Positioning device, and navigation system

• US 8,041,472 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kagawa, Kazunori, Kobori, Norimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BAO LONG T
• Application Number:
  US12/089,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/8
• 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 5/011 Identifying the radio environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A positioning device that detects a position of a mobile body with a radio navigation positioning unit includes: first and second autonomous sensors obtaining behavioral information on the mobile body; a position detecting unit obtaining an estimated position and an estimated direction by updating a detection result based on the behavioral information from the first autonomous sensor; a map data positioning unit that refers to a map data storage unit based on the estimated position and obtains a map data linked position at a predetermined distance away from a link; a direction detecting unit obtaining a cumulative estimated direction by updating the detection result based on the behavioral information from the second autonomous sensor; and a most probable position estimating unit estimating the position of the mobile body from the estimated positions and directions using the Kalman filter.

Claims

1. A positioning device that detects a position of a mobile body with a radio navigation positioning unit, comprising:

first and second autonomous sensors configured to obtain, respectively, first and second behavioral information on the mobile body;

a position detecting unit configured to obtain an estimated position of the mobile body by updating a detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor;

a map data positioning unit configured to refer to a map data storage unit based on the estimated position obtained by the position detecting unit and thereby to obtain a map data linked position that is a predetermined distance away from a link corresponding to the estimated position;

a most probable position estimating unit configured to estimate the position of the mobile body from the estimated position and the map data linked position by applying an observation equation to a Kalman filter which couples the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor with the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor; and

a direction detecting unit configured to obtain a cumulative estimated direction by updating the detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor, wherein

the position detecting unit is further configured to estimate a direction of the mobile body based on the first behavioral information, and

the most probable position estimating unit is configured to estimate the position of the mobile body from the estimated position, the map data linked position, the estimated direction, and the cumulative estimated direction by applying the observation equation to the Kalman filter.

2. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the first autonomous sensor includes a rudder angle sensor and a speed sensor;

the second autonomous sensor includes a yaw rate sensor; and

the observation equation of the Kalman filter is expressed as follows;

3. A navigation system, comprising:

the positioning device as claimed in claim 1.

4. The positioning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to a distance between an initial position of the mobile body, which is obtained just before signals from the radio navigation positioning unit are lost, and a corresponding initial link.

5. A positioning device that detects a position of a mobile body with a radio navigation positioning unit, comprising:

first and second autonomous sensors configured to obtain, respectively, first and second behavioral information on the mobile body;

means for obtaining an estimated position of the mobile body by updating a detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor;

means for obtaining a map data linked position that is a predetermined distance away from a link corresponding to the estimated position by referring to a map data storage unit based on the estimated position obtained by the means for obtaining the estimated position of the mobile body;

means for estimating a most probable position of the mobile body from the estimated position and the map data linked position by applying an observation equation to a Kalman filter which couples the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor with the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor; and

means for obtaining a cumulative estimated direction by updating the detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor, wherein

the means for obtaining the estimated position of the mobile body also estimates a direction of the mobile body based on the first behavioral information, and

the means for estimating the most probable position estimates the position of the mobile body from the estimated position, the map data linked position, the estimated direction, and the cumulative estimated direction by applying the observation equation to the Kalman filter.

6. The positioning device as claimed in claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the first autonomous sensor includes a rudder angle sensor and a speed sensor to obtain the first behavioral information; and

the second autonomous sensor includes a yaw rate sensor to obtain the second behavioral information.

7. A positioning method for detecting a position of a mobile body with a radio navigation positioning unit, comprising:

obtaining, from first and second autonomous sensors, first and second behavioral information on the mobile body;

obtaining an estimated position of the mobile body by updating a detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor;

obtaining a map data linked position that is a predetermined distance away from a link corresponding to the estimated position by referring to a map data storage unit based on the estimated position obtained by the obtaining the estimated position of the mobile body;

estimating a most probable position of the mobile body from the estimated position and the map data linked position by applying an observation equation to a Kalman filter which couples the first behavioral information obtained by the first autonomous sensor with the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor; and

obtaining a cumulative estimated direction by updating the detection result from the radio navigation positioning unit based on the second behavioral information obtained by the second autonomous sensor; and

obtaining an estimated a direction of the mobile body based on the first behavioral information, wherein

the most probable position is estimated from the estimated position, the map data linked position, the estimated direction, and the cumulative estimated direction by applying the observation equation to the Kalman filter.

8. The method claimed in claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the first autonomous sensor includes a rudder angle sensor and a speed sensor to obtain the first behavioral information; and

the second autonomous sensor includes a yaw rate sensor to obtain the second behavioral information.