Positioning System

• US 20090030605A1
• Filed: 01/28/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/020,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030605A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/20 including control of steering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0071 Controller overrides driver automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0073 Driver overrides controller
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/04 related to roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18154 Approaching an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18159 Traversing an intersection
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/06 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/072 Curvature of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/076 Slope angle of the road
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 : of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 : Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/17 : Emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 : Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 : Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 : whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4975 : of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 : Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 : combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 : Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 : Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 : Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 : using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 : Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 : using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 : in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93272 : in the back of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93273 : on the top of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 : cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 : involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 : involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 : using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 : using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 : comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 : using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 : Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

System for determining accurate position of an object such as a vehicle includes a GPS positioning system arranged to communicate with one or more satellites to obtain GPS signals therefrom, a correction unit coupled to the positioning system and arranged to receive or derive positional corrections for positional data derived from the GPS signals to thereby improve accuracy of the position of the object provided by the positioning system, and a notification system for notifying a person concerned with the position of the object about the current position of the object. The correction unit may be a DGPS-based correction unit arranged to communicate with satellites to receive positional corrections therefrom and/or communicate with ground base stations to receive positional corrections therefrom.

Claims

1. A system for determining accurate position of an object, comprising:

a GPS positioning system arranged to communicate with one or more satellites to obtain GPS signals therefrom;

a correction unit coupled to said positioning system and arranged to receive or derive positional corrections for positional data derived from the GPS signals to thereby improve accuracy of the position of the object provided by said positioning system; and

a notification system for notifying a person concerned with the position of the object about the current position of the object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said correction unit is a DGPS-based correction unit.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation system coupled to said correction unit for receiving and acting upon the accurate positional information of the object provided by said correction unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the object is a vehicle, further comprising a map database coupled to said navigation system, said navigation system being arranged to receive information about a travel lane the vehicle is travelling on and guiding an operator of the vehicle based on the accurate positional information and travel lane information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said notification system is a warning system arranged to notify an operator of the vehicle of the position of the vehicle to prevent accidents involving the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a display for displaying the position of the vehicle on a map along with the position of other vehicles.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said correction unit is arranged to communicate with satellites to receive positional corrections therefrom.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said correction unit is arranged to communicate with ground base stations to receive positional corrections therefrom.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is a vehicle, further comprising means for communicating with other vehicles and transmitting GPS signals and/or positional corrections to the other vehicles and/or receiving GPS signals and/or positional corrections from the other vehicles.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display for displaying the position of the vehicle and other vehicles on a map.

12. A vehicular system for determining accurate position of the vehicle, comprising:

a GPS positioning system arranged to communicate with one or more satellites to obtain GPS signals therefrom;

a correction unit coupled to said positioning system and arranged to receive or derive positional corrections for positional data derived from the GPS signals to thereby improve accuracy of the position of the vehicle provided by said positioning system;

means for communicating with other vehicles and transmitting GPS signals and/or positional corrections to the other vehicles and/or receiving GPS signals and/or positional corrections from the other vehicles; and

a display for displaying the position of the vehicle and other vehicles on a map.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a notification system for notifying an operator of the vehicle about a possible collision between the vehicle and one of the other vehicles.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said correction unit is a DGPS-based correction unit.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a navigation system coupled to said correction unit for receiving and acting upon the accurate positional information of the object provided by said correction unit.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a map database coupled to said navigation system, said navigation system being arranged to receive information about a travel lane the vehicle is travelling on and guiding an operator of the vehicle based on the accurate positional information and travel lane information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said correction unit is arranged to communicate with satellites to receive positional corrections therefrom.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said correction unit is arranged to communicate with ground base stations to receive positional corrections therefrom.

19. A system for determining accurate position of an object, comprising:

a GPS positioning system arranged to communicate with one or more satellites to obtain GPS signals therefrom;

a DGPS correction unit coupled to said positioning system and arranged to receive or derive positional corrections for positional data derived from the GPS signals to thereby improve accuracy of the position of the object provided by said positioning system;

a navigation system coupled to said correction unit for receiving the accurate positional information of the object provided by said correction unit and generating data about movement of the object; and

a notification system for notifying a person concerned with the position of the object about the movement of the object.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the object is a vehicle, further comprising a map database coupled to said navigation system, said navigation system being arranged to receive information about a travel lane the vehicle is traveling on and guiding an operator of the vehicle based on the accurate positional information and travel lane information, said notification system being a warning system arranged to notify an operator of the vehicle of the position of the vehicle to prevent accidents involving the vehicle.