US20120265437A1 - Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments - Google Patents

Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20120265437A1
US20120265437A1 US13/394,582 US201013394582A US2012265437A1 US 20120265437 A1 US20120265437 A1 US 20120265437A1 US 201013394582 A US201013394582 A US 201013394582A US 2012265437 A1 US2012265437 A1 US 2012265437A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
elevation
navigation device
road
geo
reality
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/394,582
Inventor
Johannes G. M. Schaminee
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TomTom International BV
Original Assignee
TomTom International BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by TomTom International BV filed Critical TomTom International BV
Priority to US13/394,582 priority Critical patent/US20120265437A1/en
Publication of US20120265437A1 publication Critical patent/US20120265437A1/en
Assigned to TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V. reassignment TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: SCHAMINEE, JOHANNES G.M.
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/06—Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers, e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
    • G06F3/0601—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
    • G06F3/0628—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems making use of a particular technique
    • G06F3/0662—Virtualisation aspects
    • G06F3/0664—Virtualisation aspects at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C21/00—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00
    • G01C21/26—Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY
    • G01C5/00—Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels
    • G01C5/06—Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels by using barometric means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
    • G01S19/01—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
    • G01S19/13—Receivers
    • G01S19/14—Receivers specially adapted for specific applications
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/06—Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers, e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
    • G06F3/0601—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
    • G06F3/0602—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect
    • G06F3/0604—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
    • G06F3/0605—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/06—Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers, e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
    • G06F3/0601—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
    • G06F3/0668—Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems adopting a particular infrastructure
    • G06F3/0671—In-line storage system
    • G06F3/0673—Single storage device
    • G06F3/0679—Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
    • H04L65/10—Architectures or entities
    • H04L65/1059—End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
    • H04L65/1066—Session management
    • H04L65/1069—Session establishment or de-establishment
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/01—Protocols
    • H04L67/12—Protocols specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/253—Telephone sets using digital voice transmission
    • H04M1/2535—Telephone sets using digital voice transmission adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/60—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers
    • H04M1/6033—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets
    • H04M1/6041—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
    • H04M1/6075—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y04—INFORMATION OR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVING AN IMPACT ON OTHER TECHNOLOGY AREAS
    • Y04S—SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS
    • Y04S40/00—Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
    • Y04S40/18—Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Definitions

