Method of using road signs to augment Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate data for calculating a current position of a personal navigation device

• US 20100103040A1
• Filed: 10/26/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZAMA Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Broadbent, Matt
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.280
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/485 whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system

Abstract

A method of using road signs to augment Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate data for calculating a current position of a personal navigation device includes obtaining recent GPS coordinate data with the personal navigation device, obtaining an image from a camera of the personal navigation device, the image showing areas surrounding a road on which the personal navigation device is traveling, recognizing a sign in the image by performing image processing on the image, and using a known position of the sign to augment the recent GPS coordinate data in order to more precisely determine an actual location of the personal navigation device.

Claims

1. A method of using road signs to augment Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate data for calculating a current position of a personal navigation device, the method comprising:

obtaining recent GPS coordinate data with the personal navigation device;

obtaining an image from a camera of the personal navigation device, the image showing areas surrounding a road on which the personal navigation device is traveling;

recognizing a sign in the image by performing image processing on the image; and

using a known position of the sign to augment the recent GPS coordinate data in order to more precisely determine an actual location of the personal navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sign is listed in a sign database, the sign database comprising a list of signs along with corresponding locations and properties of the signs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sign is recognized by comparing a shape of the sign to shapes of signs in the sign database.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sign is recognized by comparing a color of the sign to colors of signs in the sign database.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the sign is recognized by comparing text present on the sign to text of signs in the sign database.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the sign is recognized by comparing arrows present on the sign to arrows of signs in the sign database.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the sign is recognized by comparing an approximate location of the personal navigation device as provided by the recent GPS coordinate data to locations of signs in the sign database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the known position of the sign is used in conjunction with a predicted location of the personal navigation device to determine an actual position of the personal navigation device when more than one predicted location is calculated by the personal navigation device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the known position of the sign is used to perform a dead reckoning position calculation when no GPS signals are received by the personal navigation device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera is a video camera for continuously obtaining images.

11. A personal navigation device calculating a current position of the personal navigation device using road signs to augment received Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate data, the personal navigation device comprising:

a GPS receiver for obtaining recent GPS coordinate data;

a camera for obtaining an image showing areas surrounding a road on which the personal navigation device is traveling; and

a processor for recognizing a sign in the image by performing image processing on the image, and using a known position of the sign to augment the recent GPS coordinate data in order to more precisely determine an actual location of the personal navigation device.

12. The personal navigation device of claim 11, further comprising a sign database, the sign database comprising a list of signs along with corresponding locations and properties of the signs.

13. The personal navigation device of claim 12, wherein the processor recognizes the sign by comparing a shape of the sign to shapes of signs in the sign database.

14. The personal navigation device of claim 12, wherein the processor recognizes the sign by comparing a color of the sign to colors of signs in the sign database.

15. The personal navigation device of claim 12, wherein the processor recognizes the sign by comparing text present on the sign to text of signs in the sign database.

16. The personal navigation device of claim 12, wherein the processor recognizes the sign by comparing arrows present on the sign to arrows of signs in the sign database.

17. The personal navigation device of claim 12, wherein the processor recognizes the sign by comparing an approximate location of the personal navigation device as provided by the recent GPS coordinate data to locations of signs in the sign database.

18. The personal navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processor uses the known position of the sign in conjunction with a predicted location of the personal navigation device to determine an actual position of the personal navigation device when more than one predicted location is calculated by the processor using the recent GPS coordinate data.

19. The personal navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processor uses the known position of the sign to perform a dead reckoning position calculation when the GPS receiver receives no GPS signals.

20. The personal navigation device of claim 11, wherein the camera is a video camera for continuously obtaining images.