SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAP MATCHING WITH SENSOR DETECTED OBJECTS
First Claim
1. A method comprising the steps of:
- detecting at least one of a plurality of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle, using a sensor of said vehicle and estimating characteristics about said object, said sensor being calibrated to the position and orientation of said vehicle using GPS or another position and/or orientation-determination technology,estimating a location of said sensed object from position and orientation estimates of said vehicle, and at least some of the measurements of the sensor;
querying a map or image database by vehicle position or estimated sensed object location, said database allowing information to be retrieved for one or more of a plurality of objects, to extract at least one object depicted in said database for that position; and
comparing the sensed object with the extracted object using a comparison logic, and, if such comparison is successful to a predetermined degree, effecting one or more ofan adjustment of the GPS or otherwise-determined position or orientation of the vehicle,an adjustment of the position information for the extracted object as appearing in the database, ora graphical display of the extracted, database-depicted object as an icon or other graphical image on a graphical display of a navigation unit in an appropriate position as regards map data being concurrently displayed thereon being representative of the environs of current vehicle position.
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Abstract
A system and method for map matching with sensor detected objects. A direct sensor and object matching technique can be used to disambiguate objects that the driver passes. The technique also makes it possible for the navigation system to refine (i.e. improve the accuracy of) its position estimate. In some embodiments, a camera in the car can be used to produce, dynamically in real time, images of the vicinity of the vehicle. Map and object information can then be retrieved from a map database, and superimposed on those images for viewing by the driver, including accurately defining the orientation or the platform so that the alignment of the map data and the image data is accurate. Once alignment is achieved, the image can be further enhanced with information retrieved from the database about any in-image objects. Objects may be displayed accurately on a map display as icons that help the driver as he/she navigates the roads.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one of a plurality of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle, using a sensor of said vehicle and estimating characteristics about said object, said sensor being calibrated to the position and orientation of said vehicle using GPS or another position and/or orientation-determination technology, estimating a location of said sensed object from position and orientation estimates of said vehicle, and at least some of the measurements of the sensor; querying a map or image database by vehicle position or estimated sensed object location, said database allowing information to be retrieved for one or more of a plurality of objects, to extract at least one object depicted in said database for that position; and comparing the sensed object with the extracted object using a comparison logic, and, if such comparison is successful to a predetermined degree, effecting one or more of an adjustment of the GPS or otherwise-determined position or orientation of the vehicle, an adjustment of the position information for the extracted object as appearing in the database, or a graphical display of the extracted, database-depicted object as an icon or other graphical image on a graphical display of a navigation unit in an appropriate position as regards map data being concurrently displayed thereon being representative of the environs of current vehicle position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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an interface to one or more sensors, for detecting at least one of a plurality of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle, using a sensor of said vehicle and estimating characteristics about said object, said sensor being calibrated to the position and orientation of said vehicle using GPS or another position and/or orientation-determination technology; an interface for querying a map or image database by vehicle position or estimated sensed object location, said database allowing information to be retrieved for one or more of a plurality of objects, to extract at least one object depicted in said database for that position; and a logic for estimating a location of said sensed object from position and orientation estimates of said vehicle, and at least some of the measurements of the sensor, and comparing the sensed object with the extracted object and, if such comparison is successful to a predetermined degree, effecting one or more of an adjustment of the GPS or otherwise-determined position or orientation of the vehicle, an adjustment of the position information for the extracted object as appearing in the database, or a graphical display of the extracted, database-depicted object as an icon or other graphical image on a graphical display of a navigation unit in an appropriate position as regards map data being concurrently displayed thereon being representative of the environs of current vehicle position. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer readable medium, including instructions stored thereon, which when read and executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the steps comprising:
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detecting at least one of a plurality of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle, using a sensor of said vehicle and estimating characteristics about said object, said sensor being calibrated to the position and orientation of said vehicle using GPS or another position and/or orientation-determination technology, estimating a location of said sensed object from position and orientation estimates of said vehicle, and at least some of the measurements of the sensor; querying a map or image database by vehicle position or estimated sensed object location, said database allowing information to be retrieved for one or more of a plurality of objects, to extract at least one object depicted in said database for that position; and comparing the sensed object with the extracted object using a comparison logic, and, if such comparison is successful to a predetermined degree, effecting one or more of an adjustment of the GPS or otherwise-determined position or orientation of the vehicle, an adjustment of the position information for the extracted object as appearing in the database, or a graphical display of the extracted, database-depicted object as an icon or other graphical image on a graphical display of a navigation unit in an appropriate position as regards map data being concurrently displayed thereon being representative of the environs of current vehicle position.
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Specification