  • This invention relates to navigation devices of the type used by motorists and travelers, and more particularly toward an improved method for on-the-fly elevation determinations in combination with digital maps.
  • Navigation devices like that shown at 10 for example in FIG. 1 utilize digital maps combined with accurate positioning data transmitted from a constellation of satellites or other data streams.
  • GPS-enabled navigation devices may include portable, personal units such as those manufactured by TomTom N.V. (www.tomtom.com), as well as those which are integrated into an automobile instrument system, or other handheld devices, mobile phones, PDAs, and the like. These devices have been developed for many land-based navigation applications.
  • the navigation system 10 includes a display screen 12 that portrays a portion of a stored digital map as a network of roads 14 and possibly other features such as directional signs, nearby landmarks, lane indicators, etc.
  • a traveler having access to a GPS-enabled navigation device 10 is generally located on the digital map close to or with regard to a particular road 14 .
  • navigation systems 10 are inherently dependent upon accurately and quickly matching the actual, real-world location of the navigation device (i.e., its geo-position) to a corresponding portion of the digital map.
  • Navigation devices are not typically configured to measure elevation relative to sea level.
  • GPS systems are typically less accurate in the vertical directions and better in the two horizontal axes. Nonetheless, some navigation situations cannot be accurately accomplished without knowing the current altitude of the vehicle combined with the elevation of the nearby road network 14 .
  • one road segment may overlap another road segment in multi-layer road situations, complex motorway interchanges ( FIG. 2 ), some exits and parallel roads close to a main road, multi-level parking garages, and on certain bridges, to name a few. In these situations, if the navigation system cannot discern which particular road segment a driver is currently traveling, it may not provide accurate navigation assistance.
  • This invention provides a real time navigation assistance method for land-based vehicular roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations.
  • a digital road map is provided having a representation of a road network corresponding to a plurality of roads in reality. Each road in reality has a measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position therealong.
  • a mobile navigation device is provided which is interactive with the digital map. The navigation device is capable of determining its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to the road in reality. As the navigation device is transported along a road in reality, its corresponding geo-position is updated in the digital road network.
  • An on-the-fly search for local atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) is conducted via wireless transmission.
  • a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading at sea level is selected from the search results. Furthermore, the actual ambient atmospheric pressure is measured. A current road elevation is calculated as a function of the measured actual and selected absolute pressures. The calculated current road elevation is then associated with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device.
  • road elevation data gathered through this process is transmitted to a map update center to improve existing map data as well as other functionalities including, but not limited to, link cost attributes used in routing programs.
  • FIG. 1 is an enlarged, exemplary view of a compact, portable navigation system according to one embodiment of this invention including a display screen for presenting map data information to a vehicle driver for example;
  • FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a complex motorway interchange wherein numerous road segments are layered one upon another;
  • FIG. 3 is a simplified chart describing the predictable decrease in air pressure as a function of altitude above sea level
  • FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart describing one preferred embodiment of this invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a simplified view of a navigation device configured with an altimeter and wirelessly searching the internet to find a local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) for instance from a nearby airport;
  • QNH local absolute atmospheric pressure reading
  • FIG. 6 is a highly simplified, side elevation showing a four layered roadway supporting traffic flow in multiple directions, such as may be found in a parking garage for example;
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating one method by which a feedback loop can be added to transmit recorded absolute altitudes in the map database to a map update center;
  • FIG. 8 shows a hypothetical section of digital map combined with elevation measurements obtained therealong using principles of this invention.
  • a personal navigation device 10 is shown in FIG. 1 having a display screen 12 representing a portion of a digital map containing road segments 14 as described previously.
  • the navigation device 10 may be an in-dash system in a motor vehicle, as well as any personal, portable or handheld device appropriately enabled with position determining features including cell phones, PDAs, and the like.
  • This invention is particularly adapted for land-based applications wherein multi-layer roadways exist.
  • These multi-layer roadways may comprise an interchange of motorways such as shown in FIG. 2 , for example, or a multi-level parking garage as shown in FIG. 4 , an “over/under” bridge, or any other scenario where at least one roadway overlies another roadway such that navigation can be improved by knowing the absolute altitude of the vehicle transporting the navigation device 10 .
  • FIG. 3 it is known that atmospheric pressure is caused by the weight of air above a measurement point. Low pressure areas have less atmospheric mass above their location, whereas high pressure areas have more atmospheric mass above their location. As elevation of a measurement point increases there is less overlying atmospheric mass so that the pressure decreases with increasing elevation. This is described graphically in FIG. 3 . It is known that atmospheric pressure decreases by approximately 0.12 mbar for every one meter of elevation. It is common in aviation applications to measure the ambient atmospheric pressure using an altimeter and then make an altitude calculation after adjusting for current atmospheric conditions. Current atmospheric conditions can change continuously, and therefore air traffic controllers and weather stations are constantly updating their local absolute atmospheric pressure readings.
  • an adjusted local absolute atmospheric pressure reading is identified by the letters QNH, which represents the local atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level.
  • QNH represents the local atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level.
  • real-time navigation assistance can be provided in connection with land-based vehicular roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations similar to those applied in the aviation field.
  • the navigation device 10 of this invention includes one or more digital maps stored in its memory or otherwise accessed through a suitable database connection via wireless signal.
  • Digital road maps of this type contain a representation of road networks 14 corresponding to a plurality of roads or road segments in reality. Each road (or road segment) in reality has a measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position therealong.
  • Geo-position is related to any standard geodetic system which may be used in cartography and other navigation applications, and provides a suitable coordinate frame so that a particular spot on the face of the earth can be identified with coordinates.
