Current position information management systems, methods, and programs

• US 20070021912A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Motohiro, Hasunuma, Makoto, Morita, Hideaki, Ohashi, Yusuke
• Application Number:
  US11/322,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3658 Lane guidance

Abstract

Systems, methods, and programs for current position information management store map data and detect a current position of a vehicle using dead-reckoning navigation. The systems, methods, and programs monitor, based on the detected current position, a left-right position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling. The systems, methods, and programs add up an amount of movement in the left-right direction and detect a lane change by comparing the added up amount of movement with the lane'"'"'s width.

Claims

1. A current position information management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a memory that stores map data; and

a controller that;

detects a current position of the vehicle using dead-reckoning navigation;

based on the detected current position, monitors a left-right position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

adds up an amount of movement in the left-right direction; and

detects a lane change by comparing the added up amount of movement with the lane'"'"'s width, the lane'"'"'s width stored in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

calculates a path traveled by the vehicle based on the dead-reckoning;

compares the calculated path with the stored map data; and

detects the current position of the vehicle by matching the calculated path with the calculated path.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

corrects the detected current position in accordance with the detected lane change.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller:

compares the lane'"'"'s width with the added up amount of movement; and

detects an in-lane position based on the lane'"'"'s width and the added up amount of movement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects a current position of the vehicle by detecting a sidewalk step.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects a current position of the vehicle based on a signal received from an optical beacon.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects a current position of the vehicle based on the location of a road sign or traffic signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects a current position of the vehicle based on the location of a painted line.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the lane change occurs at a narrow-angle branch point.

10. A navigation system, comprising the system of claim 1.

11. A current position information management method, comprising:

storing map data;

detecting a current position of a vehicle using dead-reckoning navigation;

monitoring, based on the detected current position, a left-right position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

adding up an amount of movement in the left-right direction; and

detecting a lane change by comparing the added up amount of movement with the lane'"'"'s width.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calculating a path traveled by the vehicle based on the dead-reckoning;

comparing the calculated path with the stored map data; and

detecting the current position of the vehicle by matching the calculated path with the calculated path.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

correcting the detected current position in accordance with the detected lane change.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the lane'"'"'s width with the added up amount of movement; and

detecting an in-lane position based on the lane'"'"'s width and the added up amount of movement.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the current position of the vehicle comprises detecting the current position of the vehicle by detecting a sidewalk step.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the current position of the vehicle comprises detecting the current position of the vehicle based on a signal received from an optical beacon.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the current position of the vehicle comprises detecting the current position of the vehicle based on the location of a road sign or traffic signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the current position of the vehicle comprises detecting the current position of the vehicle based on the location of a painted line.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the lane change occurs at a narrow-angle branch point.

20. A storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device and usable to manage current position information, the instructions comprising:

instructions for storing map data;

instructions for detecting a current position of the vehicle using dead-reckoning navigation;

instructions for monitoring, based on the detected current position, a left-right position of the vehicle relative to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling;

instructions for adding up an amount of movement in the left-right direction; and

instructions for detecting a lane change by comparing the added up amount of movement with the lane'"'"'s width.