POSITIONING UNIT, POSITIONING SYSTEM AND POSITIONING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140074398A1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Accton Technology Corporation
• Inventors: LIU, I-Ru, LIU, Te-Yao
• Application Number:
  US13/952,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/472
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial

Abstract

A positioning unit, a positioning system and a positioning method thereof are provided. The positioning method is used in the positioning system and includes: receiving a plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a first satellite-positioning data by a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit; receiving the plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a second satellite-positioning data by a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit; receiving the first satellite-positioning data by a first GNSS unit; receiving the second satellite-positioning data by a second GNSS unit; and estimating a first positioning data and a second positioning data according to a measurement data of the vehicle, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data by a dead-reckoning unit, the dead-reckoning unit outputs an output-positioning data correspondingly.

Claims

1. A positioning unit, installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit, configured to receive a first satellite-positioning data;

a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) unit, configured to receive a second satellite-positioning data; and

a dead-reckoning unit, configured to estimate a first positioning data and a second positioning data according to a measurement data of the vehicle, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data, and the dead-reckoning unit outputting an output-positioning data correspondingly.

2. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

a dead-reckoning sensor, configured to generate the measurement data at a certain point in time;

a time-propagation unit, configured to estimate a first navigation data and a second navigation data at the certain point in time according to a first feedback-positioning data, a second feedback-positioning data of a previous point in time, and the measurement data of the certain point in time; and

a measurement-updating unit, configured to estimate the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time according to the first navigation data, the second navigation data at the certain point in time and the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data.

3. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the measurement-updating unit estimates the first positioning data at the certain point in time according to the first navigation data and the first satellite-positioning at the certain point in time as the measurement-updating unit receives the first satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time;

or

the measurement-updating unit estimates the second positioning data at the certain point in time according to the second navigation data at the certain point in time and the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time as the measurement-updating unit receives the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time.

4. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

an examination unit, configured to define a first examination window and a second examination window according to a predetermined variation, the first positioning data and the second positioning data respectively, and configured to examine the first positioning data and the second positioning data according to the first examination window and a second examination window to generate a third positioning data and the fourth positioning data respectively.

5. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the examination unit defines the first positioning data as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is in the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the minimum of the first examination window as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is smaller than the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the maximum of the first examination window as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is greater than the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the second positioning data as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is in the second examination window;

the examination unit defines the minimum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is smaller than the second examination window;

or

the examination unit defines the maximum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is greater than the second examination window.

6. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

an average calculating unit, configured to generate a fifth positioning data and a sixth positioning data according to a first predetermined weight, a second predetermined weight, the first positioning data and the second positioning data.

7. The positioning unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein

the average calculating unit generates the fifth positioning data according to the following formula:

the fifth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), the second predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5;

or

the average calculating unit generates the sixth positioning data according to the following formula;

the sixth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, the second predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5.

8. A positioning system, used in a tunnel, comprising:

a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit, installed on the tunnel and configured to receive a plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generate a first satellite-positioning data;

a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit, installed on the tunnel and configured to receive the plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generate a second satellite-positioning data; and

a positioning unit, installed in a vehicle, comprising;

a first GNSS unit, configured to receive the first satellite-positioning data;

a second GNSS unit, configured to receive the second satellite-positioning data; and

a dead-reckoning unit, configured to estimate a first positioning data and a second positioning data according to a measurement data of the vehicle, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data, and the dead-reckoning unit outputting an output-positioning data correspondingly.

9. The positioning system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

a dead-reckoning sensor, configured to generate the measurement data at a certain point in time;

a time-propagation unit, configured to estimate a first navigation data and a second navigation data at the certain point in time according to a first feedback-positioning data, a second feedback-positioning data at a previous point in time and the measurement data at the certain point in time; and

a measurement-updating unit, configured to estimate the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time according to the first navigation data, the second navigation data at the certain point in time and the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data.

