Calibration of a Navigation System

• US 20090177382A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alles, Martin, Mazlum, Selcuk, Carlson, John, Maher, George
• Application Number:
  US11/969,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38

Abstract

A method and apparatus for correcting position error in a navigation system. A first set of positioning measurements of a device are determined from signals received from a first plurality of sources and a second set of positioning measurements of the device are determined from signals received from a second plurality of sources. A database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region is provided and a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements and selected map-related information is estimated. Errors in future estimated locations in a navigational system may be compensated by determining a divergence of the second set from the first set of positioning measurements. A navigational system that refines its accuracy over time is demonstrated whereby current estimates of location may be improved and data mapping utilized for future location estimates may be updated.

Claims

1. A method for correcting position error in a navigation system comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a first set of positioning measurements of a device from signals received from a first plurality of sources;

(b) determining a second set of positioning measurements of the device from signals received from a second plurality of sources;

(c) providing a database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region;

(d) estimating a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements and selected map-related information; and

(e) compensating errors in future estimated locations in said system by determining a divergence of said second set from said first set of positioning measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a location further comprises determining the joint probability of distance of the device to a road and an angle between the road and the direction of travel of the device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a location further comprises determining the most likely position for all positioning measurements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating further comprises filtering positioning measurements as a function of the quality of the positioning measurements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of positioning measurements comprises past positioning measurements of said device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of positioning measurements comprises current positioning measurements of said device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said map-related information is selected from the group consisting of latitudes and longitudes of roads, permissible direction of travel on a road, speed limits, allowable turns from a road, curvature of a road, and topographical data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sources are satellites that are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“

GNSS”

).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of:

Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

), Galileo, GLONASS, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“

QZSS”

).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a mobile unit.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the mobile unit is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, wireless transceiver, hand-held navigational device, and vehicular navigational device.

12. An apparatus for correcting position error in a system comprising:

(a) a receiver for receiving a first set of signals from a first plurality of sources and a second set of signals from a second plurality of sources;

(b) circuitry for determining a first set of positioning measurements of a device from said first plurality of sources and for determining a second set of positioning measurements of said device from said second plurality of sources;

(c) a database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region;

(d) circuitry for estimating a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements and selected map-related information; and

(e) circuitry for compensating errors in future estimated locations in said system by determining a divergence of said second set from said first set of positioning measurements.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the circuitry for estimating a location further comprises circuitry for determining the joint probability of distance of the device to a road and an angle between the road and direction of travel of the device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a filter for filtering positioning measurements as a function of the quality of the positioning measurements.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said first set of positioning measurements comprises past positioning measurements of said device.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said second set of positioning measurements comprises current positioning measurements of said device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said map-related information is selected from the group consisting of latitudes and longitudes of roads, permissible direction of travel on a road, speed limits, allowable turns from a road, curvature of a road, and topographical data.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the sources are satellites that are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“

GNSS”

).

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of:

Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

), Galileo, GLONASS, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“

QZSS”

).

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the device is a mobile unit.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the mobile unit is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, wireless transceiver, hand-held navigational device, and vehicular navigational device.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of:

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“

UMTS”

) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“

WiMax”

) network, Global System for Mobile Communications (“

GSM”

) network, WiFi network, Code Division Multiple Access (“

CDMA”

) network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of:

IS-95, Evolution-Data Optimized (“

EDVO”

), CDMA2000, and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“

1×

RTT”

).

24. A method for refining a set of calibration data in a navigational system comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a first set of positional information of a device from signals received from a first plurality of sources;

(b) determining a second set of positional information of the device from signals received from a second plurality of sources;

(c) estimating a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements;

(d) determining a difference between said second set and said first set of positional information;

(e) providing a database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region and vectors of said estimated location to corresponding map-related information; and

(f) refining a set of calibration data in said system as a function of said difference by iteratively repeating steps (a)-(d).

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said difference is a divergence between said second set and said first set of positional information.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said difference is a convergence between said second set and said first set of positional information.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of estimating a location further comprises determining the most likely position for all positional information.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of estimating further comprises filtering positional information as a function of the quality of the positional information.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the first set of positional information comprises past positional information of said device.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the second set of positional information comprises current positional information of said device.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein said map-related information is selected from the group consisting of latitudes and longitudes of roads, permissible direction of travel on a road, speed limits, allowable turns from a road, curvature of a road, and topographical data.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein the sources are satellites that are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“

GNSS”

).

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of:

Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

), Galileo, GLONASS, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“

QZSS”

).

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the device is a mobile unit.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the mobile unit is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, wireless transceiver, hand-held navigational device, and vehicular navigational device.

36. An apparatus for refining a set of calibration data in a navigational system comprising:

(a) a receiver for receiving signals from a first plurality of sources and a second plurality of sources;

(b) circuitry for determining a first set of positioning measurements of a device from said first plurality of sources and for determining a second set of positioning measurements of said device from said second plurality of sources;

(c) a database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region;

(d) circuitry for estimating a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements and selected map-related information;

(e) circuitry for determining a difference between said second set and said first set of positioning measurements; and

(f) circuitry for refining a set of calibration data in said system as a function of said difference.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a filter for filtering positioning measurements as a function of the quality of the positioning measurements.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said first set of positioning measurements comprises past positioning measurements of said device.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said second set of positioning measurements comprises current positioning measurements of said device.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said map-related information is selected from the group consisting of latitudes and longitudes of roads, permissible direction of travel on a road, speed limits, allowable turns from a road, curvature of a road, and topographical data.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the sources are satellites that are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“

GNSS”

).

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of:

Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

), Galileo, GLONASS, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“

QZSS”

).

43. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the device is a mobile unit.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the mobile unit is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, wireless transceiver, hand-held navigational device, and vehicular navigational device.

45. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of:

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“

UMTS”

) network, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (“

WiMax”

) network, Global System for Mobile Communications (“

GSM”

) network, WiFi network, Code Division Multiple Access (“

CDMA”

) network.

46. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said system operates under a standard selected from the group consisting of:

IS-95, Evolution-Data Optimized (“

EDVO”

), CDMA2000, and 1 times Radio Transmission Technology (“

1×

RTT”

).

47. A method for refining locations in a navigational system comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a first set of positional information of a device from signals received from a first plurality of sources;

(b) determining a second set of positional information of the device from signals received from a second plurality of sources;

(c) estimating a location of the device as a function of the first and second set of positioning measurements;

(d) determining a difference between said second set and said first set of positional information;

(e) providing a database comprising map-related information of a predetermined region and vectors of said estimated location to corresponding map-related information; and

(f) refining a future estimated location of a device in said system as a function of said difference by iteratively repeating steps (a)-(d).

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said difference is a divergence between said second set and said first set of positional information.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein said difference is a convergence between said second set and said first set of positional information.

50. The method of claim 47 wherein said map-related information is selected from the group consisting of latitudes and longitudes of roads, permissible direction of travel on a road, speed limits, allowable turns from a road, curvature of a road, and topographical data.

51. The method of claim 47 wherein the sources are satellites that are part of a Global Navigation Satellite System (“

GNSS”

).

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the GNSS is selected from the group consisting of:

Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

), Galileo, GLONASS, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (“

QZSS”

).

53. The method of claim 47 wherein the device is a mobile unit.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the mobile unit is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular device, text messaging device, computer, portable computer, vehicle locating device, vehicle security device, communication device, wireless transceiver, hand-held navigational device, and vehicular navigational device.