Navigation device having dead reckoning navigation functionality and method thereof

• US 9,417,072 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: TomTom International BV (TomTom NV)
• Inventors: den Otter, Matthijs Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/130,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/06 involving measuring of drift angle; involving correction for drift
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of determining a heading of travel of a navigation device, comprising determining a reference heading for a roadway system and determining a current heading of navigation device travel, wherein the current heading is determined as an integer multiple of a predetermined lock angle in combination with the reference heading.

Claims

1. A navigation device, comprising a processor, a receiver, a memory having map data and a dead reckoning navigation (DRN) module, wherein the DRN module is operable to determine when a structure has been entered, wherein the DRN module, upon the determination of entering the structure, is additionally operable to:

obtain angular information relating to a heading of navigation device travel; and

obtain distance information relating to a distance travelled by the navigation device, and wherein said DRN module is arranged to;

determine a reference heading for a roadway system having a grid layout in the structure based on a direction of navigation device travel for a first distance in response to a determination that a change in heading over the first distance is less than a first threshold angle;

set a current heading of navigation device travel as equal to the determined reference heading;

determine a change in heading of navigation device travel over each of one or more second distances travelled by the navigation device, said second distance being less than the first distance;

update the current heading of navigation device travel as an integer multiple of a predetermined lock angle in combination with the reference heading in response to a determination that the change in heading over one of the second distances is less than a second threshold angle, wherein the integer is selected such that the updated current heading best matches the heading of navigation device travel indicated by the obtained angular information;

determine a current location of the navigation device based on the current heading and a distance travelled by the navigation device indicated by the obtained distance information;

and determine when the structure has been exited, and wherein the navigation device, upon the determination of exiting structure by the DRN module, is operable to;

output navigation information using at least one of a display and a speaker of the navigation device based on the determined current location.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the current heading of navigation device travel is selected as the reference heading plus/minus the best matching integer multiple of the lock angle.

3. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the lock angle is an integer division of 90°

.

4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the current heading of navigation device travel is not determined by the DRN module when the change in heading over the second distance of travel is greater than the threshold angle.

5. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the DRN module is arranged to determine a current location of the navigation device based on the current heading and a distance travelled by the navigation device.

6. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the DRN module is arranged to perform the method responsive to determining that a current location of the navigation device corresponds to a location having an internal roadway.

7. The navigation device of claim 6, wherein the location having the internal roadway is a parking structure.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor of the navigation device further determines based of a current location whether dead-reckoning navigation is needed.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the determination of whether dead-reckoning navigation is needed is based at least in part on the current location being in an area of low navigation signal reception.

10. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the determination of whether dead-reckoning navigation is needed is based at least in part on map data accessible by the navigation device.

11. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the navigation device further provides navigation information or navigation instructions via the display and/or the speaker.

12. A processor implemented method of determining a heading of travel of a navigation device using a dead reckoning navigation (DRN) module, comprising:

determining when a structure has been entered, wherein upon the determination of entering the structure, the method further comprising;

obtaining, by the DRN module, angular information relating to a heading of navigation device travel; and

obtaining, by the DRN module, distance information relating to a distance travelled by the navigation device;

determining, by the DRN module, a current location determine a reference heading for a roadway system having a grid layout in the structure based on a direction of navigation device travel for a first distance in response to a determination that a change in heading over the first distance is less than a first threshold angle;

setting, by the DRN module, a current heading of navigation device travel as equal to the determined reference heading;

determining, by the DRN module, a change in heading of navigation device travel over each of one or more second distances travelled by the navigation device, said second distance being less than the first distance;

updating, by the DRN module, the current heading of navigation device travel as an integer multiple of a predetermined lock angle in combination with the reference heading in response to a determination that the change in heading over one of the second distances is less than a second threshold angle, wherein the integer is selected such that the updated current heading best matches the heading of navigation device travel indicated by the obtained angular information;

determining, by the DRN module, a current location of the navigation device based on the current heading and a distance travelled by the navigation device indicated by the obtained distance information; and

determining when a structure has been exited, and wherein upon the determination of exiting the structure, the method further comprising;

outputting navigation information using at least one of a display and a speaker of the navigation device based on the determined current location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the current heading of navigation device travel as the reference heading plus/minus the best matching integer multiple of the lock angle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the lock angle is an integer division of 90°

.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising not determining the current heading of navigation device travel when the change in heading over the second distance of travel is greater than the threshold angle.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising determining a current location of the navigation device based on the current heading and a distance travelled by the navigation device.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising performing the method responsive to determining that a current location of the navigation device corresponds to a location having an internal roadway system.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer software operable, when executed by a processor, to perform a method of determining a heading of travel of a navigation device using a dead reckoning navigation (DRN) module comprising:

determining when a structure has been entered, wherein upon the determination of entering the structure, the method further comprising;

obtaining angular information relating to a heading of navigation device travel; and

obtaining distance information relating to a distance travelled by the navigation device;

determining a reference heading for a roadway system having a grid layout in the structure based on a direction of navigation device travel for a first distance in response to a determination that a change in heading over the first distance is less than a first threshold angle;

setting a current heading of navigation device travel as equal to the determined reference heading;

determining a change in heading of navigation device travel over each of one or more second distances travelled by the navigation device, said second distance being less than the first distance;

updating the current heading of navigation device travel as an integer multiple of a predetermined lock angle in combination with the reference heading in response to a determination that the change in heading over one of the second distances is less than a second threshold angle, wherein the integer is selected such that the updated current heading best matches the heading of navigation device travel indicated by the obtained angular information;

determining a current location of the navigation device based on the current heading and a distance travelled by the navigation device indicated by the obtained distance information; and

determining when the structure has been exited, wherein upon the determination of exiting the structure, the method further comprising;

outputting navigation information using at least one of a display and a speaker of the navigation device based on the determined current location.