METHOD FOR DETERMINING A REFERENCE POSITION AS THE STARTING POSITION FOR AN INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20150369608A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Sthlin, Ulrich, Rink, Klaus, Menzel, Marc, Zalewski, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,658,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers

Abstract

A method for determining a reference position as the basis for a starting position for an inertial navigation system which is designed to determine the location of a vehicle on the basis of the starting position and a change in the relative position of the vehicle, the method including the steps of: detecting an ambient condition around the vehicle, determining a position of the vehicle at the location of the detected ambient condition, and assigning the determined position to the detected ambient condition as a reference position.

Claims

1. A method for determining a reference position as the basis for a starting position for an inertial navigation system, which is designed to determine the position of a vehicle from the starting position and a relative position change of the vehicle, comprising:

detecting an ambient condition around the vehicle,

determining a position of the vehicle at the location of the detected ambient condition, and

associating with the detected ambient condition the determined position as a reference position.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determined position is associated as a reference position with the detected ambient condition on the basis of a probability with which the vehicle passes the reference position.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the probability depends on a frequency of detection of the ambient condition which is associated with the determined position as a reference position.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the reference position is a filter value from a number of determined positions at the point of the detected ambient condition around the vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising initiating the detection of the ambient condition on the basis of a characteristic event.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the characteristic event is a predetermined point in time or time period.

7. A method for operating an inertial navigation system, which is designed to determine an absolute position of a vehicle, comprising:

determining a reference position using a method as claimed in claim 1,

determining a starting position for the inertial navigation system on the basis of the reference position, and

determining the absolute position of the vehicle on the basis of the starting position.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, comprising determining the starting position by correcting the reference position on the basis of a position of the vehicle determined by a satellite navigation system.

9. A method for plotting a map in a navigation system, comprising:

determining a reference position using a method as claimed in claim 1, and

entering into the map the determined reference position as a road segment.

10. A control device, which is designed to implement a method for determining a reference position as the basis for a starting position for an inertial navigation system, which is designed to determine the position of a vehicle from the starting position and a relative position change of the vehicle, comprising:

detecting an ambient condition around the vehicle,

determining a position of the vehicle at the location of the detected ambient condition, and

associating with the detected ambient condition the determined position as a reference position