Method for estimating location of moving object in navigation system

• US 7,117,087 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Mun Ho, Byun, Seong Chan, Park, Yong Hyun, Joe, Moon Jeung
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/681,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701207-208, 701213-217, 701/300, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995.14, 340/995.22, 340/995.25, 340/995.28, 342/357.01, 342/357.02, 342/357.03, 342/357.04, 342/357.06, 342/357.13, 342/357.14, 342/358
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for estimating location of a moving object in a navigation system, which is capable of accurately estimating location of the object in a shadow area of GPS location data so that navigation service is provided. A method for estimating location of a moving object in a navigation system includes the steps of: (a) receiving GPS location data from a moving object; (b) determining GPS shadow area by using the received GPS location data; (c) calculating moving straight distance of the moving object with reference to a last GPS location data in visible regions when the moving object is in a GPS shadow area; (d) calculating virtual location data by using the calculated moving straight distance of the moving object; and (e) calculating estimated location on a digital numeric map positioned nearest from the virtual location data, and performing a map-matching to provide a navigation service.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a location of a moving object in a navigation system, comprising:

(a) receiving GPS (Global Positioning System) location data from a moving object;

(b) determining if the moving object has entered a GPS shadow area by using the received GPS location data, said GPS shadow area corresponding to an area where received GPS location data is unreliable;

(c) calculating a moving straight distance of the moving object with reference to a last GPS location data in a visible region when the moving object is in a GPS shadow area;

(d) calculating a virtual location data by using the calculated moving straight distance of the moving object; and

(e) calculating an estimated location on a digital numeric map positioned nearest from the virtual location data, and performing a map-matching to provide a navigation service,

wherein the step (c) calculates the moving straight distance based on a non-GPS velocity of the moving object and an estimation unit time period, and

wherein in the step (e), the virtual location data is calculated using a reference point of any one of the last GPS location data in the GPS visible region and the estimated location data of the moving object in the shadow area, the calculated moving straight distance, and a due north reference angle between due north and a link positioned along the moving straight distance.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises:

(b-1) calculating an identifying value on a reliability of the GPS location data by using GPS location data from a plurality of GPS satellite;

(b-2) comparing the calculated identifying value with a set value; and

(b-3) if the identifying value is greater than or equal to the set value, determining that the GPS location data is unreliable and thus the location of the moving object is in the shadow area, and if the identifying value is less than the set value, determining that the GPS location data is reliable and thus the location of the moving object is in the visible region.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in the step (b-1), the identifying value of the reliability of the GPS location data is a horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP) value.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein in the sep (b-3), the location of the moving object is estimated using the GPS location data or a dead reckoning technique when the location of the moving object is determined to be in the visible region.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (e), coordinates (longitude, latitude) of the virtual location data are obtained by:

longitude=longitude of a previous map-matching location+the velocity of the moving object*cos (an attitude angle of the previous map-matching location)*time (sec), and latitude=latitude of the previous map-matching location+the velocity of the moving object*sin (the attitude angle of previous map-matching location)*time (sec).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the due north reference angle of the link is a link due north reference angle positioned on an extended traveling direction with reference to the previous map-matching location data of GPS location data.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(f) after the step (e), if the estimated location of the moving object is map-matched onto the digital numeric map, obtaining a next virtual location data of the moving object by using the calculated moving straight distance of the moving object and the due north reference angle of the corresponding link with reference to the map-matching location, and calculating a next estimated location by map-matching the next virtual location data onto a shortest distance of the digital numeric map.

8. A method for estimating a location of a moving object in a navigation system, comprising:

(a) receiving GPS (Global Positioning System) location data;

(b) determining if the moving object has entered a GPS shadow area by using the received GPS location data, said GPS shadow area corresponding to an area where received GPS location data is unreliable;

(c) obtaining a map-matching value of a last GPS location data in a visible region when the moving object is in a GPS shadow area, and calculating a moving straight distance of the moving object with reference to the map-matching value;

(d) detecting interpolated points and corresponding links linking the interpolated points using the calculated moving straight distance of the moving object;

(e) ascertaining which link the moving object is on; and

(f) estimating a moving location by using a length of the link the moving object is on, coordinates of the interpolated points, and a velocity of the moving objects

wherein the step (c) calculates the moving straight distance based on a non-GPS velocity of the moving object and an estimation unit time period, and

wherein a next location of the moving object in the shadow area is estimated using the calculated moving straight distance or residue moving straight distance of the moving object, coordinates of interpolated points connecting a corresponding link on the digital numeric map, a length of the corresponding link, and a due north reference angle of the corresponding link.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in the step (d), the links and the interpolated points are detected on a digital numeric map.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the location of the moving object in the shadow area is obtained by:

longitude=longitude of a previous interpolated point+the velocity of the moving object *cos (an estimated direction of the link)*time (sec), and

latitude=latitude of the previous interpolated point+the velocity of the moving object* sin (the estimated direction of the link)*time (sec),

where, the estimated direction of the link is the due north reference angle of the link.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the location (longitude, latitude) of the moving object in the shadow area is calculated using the non-GPS velocity of the moving object and the estimation unit time period, an estimated direction of a corresponding link, and coordinates (longitude, latitude) of interpolated points on the corresponding link.

10. A method for estimating a location of a moving object in a navigation system, comprising:

(a) receiving GPS (Global Positioning System) location data;

(b) determining if the moving object has entered a GPS shadow area by using the received GPS location data, said GPS shadow area corresponding to an area where received GPS location data is unreliable;

(c) obtaining a map-matching value of a last GPS location data in a visible region when the moving object is in a GPS shadow area, and calculating a moving straight distance of the moving object with reference to the map-matching value;

(d) detecting interpolated points and corresponding links linking the interpolated points using the calculated moving straight distance of the moving object;

(e) ascertaining which link the moving object is on; and

(f) estimating a moving location by using a length of the link the moving object is on, coordinates of the interpolated points, and a velocity of the moving object, wherein the step (e) comprises;

(e-1) calculating a first residue distance of a first link by using a distance to a next interpolated point from the last map-matching value;

(e-2) comparing the first residue distance of the first link with the calculated moving straight distance, determining that the moving object is on the first link if the first residue distance of the first link is greater than or equal to the calculated moving straight distance, and determining that the moving object is on a second link if the calculated moving straight distance is greater than the first residue distance of the first link; and

(e-3) if the moving object is determined to be on the second link, subtracting a second residue distance of the second link from the calculated moving straight distance, comparing the second residue distance with a distance of a third link, and determining whether the moving object is on the third link.