10. The positioning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the measurement-updating unit estimates the first positioning data at the certain point in time according to the first navigation data at the certain point in time and the first satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time as the measurement-updating unit receives the first satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time;

or

the measurement-updating unit estimates the second positioning data at the certain point in time according to the second navigation data at the certain point in time and the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time as the measurement-updating unit receives the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time.

11. The positioning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

an examination unit, configured to define a first examination window and a second examination window according to a predetermined variation, the first positioning data and the second positioning data respectively, and configured to examine the first positioning data and the second positioning data to generate a third positioning data and a fourth positioning data according to the first examination window and a second examination window respectively.

12. The positioning system as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the examination unit defines the first positioning data as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is in the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the minimum of the first examination window as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is smaller than the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the maximum of the first examination window as the third positioning data when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is greater than the first examination window;

the examination unit defines the second positioning data as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is in the second examination window;

the examination unit defines the minimum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is smaller than the second examination window;

or

the examination unit defines the minimum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is greater than the second examination window.

13. The positioning system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dead-reckoning unit further comprises:

an average calculating unit, configured to generate a fifth positioning data and a sixth positioning data according to a first predetermined weight, a second predetermined weight, the first positioning data and the second positioning data.

14. The positioning system as claimed in claim 13, wherein

the average calculating unit generates the fifth positioning data according to the following formula:

the fifth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), the second predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5;

or

the average calculating unit generates the sixth positioning data according to the following formula;

the sixth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, the second predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5.

15. A positioning method, used in a positioning system, comprising following steps:

receiving a plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a first satellite-positioning data by a first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit;

receiving the plurality of global navigation satellite signals and generating a second satellite-positioning data by a second Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio unit;

receiving the first satellite-positioning data by a first GNSS unit;

receiving the second satellite-positioning data by a second GNSS unit; and

estimating a first positioning data and a second positioning data according to a measurement data of the vehicle, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data by a dead-reckoning unit, and the dead-reckoning unit outputting an output-positioning data correspondingly.

16. The positioning method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising following steps:

generating the measurement data at a certain point in time by a dead-reckoning sensor;

estimating a first navigation data and a second navigation data at the certain point in time according to a first feedback-positioning data, a second feedback-positioning data at a previous point in time and the measurement data at the certain point in time by a time-propagation unit; and

estimating the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data at the certain point in time according to the first navigation data, the second navigation data at the certain point in time, the first satellite-positioning data and the second satellite-positioning data by a measurement-updating unit.

17. The positioning method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising following steps:

defining a first examination window and a second examination window according to a predetermined variation and the first positioning data and the second positioning data by an examination unit respectively; and

examining the first positioning data and the second positioning data to generate a third positioning data and a fourth positioning data by using the first examination window and a second examination window by the examination unit respectively.

18. The positioning method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising following steps:

defining the first positioning data as the third positioning data by the examination unit when the first positioning data is in the first examination window;

defining the minimum of the first examination window as the third positioning data by the examination unit when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is smaller than the first examination window;

defining the maximum of the first examination window as the third positioning data by the examination unit when the first positioning data is out of the first examination window and is greater than the first examination window;

defining the second positioning data as the fourth positioning data by the examination unit when the second positioning data is in the second examination window;

defining the minimum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data by the examination unit when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is smaller than the second examination window;

or

defining the maximum of the second examination window as the fourth positioning data by the examination unit when the second positioning data is out of the second examination window and is greater than the second examination window.

19. The positioning method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising following steps:

generating a fifth positioning data and a sixth positioning data according to a first predetermined weight, a second predetermined weight, the first positioning data and the second positioning data by an average calculating unit.

20. The positioning method as claimed in claim 19, wherein

the fifth positioning data is generated by the average calculating unit according to the following formula:

the fifth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), the second predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5;

or

the sixth positioning data is generated by the average calculating unit according to the following formula;

the sixth positioning data=the first predetermined weight*the first positioning data+the second predetermined weight*the second positioning data, wherein the first predetermined weight=%Δ

z′

, the second predetermined weight=(1−

%Δ

z′

), and %Δ

z′

≦

0.5.