On-Board Diagnostics Based Navigation Device For Dead Reckoning

• US 20090234582A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Figueroa, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/216
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/12 executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A computing navigation device is disclosed that includes a processor configured to control a communication module configured to receive a global positioning satellite (GPS) system signal corresponding to a vehicle position of a vehicle. The processor may be further configured to recognize a dropped signal condition in which no operational signal is detected from the GPS system, and to identify a last position of the vehicle corresponding to a time of the dropped signal condition. The processor may be further configured to retrieve on-board diagnostics data from an on-board diagnostics system of the vehicle corresponding with a movement of the vehicle. The computing navigation device may further include a kinematic module configured to calculate a calculated position of the vehicle based on the last position and the movement of the vehicle, and a display configured to display a representation of the calculated position.

Claims

1. A computing navigation device comprising a processor configured to execute:

a communication module configured to receive a global positioning satellite (GPS) system signal corresponding to a vehicle position of a vehicle and configured to recognize a dropped signal condition in which no operational signal is detected from the GPS system, and configured to identify a last position of the vehicle corresponding to a time of the dropped signal condition, and configured to retrieve OBD data from an on-board diagnostics system of the vehicle corresponding with a movement of the vehicle;

a kinematic module configured to calculate a calculated position of the vehicle based on the last position and the OBD data; and

a graphical user interface configured to display a representation of the calculated position.

2. The computing navigation device of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display a tracked position of the vehicle based on the GPS system signal.

3. The computing navigation device of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display the tracked position of the vehicle via a tracked position graphical element during a signal receiving condition indicating an operational signal is being received from the GPS system, and the graphical user interface is further configured to display the calculated position of the vehicle via a calculated position graphical element during the dropped signal condition, wherein the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element are distinguishable in appearance.

4. The computing navigation device of claim 3, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the vehicle along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is be a line of a second pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the vehicle along the map.

5. The computing navigation device of claim 1, wherein the calculated position graphical element selected from the group consisting of a text item, graphical icon, letter, number, and color scheme.

6. The computing navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to receive a user input data to effect selected retrieval of one or more standard parameters and/or model specific parameters in the OBD data.

7. The computing navigation device of claim 1, wherein the kinematic module is further configured to calculate an updated calculated position of the vehicle based on the calculated position and updated on-board diagnostics data from the on-board diagnostics system.

8. The computing navigation device of claim 1, further comprising a signal monitoring module configured to monitor the GPS signal, and configured to pass the last position to the kinematic module and communicate with an OBD data retrieval module to pass the OBD data to the kinematic module.

9. The computing navigation device of claim 1, wherein the OBD data includes one or more of a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the vehicle.

10. The computing navigation device of claim 1, wherein the kinematic module is configured to calculate the calculated position based on one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction.

11. A method for dead reckoning, comprising:

receiving a GPS signal from a GPS system with a GPS receiver coupled with a moving vehicle;

recognizing a lack of an operational signal from the GPS system as a dropped signal condition;

passing a last position of the vehicle to a kinematic module upon reaching the dropped signal condition;

retrieving OBD data corresponding with a continued movement of the vehicle from an on-board diagnostics system of the vehicle;

calculating a calculated position of the vehicle with the kinematic module based on the last position of the vehicle and the OBD data; and

displaying the calculated position of the vehicle on a graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a tracked position of the vehicle on the graphical user interface based on the GPS signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the tracked position of the vehicle includes displaying the position of the vehicle via a tracked position graphical element during a signal receiving condition characterized by an operational signal being received from the GPS system, and displaying the calculated position of the vehicle includes displaying the position of the vehicle via a calculated position graphical element during the dropped signal condition, wherein the tracked position graphical element and the calculated position graphical element are distinguishable in appearance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the tracked position graphical element is a line of a first pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the vehicle along a map; and

the calculated position graphical element is be a line of a second pattern, color and/or thickness, depicting the movement of the vehicle along the map.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the retrieving OBD data from the on-board diagnostics system includes retrieving one or more of a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the calculating the calculated position includes performing a calculation based on one or more of a speed, a steering wheel angle, and a cardinal direction of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the passing the last position is effected upon the recognizing a lack of signal from the GPS system, wherein the method further comprises:

communicating with an OBD data retrieval module to pass the OBD data to the kinematic module upon the recognizing the lack of signal from the GPS system.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the OBD data is retrieved based on user input instructions that are received from a graphical user interface to effect changes in display or calculation of the position of the vehicle.

19. A navigation system, comprising:

a computing navigation device configured to receive a operational GPS signal from a GPS system sufficient to track a position of the computing navigation device during a signal receiving condition, and to receive from an on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle OBD data indicative of a movement of the vehicle, the computing navigation device including;

a processor configured to;

monitor the GPS signal from the GPS system;

recognize a dropped signal condition in which no operational GPS signal is detected from the GPS system;

identify a last position of the vehicle upon reaching the dropped signal condition;

receive OBD data from the on-board diagnostic system upon reaching the dropped signal condition; and

calculate a calculated position of the vehicle based on the last position and the OBD data; and

a display coupled with the processor and configured to display the tracked position during the signal receiving condition, and to display the calculated position during the dropped signal condition.