  • the navigation device 10 is interactive with the digital map, together with its own position determining systems such as GPS, so as to determine its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to a road in reality.
  • position determining systems such as GPS
  • the navigation device 10 is transported along a road 14 in reality, its corresponding geo-position is continuously updated through satellite telemetry/triangulation.
  • data transmitted from a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth enables to navigation device 10 to determine its current geo-position which is then correlated to a road or road segment in the digital map and displayed on the display screen 12 .
  • the navigation device 10 includes or is operatively associated with an altimeter 16 as shown in FIG. 5 .
  • the altimeter which may be in the form of a digital barometric pressure sensor, measures the ambient atmospheric pressure in which the navigation device 10 is carried. Due to the variability of atmospheric conditions, the altimeter 16 must be calibrated regularly to reflect current local pressure conditions. Altimeter calibrations have been traditionally accomplished by adjusting a setting knob (not shown) or through a digital touch screen or keypad. Frequent re-calibrations are generally needed as local atmospheric pressures vary with temperature and the movement of pressure systems in the atmosphere. According to aviation terminology, the regional or local air pressure adjusted to mean sea level is referred to as the QNH. When an altimeter is calibrated to the current local QNH setting, it will enable calculation of the instantaneous height above sea level (i.e., the altitude or elevation).
  • QNH Local absolute (i.e., adjusted for sea level) atmospheric pressure readings
  • QNH atmospheric pressure readings
  • a QNH reading provided by any source corresponds to its geo-position, and may not be entirely reliable as a reference reading for altimeter calibrations tens or hundreds of kilometers away. Therefore, absolute atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) obtained from nearby sources are considered, typically, more reliable than those provided by sources located farther away.
  • the navigation system 10 is equipped with wireless communication technology 18 capable of conducting an on-the-fly search for local absolute atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) such as from airports and other reliable sources.
  • This search may include accessing the internet 20 and using a suitable search engine to find local atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) within some defined range of the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10 .
  • the system 10 may be configured to search the internet 20 for all QNH readings updated within the hour and issued by a source within a 50 km range. This is only an example of course, and other search criteria may be used.
  • the navigation device 10 uses coded logic, selects a reliable local atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) sufficiently near in geo-position to the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10 .
  • An ambient actual atmospheric pressure measurement is also taken using the on-board altimeter 16 . From the measured ambient actual and selected absolute pressure readings, a current elevation of the navigation device 10 above sea level can be calculated on the basis of a 0.12 mbar decrease in pressure for each 1 meter increase in elevation above sea level, thus eliminating the need for manual calibration as previously described.
  • the calculation may, for example, include application of the following (or a similar) formula:
  • a wireless internet search may find a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) at the website http://www.knmi.nl/actueel/metar.html, which provides QNH readings updated every thirty minutes.
  • QNH local absolute atmospheric pressure reading
  • a real time query of this site in this example provides a current QNH reading of 1025 mbar. This represents the current atmospheric pressure at the Schiphol Airport adjusted to sea level. If the onboard altimeter 16 measures 1013 mbar, the previously provided calculation would yield:
  • a current elevation of the navigation device 10 has been determined to be 100 meters above sea level. This current elevation is then associated with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10 for use in determining the position of the navigation device 10 in the digital road network. If the navigation device 10 happens to be traveling on one of two (or more) overlying roads in reality at the moment, the navigation device 10 can be mapped directly to a specific one of the two (or more) overlying roads based on the calculated current elevation of the navigation device 10 , provided the digital map is appropriately attributed with road elevations. Through this technique, navigation assistance can be provided based on the calculated current road elevation of the navigation device 10 .
  • the accuracy of low-cost air pressure measuring equipment of the type incorporated into this invention will be sufficient to discriminate between various roads, and thus provide a reliable alternative to current high-cost solutions that rely on gyroscopic components.
  • the navigation system 10 may employ appropriate logic to select the most reliable one of the several offered QNH readings to be used in the elevation calculation. For example, the system may be configured to choose the closest source. Alternatively, the navigation system 10 may employ statistical techniques, such as averaging, to obtain a selected absolute pressure reading. For example, if two local QNH readings are obtained, one indicating 1,024 mbar and the other indicating 1,026 mbar, it may be appropriate to compute a simple average of 1,025 mbar to be used in the elevation calculation.
  • a weighted average may be taken as a good estimate, taking into account the relative distances and directions between the location of each QNH reading and the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10 .
  • a weighted average will provide a more accurate linear approximation of the gradient of the pressure field. However, it is expected that deviations from linear will be small within a reasonable radius or range of about 100 km.
  • FIG. 6 is a highly simplified illustration of a four layer roadway which may, for example, exist in a typical parking garage.
  • Vehicles fitted with navigation devices 10 according to this invention can calculate their current elevation so as to be placed on a specific road segment (i.e., level) in the parking garage.
  • the navigation device 10 may then offer real time navigation assistance, provided details of the parking garage are contained in the onboard digital map or otherwise made available to the navigation system 10 .
  • FIG. 7 the concepts of this invention can be used, also, to help improve the accuracy and content of digital maps by recording road elevations.
  • some GPS-enabled navigation devices 10 may be configured to passively generate probe measurements at regular intervals.
  • Such probe traces typically comprise a sequence of geo-coded positions recorded at intervals of, for example, five seconds.
  • These probe traces may be configured to include additional information, including metadata, which may include the calculated elevation of the roadway using the concepts of this invention.
  • Collections of probe measurements can be taken for the purpose of incrementally updating digital maps.
  • Such probe measurements can be transmitted either on-the-fly or subsequently to a collection service or other map data analysis service via wireless (e.g., cellular) transmission, via internet uploads, or by other convenient methods.
  • wireless e.g., cellular
  • map database editors can use this information to improve and update the maps, which in turn may be effective to provide more accurate navigation and routing assistance.

Abstract

Real time navigation assistance is provided on multi-level roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations obtained by measuring the ambient air pressure. Absolute air pressure measurements adjusted to sea level (QNH) are obtained by on-the-fly wireless searches. A navigation device (10) calculates its current elevation above sea level as a function of the measured ambient actual pressure and a selected local QNH reading. This elevation is correlated to a digital map so that the navigation device (10) can be accurately located relative to a multi-level roadway. Elevation readings along any road segment (14) can be transmitted to a map update center for the purpose of updating and improving digital map data.

Description

    CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
  • This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/240,253 filed 7 Sep. 2009, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference and relied upon.
    • BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • 1. Field of the Invention
  • This invention relates to navigation devices of the type used by motorists and travelers, and more particularly toward an improved method for on-the-fly elevation determinations in combination with digital maps.
  • 2. Related Art
  • Navigation devices like that shown at 10 for example in FIG. 1 utilize digital maps combined with accurate positioning data transmitted from a constellation of satellites or other data streams. Such GPS-enabled navigation devices may include portable, personal units such as those manufactured by TomTom N.V. (www.tomtom.com), as well as those which are integrated into an automobile instrument system, or other handheld devices, mobile phones, PDAs, and the like. These devices have been developed for many land-based navigation applications. Typically, the navigation system 10 includes a display screen 12 that portrays a portion of a stored digital map as a network of roads 14 and possibly other features such as directional signs, nearby landmarks, lane indicators, etc. A traveler having access to a GPS-enabled navigation device 10 is generally located on the digital map close to or with regard to a particular road 14.
  • The effectiveness of such navigation systems 10 is inherently dependent upon accurately and quickly matching the actual, real-world location of the navigation device (i.e., its geo-position) to a corresponding portion of the digital map. Navigation devices are not typically configured to measure elevation relative to sea level. Currently used GPS systems are typically less accurate in the vertical directions and better in the two horizontal axes. Nonetheless, some navigation situations cannot be accurately accomplished without knowing the current altitude of the vehicle combined with the elevation of the nearby road network 14. For example, one road segment may overlap another road segment in multi-layer road situations, complex motorway interchanges (FIG. 2), some exits and parallel roads close to a main road, multi-level parking garages, and on certain bridges, to name a few. In these situations, if the navigation system cannot discern which particular road segment a driver is currently traveling, it may not provide accurate navigation assistance.
  • Some navigation products have been specially equipped to discern real-time elevations using three-dimensional gyroscopic devices which are very accurate, but these systems are prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, sensitive gyroscopic calibrations must be continuously made on these devices to avoid undesirable temperature influences.
  • Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide real-time navigation assistance on land-based vehicular roadways from which accurate elevation determinations can be made, on-the-fly, in situations where multi-layer roads and overlapping road segments exist. There is a need for such navigation devices to be relatively low cost and maintenance free.
    • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  • This invention provides a real time navigation assistance method for land-based vehicular roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations. According to this method, a digital road map is provided having a representation of a road network corresponding to a plurality of roads in reality. Each road in reality has a measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position therealong. A mobile navigation device is provided which is interactive with the digital map. The navigation device is capable of determining its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to the road in reality. As the navigation device is transported along a road in reality, its corresponding geo-position is updated in the digital road network. An on-the-fly search for local atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) is conducted via wireless transmission. A reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading at sea level is selected from the search results. Furthermore, the actual ambient atmospheric pressure is measured. A current road elevation is calculated as a function of the measured actual and selected absolute pressures. The calculated current road elevation is then associated with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device.
  • Using a wireless on-the-fly search for local atmospheric pressure readings (QNH), a fairly accurate elevation determination can be made as a function of the measured actual ambient atmospheric pressure. The invention provides a lower cost and more robust solution than prior art attempts using gyroscopes.
  • In another application of this invention, road elevation data gathered through this process is transmitted to a map update center to improve existing map data as well as other functionalities including, but not limited to, link cost attributes used in routing programs.
    • BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following detailed description and appended drawings, wherein:
  • FIG. 1 is an enlarged, exemplary view of a compact, portable navigation system according to one embodiment of this invention including a display screen for presenting map data information to a vehicle driver for example;
  • FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a complex motorway interchange wherein numerous road segments are layered one upon another;
  • FIG. 3 is a simplified chart describing the predictable decrease in air pressure as a function of altitude above sea level;
  • FIG. 4 is a simplified flow chart describing one preferred embodiment of this invention;
  • FIG. 5 is a simplified view of a navigation device configured with an altimeter and wirelessly searching the internet to find a local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) for instance from a nearby airport;
  • FIG. 6 is a highly simplified, side elevation showing a four layered roadway supporting traffic flow in multiple directions, such as may be found in a parking garage for example;
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating one method by which a feedback loop can be added to transmit recorded absolute altitudes in the map database to a map update center; and
  • FIG. 8 shows a hypothetical section of digital map combined with elevation measurements obtained therealong using principles of this invention.
    •  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
  • Referring to the figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a personal navigation device 10 is shown in FIG. 1 having a display screen 12 representing a portion of a digital map containing road segments 14 as described previously. The navigation device 10 may be an in-dash system in a motor vehicle, as well as any personal, portable or handheld device appropriately enabled with position determining features including cell phones, PDAs, and the like. This invention is particularly adapted for land-based applications wherein multi-layer roadways exist. These multi-layer roadways may comprise an interchange of motorways such as shown in FIG. 2, for example, or a multi-level parking garage as shown in FIG. 4, an “over/under” bridge, or any other scenario where at least one roadway overlies another roadway such that navigation can be improved by knowing the absolute altitude of the vehicle transporting the navigation device 10.
  • Referring now to FIG. 3, it is known that atmospheric pressure is caused by the weight of air above a measurement point. Low pressure areas have less atmospheric mass above their location, whereas high pressure areas have more atmospheric mass above their location. As elevation of a measurement point increases there is less overlying atmospheric mass so that the pressure decreases with increasing elevation. This is described graphically in FIG. 3. It is known that atmospheric pressure decreases by approximately 0.12 mbar for every one meter of elevation. It is common in aviation applications to measure the ambient atmospheric pressure using an altimeter and then make an altitude calculation after adjusting for current atmospheric conditions. Current atmospheric conditions can change continuously, and therefore air traffic controllers and weather stations are constantly updating their local absolute atmospheric pressure readings. In aviation settings, an adjusted local absolute atmospheric pressure reading is identified by the letters QNH, which represents the local atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level. By comparing an ambient atmospheric pressure measurement to the adjusted local QNH (supplied by a nearby airport), and then factoring a 0.12 mbar pressure differential for each meter, an airplane can fairly accurately assess their current altitude. Of course, a similar calculation can be made with different measurement units.
  • According to the concepts of this invention, real-time navigation assistance can be provided in connection with land-based vehicular roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations similar to those applied in the aviation field. The navigation device 10 of this invention includes one or more digital maps stored in its memory or otherwise accessed through a suitable database connection via wireless signal. Digital road maps of this type contain a representation of road networks 14 corresponding to a plurality of roads or road segments in reality. Each road (or road segment) in reality has a measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position therealong. Geo-position is related to any standard geodetic system which may be used in cartography and other navigation applications, and provides a suitable coordinate frame so that a particular spot on the face of the earth can be identified with coordinates. The navigation device 10 is interactive with the digital map, together with its own position determining systems such as GPS, so as to determine its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to a road in reality. As a navigation device 10 is transported along a road 14 in reality, its corresponding geo-position is continuously updated through satellite telemetry/triangulation. Thus, data transmitted from a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth enables to navigation device 10 to determine its current geo-position which is then correlated to a road or road segment in the digital map and displayed on the display screen 12.
  • The navigation device 10 includes or is operatively associated with an altimeter 16 as shown in FIG. 5. The altimeter, which may be in the form of a digital barometric pressure sensor, measures the ambient atmospheric pressure in which the navigation device 10 is carried. Due to the variability of atmospheric conditions, the altimeter 16 must be calibrated regularly to reflect current local pressure conditions. Altimeter calibrations have been traditionally accomplished by adjusting a setting knob (not shown) or through a digital touch screen or keypad. Frequent re-calibrations are generally needed as local atmospheric pressures vary with temperature and the movement of pressure systems in the atmosphere. According to aviation terminology, the regional or local air pressure adjusted to mean sea level is referred to as the QNH. When an altimeter is calibrated to the current local QNH setting, it will enable calculation of the instantaneous height above sea level (i.e., the altitude or elevation).
  • Local absolute (i.e., adjusted for sea level) atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) are provided by many meteorological services, including almost every airport in the world, and updated on a regular basis. Update intervals of 30 minutes are common for airport information. In addition, some weather stations, local amateur weather clubs, and other organizations will provide current QNH readings for a particular location. A QNH reading provided by any source corresponds to its geo-position, and may not be entirely reliable as a reference reading for altimeter calibrations tens or hundreds of kilometers away. Therefore, absolute atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) obtained from nearby sources are considered, typically, more reliable than those provided by sources located farther away.
  • According to this invention, while the navigation device 10 is being transported along a road in reality, the navigation system 10 is equipped with wireless communication technology 18 capable of conducting an on-the-fly search for local absolute atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) such as from airports and other reliable sources. This search may include accessing the internet 20 and using a suitable search engine to find local atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) within some defined range of the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10. For example, the system 10 may be configured to search the internet 20 for all QNH readings updated within the hour and issued by a source within a 50 km range. This is only an example of course, and other search criteria may be used. The navigation device 10, using coded logic, selects a reliable local atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) sufficiently near in geo-position to the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10. An ambient actual atmospheric pressure measurement is also taken using the on-board altimeter 16. From the measured ambient actual and selected absolute pressure readings, a current elevation of the navigation device 10 above sea level can be calculated on the basis of a 0.12 mbar decrease in pressure for each 1 meter increase in elevation above sea level, thus eliminating the need for manual calibration as previously described. The calculation may, for example, include application of the following (or a similar) formula:

