Vehicle map position determining apparatus
First Claim
1. Vehicle map position determining apparatus comprising:
- map memory means for storing map data defining fixed road segments which exist in an overall geographical area;
determining means coupled to said map memory means for accessing said map data and determining which of said road segments have at least a portion inside a subregion of said geographical area, said subregion generally defining a quadrilateral;
means for receiving vehicle position data; and
utilization means coupled to said receiving means and said determining means for utilizing said vehicle position data and said map data in said map memory means which defines said road segments determined as having at least a portion inside said subregion to provide vehicle navigation/position information to a vehicle user,wherein said determining means includes,means for receiving, as said map data, data defining start and end coordinates of each of said road segments;
means for defining said subregion in terms of boundary coordinates;
means, coupled to said receiving means and said defining means, for comparing said start and end road segment coordinates with said boundary coordinates and providing, as a result of said comparison, a set of electrical signals defining the location of each of said start and end coordinates with respect to said subregion, said set of electrical signals defining the location of said start and end road segment coordinates as being inside said subregion or in any one of four corner areas adjacent said subregion or in any one of four middle side areas each between two of said corner areas and adjacent said subregion; and
logic means for identifying any of said road segments as having at least a portion inside said subregion in response to said set of electrical signals indicating each one of said road segment start and end coordinates being in different ones of said middle side areas on opposite sides of said subregion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle navigation/position system (10) investigates road segments having start and end coordinates stored in a road map data memory (13). The system determines what road segments have at least a portion inside a rectangle of interest (ROI-100) about an estimated vehicle position (101). Map matching then corrects vehicle position by locating vehicle position on one of the road segments inside the rectangle of interest. Vehicle location/navigation information is then provided. A computer (11) identifies road segments as inside the rectangle of interest (100) by creating electrical signals associated with each road segment start/end coordinate as compared to boundary coordinates of the rectangle. These electrical signals identify the road segment coordinates with respect to areas (B-I) surrounding the rectangle of interest (A). For road segments extending between opposite middle side areas (B-I, C-G), the computer (11) determines the road segment inside the rectangle of interest, and the road segment is added to a list.
118 Citations
24 Claims
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1. Vehicle map position determining apparatus comprising:
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map memory means for storing map data defining fixed road segments which exist in an overall geographical area; determining means coupled to said map memory means for accessing said map data and determining which of said road segments have at least a portion inside a subregion of said geographical area, said subregion generally defining a quadrilateral; means for receiving vehicle position data; and utilization means coupled to said receiving means and said determining means for utilizing said vehicle position data and said map data in said map memory means which defines said road segments determined as having at least a portion inside said subregion to provide vehicle navigation/position information to a vehicle user, wherein said determining means includes, means for receiving, as said map data, data defining start and end coordinates of each of said road segments; means for defining said subregion in terms of boundary coordinates; means, coupled to said receiving means and said defining means, for comparing said start and end road segment coordinates with said boundary coordinates and providing, as a result of said comparison, a set of electrical signals defining the location of each of said start and end coordinates with respect to said subregion, said set of electrical signals defining the location of said start and end road segment coordinates as being inside said subregion or in any one of four corner areas adjacent said subregion or in any one of four middle side areas each between two of said corner areas and adjacent said subregion; and logic means for identifying any of said road segments as having at least a portion inside said subregion in response to said set of electrical signals indicating each one of said road segment start and end coordinates being in different ones of said middle side areas on opposite sides of said subregion. - 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. Vehicle map position determining apparatus comprising:
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means for providing coordinates for an estimated vehicle position; map memory means for storing map data defining fixed road segments which exists in an overall geographical area; determining means coupled to said map memory means for accessing said map data and determining which of said road segments have at least a portion inside a subregion of said geographical area about said estimated vehicle position, said subregion generally defining a quadrilateral; map matching means coupled to said determining means for utilizing said map data in said map memory means which defines said road segments determined as having at least a portion inside said subregion and said estimated vehicle position to provide a corrected vehicle position; and means to provide vehicle navigation/position information to a vehicle user based on the corrected vehicle position; wherein said determining means includes, means for receiving, as said map data, data defining start and end coordinates of each of said road segments; means for defining said subregion in terms of boundary coordinates; means, coupled to said receiving means and said defining means, for comparing said start and end road segment coordinates with said boundary coordinates and providing, as a result of said comparison, a set of electrical signals defining the location of each of said start and end coordinates with respect to said subregion, said set of electrical signals defining the location of said start and end road segment coordinates as being inside said subregion or in any one of four corner areas adjacent said subregion or in any one of four middle side areas each between two of said corner areas and adjacent said subregion, and logic means for identifying any of said road segments as having at least a portion inside said subregion in response to said set of electrical signals indicating each one of said road segment start and end coordinates being in different ones of said middle side areas on opposite sides of said subregion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification