPS signal and the external odometry sensor are carried via interface lines and received by the device through pads dedicated as external data interface. Additional pads available in the device and used for power, communication and signal interface are indicated in white. Any of the same pads may additionally be used for soldering the device to an application platform, enabling a higher level of integration, superior performance in terms of robustness, and a cost effective solution in small size and light weight. [0056] Figure 10 shows the size and form factor of an example device, including the pads used for interface and soldering purposes. Figure 11 shows an example of form factor of the device, including the pads used for interface and soldering purposes. The pads are in this case side and bottom pads, allowing the device to be soldered in a diversity of platforms. Herein, the pads/connectors/wires used for external data are shown bracketed. Figure 12 shows an example device using solder balls. The solder balls used for external data are shown bracketed. Figure 13 shows an example device using bond wires. The bond wires used for external data are shown bracketed.

[005h Figure 14 shows an example device using leads and/or pins. The leads and/or pins used for external data are shown bracketed. Figure 15 shows an example device using a socket and the contacts used for external data are shown bracketed.

[0058] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a system in accordance with an embodiment wherein the device contains a 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, a high-accuracy clock and a low-power micro controller unit (MCU) as processor. The device receives additional sensor data from an external GNSS receiver and barometer. The MCU coordinates the timing and synchronization of the various sensors. The device offers the possibility to use external signals in order to accurately synchronize the device with any other application. The MCU applies calibration models (e.g. vs. temperature) and runs an optimized strapdown integration algorithm, which performs high-rate deadreckoning calculations allowing accurate capture of high frequency motions and coning & sculling compensation. A sensor fusion engine (e.g. based on Kalman Filtering, particle filtering, or Optimization theory) combines all sensor inputs and optimally estimates orientation, position and velocity. The device is easily configurable for the outputs and depending on the application needs may be set to use different settings for the sensor fusion engine. In this way, the device limits the load and the power consumption on the user application processor. The user can communicate with the device by means of different communication interfaces such as I2C, SPI and UART. [0059] Figure 11 shows an interconnection example of an embodiment wherein the device is implemented as a system on board, in which a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a processor are mounted on a PCB. The device receives data from an external GNSS receiver via electrical interface pads.

[0060] Figure 12 shows an interconnection example of an embodiment wherein the device is implemented as any of a Chip, System on Chip (SoC), System in Package (SiP), or Chip on Board (CoB). The device may be further mounted on the same PCB as the GNSS receiver external to the device. The device receives data from the external GNSS receiver via electrical interface pads.

[0061] Finally, Figure 13 shows a table of possible pin (i.e. pads) configuration of a device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. This table reports an example of a possible configuration of the pads as pinout of the device. Part of them may be used as a power interface in order to be able to control different power levels. Others can be used as control pins to select different device behaviors. In this example many pins may be used as signal interface to communicate with an external application infrastructure. The remaining pins may be employed as interface to gather data from an external GNSS receiver, for example available in the application infrastructure, and/or additional sensor inputs.

[0062] The disclosed system provides many benefits. In one embodiment, a permanent electrical connection may be used to integrate the device into the application platform. The device may have electrical interfaces (e.g. pads, bonding pads, pins, leads, solder balls, solder bumps) to establish said permanent electrical connection by means of soldering or wire bonding, to mention a few exemplary cases.

[0063] Considering by means of example the case of solderable electrical pad, the pads may offer means to both carry electrical signals, including data from the at least one sensor external to the device, and to solder the device on the application platform. In this way, additional dedicated electro-mechanical interfaces, e.g. to an external GNSS receiver may not be required anymore. At the same time, a higher level of integration on the application platform may be achieved with a reliable solution offering superior performance in terms of robustness (e.g. higher mean time between failure) and/or better signal integrity, because of absence of additional (electro-) mechanical interfaces (connector, socket, header, pins, screws, etc....), which instead may be replaced by a more reliable permanent electrical connection. The proposed systems and methods may additionally enable a more cost efficient solution both from the device fabrication and production point of view since a reduction of cost of goods and of additional labor cost for mounting/assembling may be enabled.

[0064] When considering GNSS signals as example of external data, it is noted that the disclosed invention may enable the typical benefits of currently available systems accepting external GNSS data (for example in terms of increased power efficiency due to use of dedicated power sources and/or better flexibility in choice of GNSS antennas), without having the limitations typically present in such systems as disclosed in the prior art section (for example, limitations in terms of increased costs, size and weight for connectors/mounting means, and decreased robustness).