  • Current elevation (meters)=Selected absolute (mbar)−Measured ambient (mbar)/0.12
  • For example, if the navigation device 10 is transported in a motor vehicle which is traveling along a roadway in Amsterdam suitably near to Schiphol International Airport, a wireless internet search may find a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) at the website http://www.knmi.nl/actueel/metar.html, which provides QNH readings updated every thirty minutes. A real time query of this site in this example provides a current QNH reading of 1025 mbar. This represents the current atmospheric pressure at the Schiphol Airport adjusted to sea level. If the onboard altimeter 16 measures 1013 mbar, the previously provided calculation would yield:

  • Current elevation (meters)=1025−1013/0.12 12/0.12=100 meters
  • Accordingly, using this calculation together with the acquired local QNH reading obtained via a wireless search prompted by the navigation device 10, a current elevation of the navigation device 10 has been determined to be 100 meters above sea level. This current elevation is then associated with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10 for use in determining the position of the navigation device 10 in the digital road network. If the navigation device 10 happens to be traveling on one of two (or more) overlying roads in reality at the moment, the navigation device 10 can be mapped directly to a specific one of the two (or more) overlying roads based on the calculated current elevation of the navigation device 10, provided the digital map is appropriately attributed with road elevations. Through this technique, navigation assistance can be provided based on the calculated current road elevation of the navigation device 10. Advantageously, the accuracy of low-cost air pressure measuring equipment of the type incorporated into this invention will be sufficient to discriminate between various roads, and thus provide a reliable alternative to current high-cost solutions that rely on gyroscopic components.
  • It is foreseeable that, when conducting a wireless search for a reliable local atmospheric pressure reading (QNH), more than one reliable QNH reading may be found. Under these circumstances, the navigation system 10 may employ appropriate logic to select the most reliable one of the several offered QNH readings to be used in the elevation calculation. For example, the system may be configured to choose the closest source. Alternatively, the navigation system 10 may employ statistical techniques, such as averaging, to obtain a selected absolute pressure reading. For example, if two local QNH readings are obtained, one indicating 1,024 mbar and the other indicating 1,026 mbar, it may be appropriate to compute a simple average of 1,025 mbar to be used in the elevation calculation. To be even more precise, a weighted average may be taken as a good estimate, taking into account the relative distances and directions between the location of each QNH reading and the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device 10. A weighted average will provide a more accurate linear approximation of the gradient of the pressure field. However, it is expected that deviations from linear will be small within a reasonable radius or range of about 100 km.
  • FIG. 6 is a highly simplified illustration of a four layer roadway which may, for example, exist in a typical parking garage. Vehicles fitted with navigation devices 10 according to this invention can calculate their current elevation so as to be placed on a specific road segment (i.e., level) in the parking garage. The navigation device 10 may then offer real time navigation assistance, provided details of the parking garage are contained in the onboard digital map or otherwise made available to the navigation system 10.
  • Turning now to FIG. 7, the concepts of this invention can be used, also, to help improve the accuracy and content of digital maps by recording road elevations. It is known that some GPS-enabled navigation devices 10 may be configured to passively generate probe measurements at regular intervals. Such probe traces typically comprise a sequence of geo-coded positions recorded at intervals of, for example, five seconds. These probe traces may be configured to include additional information, including metadata, which may include the calculated elevation of the roadway using the concepts of this invention. Collections of probe measurements can be taken for the purpose of incrementally updating digital maps. Such probe measurements can be transmitted either on-the-fly or subsequently to a collection service or other map data analysis service via wireless (e.g., cellular) transmission, via internet uploads, or by other convenient methods. FIG. 8 describes, in exemplary fashion, a longitudinal distribution of road elevations such as may be obtained through the passive collection of probe data using the on-the-fly elevation determinations of this invention. As a result, map database editors can use this information to improve and update the maps, which in turn may be effective to provide more accurate navigation and routing assistance.
  • The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A method for providing real-time navigation assistance on land-based vehicular roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a digital road map having a representation of a road network corresponding to a plurality of roads in reality, each road in reality having a measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position there along;
providing a mobile navigation device interactive with the digital map, the navigation device capable of determining its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to the road in reality;
transporting the navigation device along a road in reality while simultaneously updating its corresponding geo-position in the digital road network;
conducting an on-the-fly search for local absolute atmospheric pressure readings (QNH) via wireless transmission;
selecting a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH);
measuring the actual ambient atmospheric pressure;
calculating a current road elevation as a function of the measured actual and selected absolute (QNH) pressures; and
associating the calculated current road elevation with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device.
2. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of updating the on-board digital map with the calculated elevation at the corresponding geo-position.
3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting the calculated elevation at the corresponding geo-position to a map update center.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes computing the distance between the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device and the geo-location of the local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH).
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) includes comparing a plurality of available readings and choosing the closest in geo-position and time to the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) includes linearly approximating the gradient of the air pressure field between the location of the local absolute atmospheric pressure reading and the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device.
7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) includes computing an average local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) from a plurality of data sources.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of measuring the ambient atmospheric pressure includes making regular periodic passive samplings.
9. The method according claim 1 wherein said step of calculating a current road elevation includes applying the formula:

