Correction of a vehicle position by means of landmarks

• US 8,442,791 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Sthlin, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): COSIMANO, EDWARD R
• Application Number:
  US12/674,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 702/94, 702/1, 702/85, 702/127, 702/150, 702/187, 702/189, 73/10.1, 73/17.9, 738/658, 738/659, 340/944, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.25, 356/600, 356/614, 382/100, 382/103, 382/108, 701/1, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/445, 701/467, 701/468, 701/469, 701/484, 701/494, 701/495, 708/100, 708/105, 708/200
• US Class Current: 702/94
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A position for a vehicle is corrected by detecting landmarks on the journey route and correcting the measured vehicle position when a landmark of this kind has been identified. The landmarks are stored in a database in the vehicle with associated exact GPS positions. When a landmark is reached, the associated exact GPS position is compared with the position measured in the vehicle, whereupon the measured position is corrected. In this way, the position finding can be improved.

Claims

1. A correction apparatus for correcting a position for a vehicle on a roadway, said correction apparatus comprising:

a memory unit for storing data which correspond to a landmark on a journey route of the vehicle and for storing an accurate first position for the landmark;

a detection unit having an electronic stability program (ESP) sensor for detecting the landmark on the journey route; and

a correction unit for correcting a measured second position for the vehicle on the basis of the accurate first position of the landmark,

wherein the landmark is a roadway condition of the roadway.

2. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the detection unit includes a camera for detecting the landmark on the journey route.

3. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a communication unit for receiving update data which correspond to the landmarks.

4. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the communication unit receives the update data from a control center.

5. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a position-finding unit for measuring the second position of the vehicle.

6. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the position-finding unit has a GPS receiver for measuring the second position.

7. The correction apparatus as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the position-finding unit is configured to measure the second position on the basis of a model of driving dynamics.

8. A method for correcting a position for a vehicle on a roadway, said method comprising the following steps:

storing, by a processor, data which correspond to a landmark on a journey route of the vehicle and an accurate first position for the landmark;

detecting, by an electronic stability program (ESP) sensor, the landmark on the journey route; and

correcting, by the processor, a measured second position for the vehicle on the basis of the accurate first position of the landmark,

wherein the landmark is a roadway condition of the roadway.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium which stores a computer program product which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

storing data which correspond to a landmark on a journey route of the vehicle traveling on a roadway, and an accurate first position for the landmark;

detecting, by an electronic stability program (ESP), the landmark on the journey route; and

correcting a measured second position for the vehicle on the basis of the accurate first position of the landmark,

wherein the landmark is a roadway condition of the roadway.