Apparatus and method for allocating a current measurement value for a geographical position to a map object

• US 8,392,108 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Meyer, Steffen, Hupp, Juergen, Haimerl, Stephan, Zahonyi, Renata Kitti
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/972,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 701445-446, 367/21, 367/38, 367/128, 342/351, 342/463
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0278 involving statistical or probabilistic considerations G01S5/0252, G01S5/0294 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for allocating a current measurement value for a geographical position to a map object of a geographical map, wherein the current measurement value originates from a series of adjacent measurement values for adjacent geographical positions, having a processor for determining a first probability measure indicating whether the current measurement value can be allocated to a first map object to which at least one adjacent measurement value of the series has already been allocated previously, and for determining a second probability measure indicating whether the current measurement value can be allocated to a second map object having an intersection with the first map object, if the first probability measure indicates that an allocation of the current measurement value to the first map object is unlikely.

Claims

1. An apparatus for improving reference data stored in a reference data base, comprising measured coordinates of a geographical reference position and a reference measurement packet allocated to the reference position, which comprises a reference transmitter identification determined at the geographical reference position and electromagnetic signal characteristics of a radio transmitter receivable at the reference position at a reference time, comprising:

a processor implemented to match the measured coordinates approximating actual coordinates of the geographical reference position to coordinates of map objects of a geographical map to acquire improved coordinates more closely corresponding to the actual coordinates of the geographical reference position than the measured coordinates, and to replace, in the reference measurement packet stored in the reference data base, the measured coordinates of the geographical reference position by the improved coordinates;

wherein

the reference data base is used in determining a current geographical position by comparing a currently measured one of the electromagnetic signal characteristic of the radio transmitter to one of the electromagnetic signal characteristics of the radio transmitter in the reference measurement packet.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal characteristics are signal characteristics of radio signals related to a received field strength.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic signal characteristics include one of a Received Signal Strength Indicator value, a received power spectrum, or a signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coordinates of the map objects correspond to actual coordinates of landscape objects allocated to the map objects.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the map objects represent roads, paths or buildings.

6. A hardware implemented method for improving reference data stored in a reference data base, comprising measured coordinates of a geographical reference position and a reference measurement packet allocated to the reference position, which comprises a reference transmitter identification determined at the geographical reference position and electromagnetic signal characteristics of a radio transmitter receivable at the reference position at a reference time, comprising:

matching the measured coordinates approximating actual coordinates of the geographical reference position to coordinates of map objects of a geographical map to acquire improved coordinates more closely corresponding to the actual coordinates of the geographical reference position than the measured coordinates; and

replacing the measured coordinates of the geographical reference position by the improved coordinates in the reference measurement packet stored in the reference data base;

wherein

the reference data base is used in determining a current geographical position by comparing a currently measured one of the electromagnetic signal characteristic of the radio transmitter to one of the electromagnetic signal characteristics of the radio transmitter in the reference measurement packet.

7. A tangible storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for performing the method of improving reference data stored in a reference data base, comprising measured coordinates of a geographical reference position and a reference measurement packet allocated to the reference position, which comprises a reference transmitter identification determined at the geographical reference position and electromagnetic signal characteristics of a radio transmitter receivable at the reference position at a reference time, the method comprising:

matching the measured coordinates approximating actual coordinates of the geographical reference position to coordinates of map objects of a geographical map to acquire improved coordinates more closely corresponding to the actual coordinates of the geographical reference position than the measured coordinates; and

replacing the measured coordinates of the geographical reference position by the improved coordinates in the reference measurement packet stored in the reference data base when the computer program runs on a computer or a microcontroller;

wherein

the reference data base is used in determining a current geographical position by comparing a currently measured one of the electromagnetic signal characteristic of the radio transmitter to one of the electromagnetic signal characteristics of the radio transmitter in the reference measurement packet.