Systems and methods for simulating GNSS multipath and obscuration with networked autonomous vehicles

A method of testing a connected vehicle that is connected to other vehicles and/or infrastructure, including:

• shielding a cellular receiving antenna of the connected vehicle from ambient cellular signals while the connected vehicle is under test and supplanting the ambient cellular signals with simulated cellular signals;
• using a cellular signal generating system,
• receiving the ambient cellular signals and ambient Global Navigation Satellite System (abbreviated GNSS) signals using at least one antenna of the cellular signal generating system and determining a location and acceleration of the connected vehicle from the ambient GNSS signals;
• accessing a model of an augmented environment that includes at least multi-pathing and obscuration of the ambient cellular signals along a test path, based on the location determined from the cellular signals;
• generating the simulated cellular signals to feed to the connected vehicle, in real time, simulating with at least one vehicle and/or infrastructure source modified according to the augmented environment, based on for the location determined from the cellular signals;
• and
• feeding the simulated cellular signals to a receiver in the connected vehicle, thereby supplanting ambient cellular as the connected vehicle travels along the test path.

A tangible non-transitory computer readable storage media impressed with computer program instructions that, when executed, test an autonomous vehicle, including

• shielding a Global Navigation Satellite System (abbreviated GNSS) receiving antenna of the autonomous vehicle from ambient GNSS signals while the autonomous vehicle is under test and supplanting the ambient GNSS signals with simulated GNSS signals;
• using a GNSS signal generating system,
• receiving the ambient GNSS signals using an antenna of the GNSS signal generating system and determining a location and acceleration of the autonomous vehicle from the ambient GNSS signals;
• accessing a model of an augmented environment that includes at least multi-pathing and obscuration of the ambient GNSS signals along a test path, based on the location determined from the GNSS signals;
• generating the simulated GNSS signals to feed to the autonomous vehicle, in real time, simulating at least one constellation of GNSS satellite sources modified according to the augmented environment, based on the location determined from the GNSS signals;
• and
• feeding the simulated GNSS signals to a receiver in the autonomous vehicle, thereby supplanting ambient GNSS as the autonomous vehicle travels along the test path.

A tangible non-transitory computer readable storage media impressed with computer program instructions that, when executed, test a connected vehicle that is connected to other vehicles and/or infrastructure, including

• shielding a cellular receiving antenna of the connected vehicle from ambient cellular signals while the connected vehicle is under test and supplanting the ambient cellular signals with simulated cellular signals;
• using a cellular signal generating system,
• receiving the ambient cellular signals and ambient Global Navigation Satellite System (abbreviated GNSS) signals using at least one antenna of the cellular signal generating system and determining a location and acceleration of the connected vehicle from the ambient GNSS signals;
• accessing a model of an augmented environment that includes at least multi-pathing and obscuration of the ambient cellular signals along a test path, based on the location determined from the cellular signals;
• generating the simulated cellular signals to feed to the connected vehicle, in real time, simulating with at least one vehicle and/or infrastructure source modified according to the augmented environment, based on for the location determined from the cellular signals;
• and
• feeding the simulated cellular signals to a receiver in the connected vehicle, thereby supplanting ambient cellular as the connected vehicle travels along the test path.