Vehicle localization based on wireless local area network nodes

• US 10,429,190 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Surnilla, Gopichandra, Makled, Daniel, Mcquillen, Michael, Ayoub, Ali Ahmad, Ferack, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Robert T
• Application Number:
  US15/346,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20180128623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle localization based on wireless local area network nodes. An example disclosed vehicle includes a wireless network controller and a location tracker. In response to losing reception of GPS signals, the location tracker scans for wireless network nodes via the wireless network controller, and when second locations of the wireless network nodes are stored in memory, determines a current location of the vehicle based on a particle filtering technique and received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

Claims

1. A method to determine a current location of a vehicle comprising:

in response to losing reception of GPS signals;

scanning for wireless network nodes via a wireless network controller;

when first locations of the wireless network nodes are stored in memory, determining, with a processor, the current location of the vehicle based on a particle filtering technique and received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes; and

when using the particle filtering technique, assigning weights to particles based on the first locations of the wireless network nodes and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, including, when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are not stored in the memory, determining the current location of the vehicle based on a simultaneous localization and mapping technique and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

3. The method of claim 2, including, when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are determined via the simultaneous localization and mapping technique, storing the locations of the wireless network nodes in the memory.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles represent possible coordinates of the current location of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the possible coordinates for the particles are constrained by navigation data stored in the memory.

6. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a vehicle to:

in response to losing reception of GPS signals;

scan for wireless network nodes via a wireless network controller;

when first locations of the wireless network nodes are stored in memory, determine a current location of the vehicle based on a particle filtering technique and received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes;

when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are not stored in the memory, determine the current location of the vehicle based on a simultaneous localization and mapping technique and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes; and

when using the particle filtering technique, assign weights to particles based on the first locations of the wireless network nodes and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, including, when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are determined via the simultaneous localization and mapping technique, store the locations of the wireless network nodes in the memory.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the particles represent possible coordinates of the current location of the vehicle.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the possible coordinates for the particles are constrained by navigation data stored in the memory.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a wireless network controller; and

a processor configured to, in response to losing reception of GPS signals;

scan for wireless network nodes via the wireless network controller; and

when first locations of the wireless network nodes are stored in memory, determine a current location of the vehicle based on a particle filtering technique and received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes, wherein, the processor is further configured to, when using the particle filtering technique, weigh particles based on the first locations of the wireless network nodes and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are not stored in the memory, determine the current location of the vehicle based on a simultaneous localization and mapping technique and the received signal strength measurements from the wireless network nodes.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the first locations of the wireless network nodes are determined via the simultaneous localization and mapping technique, store the first locations of the wireless network nodes in the memory.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the particles represent possible coordinates of the current location of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the possible coordinates for the particles are constrained by navigation data stored in the memory.