Vehicle-locating method and device

• US 6,037,881 A
• Filed: 05/27/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hani-Prolectronh AG
• Original Assignee: Hani-Prolectronh AG
• Inventors: Gfeller, Andreas, Fitze, Ernst, Bornhauser, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/068,993
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 340/994, 340/906, 340/988, 340/907, 340/905, 340/928, 701/217, 701/20, 701/220, 701/117, 701/207, 342/357.07, 246/124, 455/66
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/133 within the vehicle ; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops

Abstract

The method and device serve to continuously locate vehicles (LB) which contain a computer (IR) connected to a path data measuring unit which emits a measured value corresponding to the distance covered. The computer (IR) is further connected to a path data memory (CD) in which the route network to be traveled, the target stopping positions s of bus stops (H) with their mutual distances D and the stopping ranges d associated with the stops (H) are stored. On the basis of the data stored and at least one accuracy factor g corresponding to the path length measurement, the computer (IR) establishes the capture range f_y of a stop (H_y) on the traffic path and corrects the measured value w as soon as the vehicle (LB) stops and the measured value w lies in the dynamically determined capture range f_y.

Claims

1. Method for continuously locating vehicles, the vehicles including a computer connected to a path data measuring unit that emits a measured value corresponding to a traveled distance and further connected to a path data memory, in which the route to be traveled, the position of bus stops, and the distances between stops are stored, the method comprising:

assigning stopping ranges for the bus stops, wherein the stopping ranges are one of stored in the path data memory and determined from additionally stored data related to the bus stops including target stopping positions and the lengths of bus stops;

positioning the vehicle within a first stopping range of a first bus stop,

measuring, with the path data measuring unit, a distance from the vehicle within the first stopping range to the first bus stop;

determining a capture range (f_y) for a subsequent bus stop by adding the stopping ranges for one of the first and a preceding bus stop (d_x) and for the subsequent bus stop (d_y) to a measuring deviation (e), which is determined by multiplying a distance (D) between the first and subsequent bus stops by at least one accuracy factor (g) corresponding to the path data measurement;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f.sub.y =d.sub.x +d.sub.y +D*g=d.sub.x +d.sub.y +e;

measuring a distance from the vehicle to the subsequent bus stop,

wherein, if the measured distance to the subsequent bus stop lies within the determined capture range, the computer determines that the bus stop was reached. and the measurement deviation is set back to zero, and

wherein, if the measured distance to the subsequent bus stop lies outside of the determined capture range for the subsequent bus stop, then the measured value is corrected in a direction of the second stopping range.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

dividing the determined capture range (f_y) into a first capture range (vf_y), positioned before a target stopping position (s_y), and a second capture range (hf_y), positioned after the target stopping range (s_y),

associating an accuracy factor (g_v, g_h) to the capture ranges (vf_y, hf_y);

determining, from one of the first bus stop and a previous bus stop, a maximum possible measurement deviation (u2, u1) to the capture ranges (vf_y, hf_y), which correspond to portions of the stopping range of the one of the first bus stop and the previous bus stop, which were divided by the measured value;

##EQU9##

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein various accuracy factors values g or g_v and g_h are used for at least one of various vehicles and route ranges.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein when passing a beacon, the measurement deviation e, e_v, e_h and the maximum possible measurement deviation u or u2 and u1 are set to zero, and the method further comprises:

measuring a distance D_b from the beacon; and

determining the capture range f_y of a next bus stop (H_y) with the following;

##EQU10##

5. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein when determining a position of the vehicle via satellite, the measurement deviation e, e_v, e_h are set to zero, and the method further comprises:

measuring a distance D_s from the place at which the satellite locating occurs; and

determining the capture range f_y of a next bus stop (H_y) with the following;

##EQU11## wherein u represents a measurement deviation.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, the method further comprising at least one of:

setting the measured value to one of a nearer limiting value of stopping range d_y if the measured value lies outside of the stopping range d_y ; and

adjusting the measured value to the target stopping position s_y if the measured value lies within the stopping range d_y as determined by a difference between the measured value and a position of a target stopping position s_y.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measured value correction is performed for each stop within the capture range f of a bus stop (H).

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measured value correction is not completed until after a vehicle door has been released.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein capture ranges fare established for further points along the route at which at least one of information is to be given to passengers, control signals are to be given to traffic lights, and activities are to be triggered.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stopping range d is determined by at least one of the stored target stopping range s, the length of the bus stop and the length of the vehicle.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the computer whether the capture ranges f are overlapped by two bus stops (H); and

advising a vehicle operator to perform a manual correction if the stopping of the bus occurs within the overlap of both capture ranges f.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein when driving forward within the stopping range d of a bus stop (H), a measurement deviation u2 is reduced, and

wherein when the measured distance to the subsequent bus stop exceeds the value of the ending point of the stopping range, a measurement deviation u1 corresponding to the distance driven forward is reduced.

13. A device for continuously locating vehicles, the vehicles including a computer connected to a path data measuring unit that emits a measured value corresponding to a traveled distance and further connected to a path data memory, in which the route to be traveled, the position of bus stops, and the distances between stops are stored, the device comprising:

bus stops are assigned with stopping ranges d which are one of stored in the path data memory and calculatable by additionally stored data associated with the bus stops including target stopping positions and the lengths of bus stops;

the path data measurement unit adapted to measure a distance, within a first stopping range, from the vehicle to a first bus stop;

the computer is designed to determine a capture range (f_y) for a subsequent bus stop by adding the one of the stored and calculatable stopping ranges for one of the first and a preceding bus stop (d_x) and for the subsequent bus stop (d_y) to a measuring deviation (e), which is determined by multiplying a distance (D) between the first and subsequent bus stops by at least one accuracy factor (g) corresponding to the path data measurement;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f.sub.y =d.sub.x +d.sub.y +*g=d.sub.x +d.sub.y +e;

the path data measurement unit adapted to measure a distance from the vehicle to a subsequent bus stop;

wherein, if the measured distance to the subsequent bus stop lies within the determined capture range, the computer determines that the bus stop was reached, and the measurement deviation is set back to zero, and

wherein, if the measured distance to the subsequent bus stop lies outside of the determined capture range for the subsequent bus stop, then the measured value is corrected in a direction of the second stopping range.