Height generating satellite navigation system

• US 20060271288A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bruelle-Drews, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3822 Road feature data, e.g. slope data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A vehicle satellite navigation system is provided for generating a standard height for a geographic location where the vehicle is located. The system may include a satellite receiver (100) that is capable of generating position data as a function of signals received from navigation satellites. The position data may include a longitude, a latitude, and a ellipsoidal height. The system may store undulation values for a geographic area in an undulation grid model (146) or in a digital map. The system may determine an approximate undulation value for the position, and calculate the standard height value for the position.

Claims

1. A vehicle satellite navigation system for determining a standard height for a position, the system comprising:

a satellite receiver operable to receive radio signals from navigation satellites and generate, as a function of the radio signals, a position for the vehicle;

a data storage device operable to store an undulation value for the position; and

a processor coupled to the satellite receiver and to the data storage device;

where the position has an ellipsoidal height value and the processor is operable to generate a standard height value for the position as a function of the ellipsoidal height value and the undulation value.

2. The vehicle satellite navigation system of claim 1, comprising a digital map representing a section of road as a vector that includes the undulation value, where the data storage device includes the digital map.

3. The vehicle satellite navigation system of claim 2, comprising a height grid model that includes the undulation value, where the data storage device includes the height grid model.

4. The vehicle satellite navigation system of claim 1, comprising a height grid model that includes the undulation value, where the data storage device includes the height grid model.

5. The vehicle satellite navigation system of claim 1, comprising a digital map representing a road as a vector and a height grid model that includes the undulation value, where the data storage device includes the digital map and the height grid model.

6. A method for determining a standard height for a vehicle position, the method comprising:

receiving radio signals from navigation satellites;

determining a longitude, a latitude, and an ellipsoidal height for a vehicle position as a function of the radio signals;

retrieving a stored undulation value; and

generating a standard height for the vehicle position as a function of the ellipsoidal height value and the undulation value.

7. The method of claim 6, where the stored undulation value includes a set of undulation values for an area

8. The method of claim 7, where retrieving the undulation value includes identifying an undulation value from the set of undulation values based on the longitude and latitude of the vehicle position.

9. The method of claim 6, further including the step of storing an undulation value for later retrieval.

10. The method of claim 9, where the step of storing the undulation value for later retrieval includes storing an undulation grid model having undulation values, where each undulation value in the undulation grid model is associated with an area.

11. The method of claim 6, where generating a standard height for the vehicle position includes subtracting the stored undulation value from the ellipsoidal height.

12. The method of claim 6, where generating a standard height for the vehicle position includes adding the stored undulation value to the ellipsoidal height.

14. The method of claim 12, further including the step of storing the digital map.

15. The method of claim 14, where storing the digital map includes storing a vector that represents a section of road, and associating an undulation value of the set of undulation values with the vector.

16. The method of claim 14, where storing the digital map includes storing a height grid model that includes the set of undulation values.

17. The method of claim 16, where storing the digital map includes associating a subset of undulation values from the set of undulation values with the vector.

13. A method for determining a standard height for a vehicle position, the method comprising:

receiving radio signals from navigation satellites;

determining a longitude, latitude, and ellipsoidal height for the vehicle position as a function of the radio signals;

retrieving, based on the longitude and the latitude of the vehicle position, an undulation value from a set of undulation values stored in a digital map; and

generating a standard height for the vehicle position as a function of the ellipsoidal height and the undulation value.

18. The method of claim 13, where generating a standard height for the position includes combining the undulation value with the ellipsoidal height.

19. An article of manufacture comprising:

a program storage device having a program of instructions embodied therein for causing a vehicle navigation system to determine a standard height for a vehicle position, the program of instructions in the article of manufacture comprising;

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to receive radio signals from navigation satellites;

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to determine a longitude, a latitude, and an ellipsoidal height for the vehicle position as a function of the radio signals;

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to retrieve a stored undulation value; and

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to generate a standard height for the vehicle position as a function of the ellipsoidal height and the undulation value.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, where the program storage device is selected from the group comprising a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, and an electromagnetic storage device.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, where the program of instructions comprises instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to store a digital map for an area, where the digital map includes the set of undulation values.

22. An electromagnetic signal having a program of instructions embodied therein for causing a vehicle navigation system to determine a standard height for a vehicle position, the program of instructions comprising:

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to receive radio signals from navigation satellites;

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to determine a longitude, a latitude, and an ellipsoidal height for the vehicle position as a function of the radio signals;

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to retrieve a stored undulation value; and

instructions for causing the vehicle navigation system to generate a standard height for the vehicle position as a function of the ellipsoidal height and the undulation value.

23. The electromagnetic signal of claim 22, further including the step of storing a digital map.

24. The electromagnetic signal of claim 23, where storing the digital map includes storing a vector that represents a section of road, and associating the undulation value with the vector.

25. A vehicle satellite navigation system for determining a standard height for a position, the system comprising:

a satellite receiver operable to receive radio signals from navigation satellites and generate, as a function of the radio signals, a position for the vehicle;

a means for storing an undulation value for the position;

a means for embodying a program of instructions; and

a processor coupled to the satellite receiver, to the means for storing, and to the means for embodying;

where the position has an ellipsoidal height value and the processor is operable to execute the program of instructions to generate a standard height value for the position as a function of the ellipsoidal height value and the undulation value.