current elevation (in meters)=(selected absolute pressure (in mbar)−measured ambient pressure (mbar))/0.12.
10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of conducting an on-the-fly search includes searching the internet.
11. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of continuously updating the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device in the digital road network relative to the road in reality based on data transmitted from a constellation of satellites.
12. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of providing navigation assistance based on the calculated current road elevation.
13. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one road in reality overlies another road in reality but at an offset elevation, said step of associating the calculated current road elevation with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device includes associating the navigation device with a specific one of the two offset roads in reality; and providing navigation assistance based on the calculated current road elevation, said navigation assistance including mapping the navigation device to a specific one of the two offset roads in reality based, at least in part, on the calculated current elevation of the navigation device.
14. A method for providing real-time navigation assistance on multi-level overlapping roadways using on-the-fly elevation determinations, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a digital road map having a representation of a road network corresponding to a plurality of roads in reality, each road in reality having a fixed and measurable elevation above sea level at any given geo-position there along; at least one road in reality overlying another road in reality but at an offset elevation;
providing a mobile navigation device interactive with the digital map, the navigation device configured to determine its instantaneous geo-position in the digital road network relative to the road in reality based on data transmitted from a constellation of satellites;
transporting the navigation device along a road in reality while simultaneously updating its corresponding geo-position in the digital road network;
simultaneously with said transporting step, conducting an on-the-fly search for local absolute atmospheric pressure (QNH) readings via wireless transmission;
selecting a reliable local absolute atmospheric pressure reading (QNH) relatively near in geo-position and time to the instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device;
measuring the ambient actual atmospheric pressure;
calculating a current elevation of the navigation device above sea level as a function of the measured ambient actual and selected absolute (QNH) pressures;
associating the calculated current road elevation with the corresponding instantaneous geo-position of the navigation device;
mapping the navigation device to a specific one of the two overlying roads in reality at least partially based on the calculated current elevation of the navigation device;
providing navigation assistance based on the calculated current road elevation;
updating the on-board digital map with the calculated elevation at the corresponding geo-position by saving the calculated elevation as an attribute; and
transmitting the calculated elevation at the corresponding geo-position to a map update center.
15. A navigation device configured to perform the method of claim 1.
US13/394,582 2009-09-07 2010-06-15 Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments Abandoned US20120265437A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13/394,582 US20120265437A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-06-15 Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US24025309P 2009-09-07 2009-09-07
US13/394,582 US20120265437A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-06-15 Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments
PCT/EP2010/058409 WO2011026664A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-06-15 Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20120265437A1 true US20120265437A1 (en) 2012-10-18

Family

ID=42153919

Family Applications (4)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/394,595 Active 2030-05-12 US8793033B2 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-03-03 Satellite signal acquisition apparatus, navigation apparatus and method of acquiring a satellite signal
US13/394,590 Pending US20120265792A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-05-19 Data storage access device
US13/394,582 Abandoned US20120265437A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-06-15 Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments
US13/394,578 Active US8706403B2 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-09-06 Systems and methods for detecting bifurcations

Family Applications Before (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/394,595 Active 2030-05-12 US8793033B2 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-03-03 Satellite signal acquisition apparatus, navigation apparatus and method of acquiring a satellite signal
US13/394,590 Pending US20120265792A1 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-05-19 Data storage access device

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/394,578 Active US8706403B2 (en) 2009-09-07 2010-09-06 Systems and methods for detecting bifurcations

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (4) US8793033B2 (en)
EP (2) EP2476049A1 (en)
TW (4) TW201113506A (en)
WO (7) WO2011026530A1 (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120316831A1 (en) * 2011-02-18 2012-12-13 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab System and method for determining altitude
DE102016210352A1 (en) * 2016-06-10 2017-12-14 Continental Automotive Gmbh Positioning method, electronic control module and use
US10446027B1 (en) * 2017-12-11 2019-10-15 Waymo Llc Differentiating roadways by elevation
US10845202B1 (en) 2011-11-10 2020-11-24 Waymo Llc Method and apparatus to transition between levels using warp zones
US11002546B2 (en) 2019-04-05 2021-05-11 Toyota Connected North America, Inc. Systems and methods for determining a location of a vehicle within a structure

Families Citing this family (40)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITTO20110686A1 (en) * 2011-07-28 2013-01-29 Sisvel Technology Srl METHOD TO GUARANTEE THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE OF A PERSONAL NAVIGATION AND RELATIVE DEVICE
US9280377B2 (en) 2013-03-29 2016-03-08 Citrix Systems, Inc. Application with multiple operation modes
US9215225B2 (en) 2013-03-29 2015-12-15 Citrix Systems, Inc. Mobile device locking with context
US8799994B2 (en) 2011-10-11 2014-08-05 Citrix Systems, Inc. Policy-based application management
US20140032733A1 (en) 2011-10-11 2014-01-30 Citrix Systems, Inc. Policy-Based Application Management
US9143530B2 (en) 2011-10-11 2015-09-22 Citrix Systems, Inc. Secure container for protecting enterprise data on a mobile device
US9449169B2 (en) * 2012-03-26 2016-09-20 Vmware, Inc. Block storage virtualization on commodity secure digital cards
US8613070B1 (en) 2012-10-12 2013-12-17 Citrix Systems, Inc. Single sign-on access in an orchestration framework for connected devices
US9516022B2 (en) 2012-10-14 2016-12-06 Getgo, Inc. Automated meeting room
US8910239B2 (en) 2012-10-15 2014-12-09 Citrix Systems, Inc. Providing virtualized private network tunnels
US20140109176A1 (en) 2012-10-15 2014-04-17 Citrix Systems, Inc. Configuring and providing profiles that manage execution of mobile applications
US20140108793A1 (en) 2012-10-16 2014-04-17 Citrix Systems, Inc. Controlling mobile device access to secure data
US9606774B2 (en) 2012-10-16 2017-03-28 Citrix Systems, Inc. Wrapping an application with field-programmable business logic
WO2014062804A1 (en) 2012-10-16 2014-04-24 Citrix Systems, Inc. Application wrapping for application management framework
US9971585B2 (en) 2012-10-16 2018-05-15 Citrix Systems, Inc. Wrapping unmanaged applications on a mobile device
US9424267B2 (en) * 2013-01-02 2016-08-23 Oracle International Corporation Compression and deduplication layered driver
US9104893B2 (en) 2013-03-04 2015-08-11 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Rule based access for removable storage
US8849978B1 (en) 2013-03-29 2014-09-30 Citrix Systems, Inc. Providing an enterprise application store
US9355223B2 (en) 2013-03-29 2016-05-31 Citrix Systems, Inc. Providing a managed browser
US8849979B1 (en) 2013-03-29 2014-09-30 Citrix Systems, Inc. Providing mobile device management functionalities
US9985850B2 (en) 2013-03-29 2018-05-29 Citrix Systems, Inc. Providing mobile device management functionalities
US10284627B2 (en) 2013-03-29 2019-05-07 Citrix Systems, Inc. Data management for an application with multiple operation modes
US9188445B2 (en) * 2013-05-21 2015-11-17 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. System and method for storing and recalling location data
US9858290B1 (en) * 2013-06-27 2018-01-02 EMC IP Holding Company LLC Cluster file system with a fuse file system interface
CN103512562A (en) * 2013-09-24 2014-01-15 上海海洋大学 Automatic monitoring and early-warning system for offshore area environment based on Arduino
TWI571715B (en) * 2013-10-22 2017-02-21 光寶電子（廣州）有限公司 Control device with automatically adjusting function
US9639978B2 (en) * 2013-12-04 2017-05-02 Verizon Telematics Inc. Method and system for avatar replay based on mobile sensor information
WO2015103404A1 (en) * 2013-12-31 2015-07-09 Hemisphere Gnss Inc. Gnss extension device
CN104121913B (en) * 2014-07-25 2017-06-23 广东翼卡车联网服务有限公司 Can calling IP phone navigation box and speech guide system, method
CN104121912A (en) * 2014-07-25 2014-10-29 广东翼卡车联网服务有限公司 Vehicle navigation system and method based on mobile IP phone
EP2980607B1 (en) * 2014-07-31 2019-08-14 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Multi-antenna-gnss-receiver-system to raise the probability of line of sight
US9658074B2 (en) * 2014-10-13 2017-05-23 Here Global B.V. Diverging and converging road geometry generation from sparse data
DE102016007516B4 (en) * 2016-06-20 2023-08-24 Joynext Gmbh Detection method and detection device for a navigation device
BR112019016604A2 (en) 2017-02-10 2020-03-31 Jiangsu Hongbao Hardware Co., Ltd. SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE SHARING SERVICE
CN106658414A (en) * 2017-02-10 2017-05-10 北京拜克洛克科技有限公司 Method for searching reserved bicycle, and user terminal
US10979857B2 (en) 2018-05-03 2021-04-13 Curbside Inc. Content conversion tracking based on location data
US20220252421A1 (en) * 2019-07-09 2022-08-11 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium
US11681052B2 (en) 2020-01-07 2023-06-20 All. Space Networks Limited Non-cooperative position, navigation, and timing extraction from VSAT communications signals using multi-beam phased array antenna
JP2021123133A (en) * 2020-01-31 2021-08-30 トヨタ自動車株式会社 Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program
US20220306076A1 (en) * 2021-03-24 2022-09-29 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Systems and methods to avoid undesirable vehicle operations inside a confined space

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6055477A (en) * 1995-03-31 2000-04-25 Trimble Navigation Ltd. Use of an altitude sensor to augment availability of GPS location fixes
US6216064B1 (en) * 1998-02-24 2001-04-10 Alliedsignal Inc. Method and apparatus for determining altitude
US6768449B1 (en) * 2001-04-12 2004-07-27 Garmin Ltd. Device and method for calibrating and improving the accuracy of barometric altimeters with GPS-derived altitudes
US20050102098A1 (en) * 2003-11-07 2005-05-12 Montealegre Steve E. Adaptive navigation system with artificial intelligence
US6970795B1 (en) * 2001-05-09 2005-11-29 Garmin Ltd. Method and apparatus for calculating altitude based on barometric and GPS measurements
US7038613B1 (en) * 2003-03-19 2006-05-02 Airbus France Method and device for determining at least one cue of vertical position of an aircraft
WO2008001117A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-01-03 Nats (En Route) Public Limited Company Air traffic control
US20080243316A1 (en) * 2005-10-25 2008-10-02 Thales Method For Setting an Aircraft Barometric Altitude
US20090140887A1 (en) * 2007-11-29 2009-06-04 Breed David S Mapping Techniques Using Probe Vehicles
US20090143983A1 (en) * 2007-12-04 2009-06-04 Nemerix Sa Navigation system with dynamically calibrated pressure sensor
US20090150012A1 (en) * 2007-12-10 2009-06-11 Leedor Agam System for producing a flight plan