[0065] It is further noted that the disclosed invention has general applicability to a diversity of cases in which it may be relevant to provide additional data and/or signals from external sensors to the device. Examples of external data may comprise GNSS, Real Time Kinematics (RTK) GNSS, dual antenna GNSS, odometry, wheel speed information, camera, LIDAR, radar, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), GSM/4G/5G cellular network, WiFi, magnetometer, ultra-wideband radio, pressure sensor, to mention a few possibilities.

[0066] Embodiments include and electrically integrated device for an application platform, the device having a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a processor, an external data connection interface to a sensor external to the device to receive external sensor data, and one or more integration elements for integrating the device into the application platform. [006h The application platform may be an autopilot platform, e.g., one of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot. The sensor external to the device may be associated with the application platform. The external sensor data may be GNSS data, which may be real time kinematics (RTK) data. The external sensor data may be any of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.

[0068] In another embodiment, a method is provided for electrically integrating a device into an application platform, the method including providing, in the device, a gyroscope, accelerometer, processor, and external data connection interface, providing one or more integration elements for integrating the device into the application platform, integrating the device into the application platform, linking an external sensor associated with the application platform to the device via the external data connection interface, and receiving external sensor data at the device via the external data connection interface.

[0069] As above, the application platform may be an autopilot platform, and may further one or more of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot. The external sensor data may be GNSS data and may further be real time kinematics (RTK) data.

[0070] As above, the external sensor data may be one or mote of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.

[0071] In a further embodiment, a nontransitory computer-readable medium is provided, bearing instructions for operating a device external to and connected to an application platform. The medium may include instructions, including instructions for receiving external sensor data from an external sensor associated with the application platform to via an external data connection interface, processing the external sensor data to provide control signals, and providing the control data to the application platform.

[0072] As above, the application platform may be an autopilot platform, e.g., an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot. Again, the external sensor data may be GNSS data and further may be real time kinematics (RTK) data. The external sensor data may include one or more of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.

[0073] It will be appreciated that various systems and processes have been disclosed herein. However, in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present disclosure may be applied, it should be recognized that the embodiments described herein with are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the claims. Therefore, the techniques as described herein contemplate all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS We claim:

1. An electrically integrated device for an application platform, the device comprising: a gyroscope; an accelerometer, a processor; an external data connection interface to a sensor external to the device to receive external sensor data; and one or more integration elements for integrating the device into the application platform.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the application platform is an autopilot platform.

3. The device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the autopilot platform is one of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor external to the device is a sensor associated with the application platform.

5. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the external sensor data is GNSS data.

6. The device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the GNSS data is real time kinematics (RTK) data.

7. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the external sensor data includes one or more of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.

8. A method for electrically integrating a device into an application platform, the method comprising: providing, in the device, a gyroscope, accelerometer, processor, and external data connection interface; providing one or more integration elements for integrating the device into the application platform; integrating the device into the application platform; linking an external sensor associated with the application platform to the device via the external data connection interface; and receiving external sensor data at the device via the external data connection interface.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the application platform is an autopilot platform.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the autopilot platform is one of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the external sensor data is GNSS data.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the GNSS data is real time kinematics (RTK) data.

13. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the external sensor data includes one or more of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.

14. A nontransitory computer-readable medium bearing instructions for operating a device external to and connected to an application platform, the instructions copmprising instructions for comprising: receiving external sensor data from an external sensor associated with the application platform to via an external data connection interface; processing the external sensor data to provide control signals; and providing the control data to the application platform.

15. The nontransitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, wherein the application platform is an autopilot platform.

16. The nontransitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 15, wherein the autopilot platform is one of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control, flight control and stabilization, ground vehicle control and navigation, mapping, and autopilot.

17. The nontransitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, wherein the external sensor data is GNSS data.

18. The nontransitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 17, wherein the GNSS data is real time kinematics (RTK) data.

19. The nontransitory computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 14, wherein the external sensor data includes one or more of odometry data, wheel speed information, camera data, Lidar data, Radar data, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) data, GSM/4G/5G cellular network data, WiFi data, magnetometer data, and pressure sensor data.