Assured vehicle absolute localisation

• US 10,088,551 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Kwakkernaat, Maurice Rogier Jozef Arthur Emanuel, Bijlsma, Tjerk
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US14/784,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20160069985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/06 Means for providing multiple indication, e.g. coarse and fine indications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/751 wherein the responder or reflector radiates a coded signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 cooperating with reflectors or transponders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/411 Identification of targets based on measurements of radar reflectivity G01S7/415 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights

Abstract

It is proposed to provide a system for localizing a vehicle in a marked environment, provided with a set of markers, e.g. on a road side, the markers emitting a position signal indicative of a respective marker'"'"'s known geographical position. The system comprises a distance detection unit and a processing unit provided in the vehicle, the processing unit adapted to receive said position signal of a respective marker. The processing unit is adapted to receive said known geographical position from the position signal of said respective marker; and to estimate a first distance measure of the vehicle relative to the respective marker based on a position signal measurement. The processing unit feeds said estimated first distance measure to the distance detection unit; the distance detection unit being adapted to detect said marker within the first distance measure by a second distance measure. The distance detection unit is further adapted to provide the processing unit with the second distance measure of the vehicle relative to the detected marker and with a detection angle of the detected marker; and the localization unit calculating an instantaneous geographical position of said vehicle from the second distance measure; the detection angle and the marker'"'"'s known geographical position.

Claims

1. A system for localizing a vehicle in a marked environment, i.e. provided with a set of markers, e.g. on a road side, the markers emitting a position signal indicative of a respective marker'"'"'s known geographical position;

the system comprising;

a localization unit provided in the vehicle, the localization unit comprising a processing unit, a communication unit and a distance detection unit, the processing unit adapted to receive, via said communication unit, said position signal of a respective marker;

the processing unit adapted to receive said known geographical position from the position signal of said respective marker; and

to estimate a first distance measure of the vehicle relative to the respective marker based on a position signal measurement;

the processing unit feeding said estimated first distance measure to the distance detection unit;

the distance detection unit adapted to detect a second distance measure of said respective marker within the first distance measure;

the distance detection unit adapted to provide the processing unit with the second distance measure of the vehicle relative to the detected respective marker; and

the processing unit calculating an instantaneous geographical position of said vehicle from the second distance measure and the marker'"'"'s known geographical position.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the position signal is a radio signal.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein a reception distance of the position signal is larger than 200 m;

and wherein the first distance measure has an accuracy of 10 m.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the position signal measurement is a time of flight measurement or received signal strength measurement.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the distance detection unit is adapted to detect the second distance measure with a distance smaller than 200 m.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the distance detection unit comprises a radar emitter and radar receiver;

and a distance measurement unit coupled to the radar emitter and receiver.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the distance measurement unit comprises an angle detection block.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the angle detection block comprises an angular aperture in the forward direction of the vehicle.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the position signal additionally comprises localisation information of a set of passive markers nearby the respective marker that are detectable by the distance detection unit.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the set of passive markers is detected within a first distance window calculated from the first distance measure and the localisation information received from the position signal.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein the position signal is an ITS-G5 signal.

11. A method for localizing a vehicle in a marked environment, i.e. provided with a set of markers, e.g. on a road side, the markers emitting a position signal indicative of a respective marker'"'"'s known geographical position;

and the vehicle comprising a localization unit provided in the vehicle, the localization unit comprising a processing unit, a communication unit and a distance detection unit, the method comprising;

receiving, by the processing unit, said known geographical position from the position signal of said respective marker; and

estimating a first distance measure of the vehicle relative to the respective marker based on a position signal measurement;

feeding said estimated first distance measure to the distance detection unit;

the distance detection unit adapted to detect a second distance measure of said respective marker within the first distance measure;

providing the processing unit with the second distance measure of the vehicle relative to the detected respective marker; and

calculating an instantaneous geographical position of said vehicle from the second distance measure and the marker'"'"'s known geographical position.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication unit, a vehicle'"'"'s instantaneous geographical position to the marker;

the marker comprised in a road side unit having a vehicle detection system; and

feeding the instantaneous geographical position to the vehicle detection system;

comparing the instantaneous geographical position with a vehicle position detected by the vehicle detection system; and

adjusting the vehicle position detected by the vehicle detection system with the instantaneous geographical position to calibrate the vehicle detection system.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the position signal further comprises localisation information of a set of passive markers nearby the respective marker that are detectable by the distance detection unit, when receiving the localisation information further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication unit, a vehicle'"'"'s instantaneous geographical position relative to a passive marker and distance of a designated passive marker and updating the localisation information of the set of passive markers by comparing multiple transmitted distances of a designated passive marker.