Vehicle heading correction apparatus

• US 5,317,515 A
• Filed: 01/15/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Shin-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/820,736
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449, 364/450, 364/457, 364/454, 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 701/221
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/53 Determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

When the location of a vehicle is detected based on the outputs of distance and heading sensors, an absolute heading of the vehicle is corrected with a difference between a movement direction of the vehicle obtained during the time that two external location data are obtained by a GPS receiver and an estimated movement direction of the vehicle calculated based on the estimate vehicle location outputted from an estimated location detecting unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle heading correction apparatus comprising:

a distance sensor;

a heading sensor;

estimated location detecting means for detecting an estimated vehicle location on the basis of outputs of said distance and heading sensors;

location data acquisition means comprising a global positioning system receiver for acquiring plural vehicle location data that are supplied from outside of the vehicle;

first arithmetic means for calculating a movement direction of said vehicle during the time that two of said vehicle location data are acquired by said location data acquisition means, on the basis of said two vehicle location data;

second arithmetic means for calculating an estimated movement direction of said vehicle during the time that said two vehicle location data are acquired, on the basis of said estimated vehicle location outputted from said estimated location detecting means; and

correction means for correcting an absolute heading of said vehicle with the aid of a difference between said movement direction calculated by said first arithmetic means and said estimated movement direction calculated by said second arithmetic means.