Validation of position determination

• US 9,702,964 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Gee, Robert, Menzel, Marc, Sthlin, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US13/124,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,827 Days
• Field of Search: 702150, 3423572, 340435
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence

Abstract

External position data, which are transmitted to the vehicle by infrastructural devices or adjacent vehicles, are used for validating or improving the measured vehicle position. As well, these data can be used for calculating the position of the vehicle itself without a satellite navigation receiver having to be provided for this purpose in the vehicle. The position determination can be improved further via a corresponding statistical evaluation.

Claims

1. A position determination device located in a vehicle, the position determination device having:

a position determination unit in the vehicle, including sensors and a global navigation system satellite (GNSS) receiver for determining a position of the vehicle;

a communication unit in the vehicle, including a receiver for receiving validation data which includes position data of a plurality of adjacent vehicles or of a plurality of adjacent infrastructure devices; and

a control unit in the vehicle, including a processor for carrying out a validation of the position determined by the position determination unit by comparing the position determined by the position determination unit to the position data included in the validation data,

wherein the processor is configured to compare the position of the vehicle determined by the position determination unit to the position data of the adjacent vehicle or the adjacent infrastructure device included in the validation data, and

wherein the processor is configured to;

1) compare the position data of the plurality of vehicles or the plurality of infrastructure devices to each other, and filter out the position data from the validation data that do not match,

2) validate the position determined by the position determination unit when the comparison between the position determined by the position determination unit and the position data included in the validation data is within a communication range indicating that the position determined by the position determination unit is probable, the validated position used by at least one of a safety system or an assistance system located in the vehicle, and

3) invalidate the position determined by the position determination unit when the comparison between the position determined by the position determination unit and the position data included in the validation data is outside of the communication range indicating that the position determined by the position determination unit is improbable, the invalidated position filtered out and not used by the at least one of the safety system or the assistance system located in the vehicle.

2. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the validation data are transmitted by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

3. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the position determination unit is integrated in a mobile device.

4. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit resorts to measurement data of a sensor system of the vehicle for carrying out the validation of the position determined by the position determination unit.

5. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination unit comprises a satellite navigation receiver.

6. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination device is configured for initiating an automated emergency call which contains position information which is based on the received validation data if the validation has failed.

7. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication unit is a wireless access and drive authorization unit.

8. The position determination device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured for calculating the position of the vehicle by using external position data which have been generated by an infrastructural device or an adjacent vehicle.

9. The position determination device as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the external position data are used for improving an accuracy of the position of the vehicle determined by the position determination unit.

10. The position determination device as claimed in claim 8, wherein information regarding an accuracy of the external position data is utilized for calculating the position of the vehicle.

11. A driver assistance system with a position determination device as claimed in claim 1.

12. An emergency call device with a position determination device as claimed in claim 1.

13. A vehicle with a position determination device as claimed in claim 1.

14. A method for position determination for a vehicle, the method having the steps:

determining, by a processor in the vehicle, using sensors and a global positioning system navigation (GNSS) receiver, a position of the vehicle;

receiving, by a receiver in the vehicle, validation data which includes position data of a plurality of adjacent vehicles or of a plurality of adjacent infrastructure devices; and

carrying out, by the processor, a validation of the position by comparing the position of the vehicle determined by the processor to the position data of the adjacent vehicle or the adjacent infrastructure device included in the validation data, by;

1) comparing the position data of the plurality of vehicles or the plurality of infrastructure devices to each other, and filter out the position data from the validation data that do not match,

2) validating the position determined by the processor when the comparison between the position determined by the processor and the position data included in the validation data is within a communication range indicating that the position determined by the processor is probable, the validated position used by at least one of a safety system or an assistance system located in the vehicle, and

3) invalidating the position determined by the processor when the comparison between the position determined by the processor and the position data included in the validation data is outside of the communication range indicating that the position determined by the processor is improbable, the invalidated position filtered out and not used by the at least one of the safety system or the assistance system located in the vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a program element is stored which, when it is executed on a processor, directs the processor to carry out the following steps:

determining a position of a vehicle using sensors and a global positioning system navigation (GNSS) receiver;

receiving validation data through a receiver in the vehicle which includes position data of a plurality of adjacent vehicles or of a plurality of adjacent infrastructure devices; and

carrying out a validation of the position by comparing the determined position of the vehicle to the position data of the adjacent vehicle or the adjacent infrastructure device included in the validation data, by;

1) comparing the position data of the plurality of vehicles or the plurality of infrastructure devices to each other, and filter out the position data from the validation data that do not match,

2) validating the position determined by the processor when the comparison between the position determined by the processor and the position data included in the validation data is within a communication range indicating that the position determined by the processor is probable, the validated position used by at least one of a safety system or an assistance system located in the vehicle, and

3) invalidating the position determined by the processor when the comparison between the position determined by the processor and the position data included in the validation data is outside of the communication range indicating that the position determined by the processor is improbable, the invalidated position filtered out and not used by the at least one of the safety system or the assistance system located in the vehicle.