Correction device for correcting acceleration data, method therefor, program therefor, recording medium containing the program and navigation guide device

• US 20040064234A1
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 6,959,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

A correction device determines, by calculation, a real acceleration based on output from a velocity sensor 4. GPS mediated signal receiving portion 2 receives radio navigation waves from plural GPS satellites. The device detects a frequency change of the radio waves evoked as a result of Doppler effect, acquires horizontal and vertical velocity components based on the frequency change, and determines, by calculation, a gradient angle. Then, the device determines, by calculation, the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle (G. sin θ). The device adds the real acceleration and the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle (G. sin θ) to provide a theoretical acceleration of the acceleration sensor. The device divides the theoretical acceleration of the acceleration sensor with the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 6, and subtracts the result from output from the acceleration sensor 6, to provide a right offset value. Then, the sequentially obtained offset values are averaged to give an updated offset value. This process makes it possible to readily obtain a right offset value even during the driving of the mobile body.

Claims

1. A correction device for correcting acceleration data, correction being achieved by determining, via calculation, an offset value of an acceleration sensor which detects the acceleration of a mobile body and delivers the detection result as output, and by correcting acceleration data determined based on output from the acceleration sensor using the offset value, comprising:

real acceleration calculating section for determining, by calculation, a real acceleration of the mobile body based on a signal changing in association with the moving velocity of the mobile body;

velocity data acquiring section for acquiring horizontal and vertical velocity components by receiving radio waves from plural artificial satellites, and using a frequency change of received radio waves evoked as a result of Doppler effect;

gradient angle calculating section for calculating a gradient angle between a horizontal plane passing through the mobile body and a plane towards which the mobile body is moving, based on the horizontal and vertical velocity components acquired by the velocity data acquiring section;

gravitational acceleration sine of gradient angle calculating section for determining, by calculation, a gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle determined by the gradient angle calculating section;

reference value calculating section for determining, by calculation, reference acceleration data based on the real acceleration provided by the real acceleration calculating section and on the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle provided by the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle calculating section; and

correcting section for correcting the offset based on the reference acceleration data provided by the reference value calculating section.

2. A correction device for correcting acceleration data according to claim 1 wherein:

the correcting section divides plural reference acceleration data obtained during the driving of the mobile body with the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor, and subtracts the result from output from the sensor, so that the plural offset values are averaged.

3. A correction device for correcting acceleration data according to claim 1 wherein:

the correcting section, on detection of a driving condition where the real acceleration determined by the real acceleration calculating section is nearly zero, and the gradient angle determined by the gradient angle calculating section is nearly zero degree, takes up output from the acceleration sensor, and adopts it as an approximately right offset value.

7. A navigation guide system comprising:

a correction device for correcting acceleration data according to claim 1;

and

a navigation guide device which acquires acceleration data corrected by the correction device, and guides the navigation of a mobile vehicle by providing the mobile body with information regarding the moving state of the mobile body in accordance with the current driving performance of the mobile body together with map information.

4. A correction method for correcting acceleration data, correction being achieved by causing a computation section to correct an offset value of an acceleration sensor which detects the change of velocity of a mobile body and delivers it as output, comprises the steps of:

detecting a signal changing in accordance with the moving velocity of the mobile body;

determining, by calculation, a real acceleration of the mobile body based on the detected signal;

acquiring horizontal and vertical velocity components by receiving radio waves from plural artificial satellites, and using a frequency change of received radio waves evoked as a result of Doppler effect;

determining, by calculation, a gradient angle between a horizontal plane passing through the mobile body and a plane towards which the mobile body is moving, based on the horizontal and vertical velocity components;

determining, by calculation, the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle;

determining, by calculation, a reference velocity data by adding the real acceleration of the mobile body and the gravitational acceleration sine of the gradient angle; and

correcting the acceleration data by correcting the offset value based on the reference acceleration data.

5. A correction program based on which computation section can effect a navigation guide method according to claim 4.

6. A recording medium for recording an acceleration data correction program wherein the acceleration data correction program according to claim 5 is recorded in a form legible to computation section.