Family Cites Families (39)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5587715A (en) * 1993-03-19 1996-12-24 Gps Mobile, Inc. Method and apparatus for tracking a moving object
DE10024007B4 (en) * 1999-07-14 2015-02-12 Volkswagen Ag Method for informative support of a motor vehicle driver by means of a vehicle multimedia system
JP4441962B2 (en) * 1999-11-18 2010-03-31 株式会社エクォス・リサーチ Guidance system
GB2357582A (en) * 1999-12-21 2001-06-27 Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd Communication handset incorporating an altimeter
EP1136788A1 (en) * 2000-03-22 2001-09-26 Asulab S.A. Portable GPS receiver using a barometric altimeter
JP4380032B2 (en) * 2000-07-19 2009-12-09 ソニー株式会社 Information processing system, information processing method, and storage medium
DE10048576A1 (en) * 2000-09-30 2002-04-25 Siemens Ag Process for the transmission of individual data to motor vehicles
JP4230132B2 (en) * 2001-05-01 2009-02-25 パナソニック株式会社 Digital map shape vector encoding method, position information transmission method, and apparatus for implementing the same
AU2002357064A1 (en) * 2001-12-07 2003-06-23 Dashsmart Investments, Llc Portable navigation and communication systems
DE10202928A1 (en) * 2002-01-25 2003-07-31 Opel Adam Ag System for adjusting settings for a motor vehicle, whereby a driver can connect to a central server for transfer of settings, conveniently input via a PC, so that they can be loaded into the onboard computer via a wireless link
JP2003269979A (en) * 2002-03-19 2003-09-25 Pioneer Electronic Corp Route guide device and route guide method
JP4291003B2 (en) * 2003-01-23 2009-07-08 本田技研工業株式会社 Steering device
JP2005043076A (en) * 2003-07-22 2005-02-17 Pioneer Electronic Corp Navigation system and method, and computer program
US7035733B1 (en) * 2003-09-22 2006-04-25 Navteq North America, Llc Method and system for obtaining road grade data
KR101072181B1 (en) * 2003-12-30 2011-10-10 엘지전자 주식회사 Vehicle navigation system and method using mobile terminal equipped gps
JP4466238B2 (en) * 2004-07-07 2010-05-26 株式会社デンソー Vehicle navigation device
FR2880444B1 (en) * 2005-01-06 2007-03-09 Gemplus Sa DATA STORAGE DEVICE
US8014942B2 (en) * 2005-06-15 2011-09-06 Airbiquity, Inc. Remote destination programming for vehicle navigation
US20070050128A1 (en) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-01 Garmin Ltd., A Cayman Islands Corporation Method and system for off-board navigation with a portable device
JP2007127419A (en) * 2005-10-31 2007-05-24 Aisin Aw Co Ltd System and method for route guidance
US7752391B2 (en) * 2006-01-20 2010-07-06 Apple Inc. Variable caching policy system and method
EP1852711B1 (en) 2006-04-24 2013-03-13 Qualcomm Incorporated Ephemeris extension method for GNSS applications
JP2008003688A (en) * 2006-06-20 2008-01-10 Denso Corp In-vehicle communication system and in-vehicle radio communication equipment
US7558907B2 (en) * 2006-10-13 2009-07-07 Spansion Llc Virtual memory card controller
JP4683576B2 (en) * 2006-12-08 2011-05-18 パイオニア株式会社 Navigation device and navigation method
JP2008191781A (en) * 2007-02-01 2008-08-21 Hitachi Ltd Collision avoidance system
US8014793B2 (en) 2007-02-08 2011-09-06 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Use of previously-calculated position fix for location based query
US20080234928A1 (en) * 2007-03-23 2008-09-25 Palm, Inc. Location based services using altitude
US7835863B2 (en) * 2007-04-18 2010-11-16 Mitac International Corporation Method and system for navigation using GPS velocity vector
US20090049459A1 (en) * 2007-08-14 2009-02-19 Microsoft Corporation Dynamically converting symbolic links
US8370402B2 (en) * 2008-01-02 2013-02-05 Sandisk Il Ltd Dual representation of stored digital content
TW200935221A (en) * 2008-02-13 2009-08-16 Genesys Logic Inc System for securing an access to flash memory device and method for the same
US8473941B2 (en) * 2008-07-08 2013-06-25 Sandisk Il Ltd. Dynamic file system restriction for portable storage devices
US8281062B2 (en) * 2008-08-27 2012-10-02 Sandisk Il Ltd. Portable storage device supporting file segmentation and multiple transfer rates
US8386723B2 (en) * 2009-02-11 2013-02-26 Sandisk Il Ltd. System and method of host request mapping
US20100268460A1 (en) * 2009-04-15 2010-10-21 Telenav, Inc. Navigation system with predictive multi-routing and method of operation thereof
WO2011003463A1 (en) * 2009-07-10 2011-01-13 Tomtom International B.V. Data storage system and method
US8930424B2 (en) * 2009-07-10 2015-01-06 Tomtom International B.V. Data storage system and method for protecting the system in case of power-failure
US20120221609A1 (en) * 2009-07-10 2012-08-30 Jaap-Jan Boor Data Storage System and Method

Patent Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6055477A (en) * 1995-03-31 2000-04-25 Trimble Navigation Ltd. Use of an altitude sensor to augment availability of GPS location fixes
US6216064B1 (en) * 1998-02-24 2001-04-10 Alliedsignal Inc. Method and apparatus for determining altitude
US6768449B1 (en) * 2001-04-12 2004-07-27 Garmin Ltd. Device and method for calibrating and improving the accuracy of barometric altimeters with GPS-derived altitudes
US6970795B1 (en) * 2001-05-09 2005-11-29 Garmin Ltd. Method and apparatus for calculating altitude based on barometric and GPS measurements
US7038613B1 (en) * 2003-03-19 2006-05-02 Airbus France Method and device for determining at least one cue of vertical position of an aircraft
US20050102098A1 (en) * 2003-11-07 2005-05-12 Montealegre Steve E. Adaptive navigation system with artificial intelligence
US20080243316A1 (en) * 2005-10-25 2008-10-02 Thales Method For Setting an Aircraft Barometric Altitude
WO2008001117A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-01-03 Nats (En Route) Public Limited Company Air traffic control
US8401773B2 (en) * 2006-06-30 2013-03-19 Nats (En Route) Public Limited Company Air traffic control
US20090140887A1 (en) * 2007-11-29 2009-06-04 Breed David S Mapping Techniques Using Probe Vehicles
US20090143983A1 (en) * 2007-12-04 2009-06-04 Nemerix Sa Navigation system with dynamically calibrated pressure sensor
US8332137B2 (en) * 2007-12-04 2012-12-11 Qualcomm Incorporated Navigation system with dynamically calibrated pressure sensor
US20090150012A1 (en) * 2007-12-10 2009-06-11 Leedor Agam System for producing a flight plan

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120316831A1 (en) * 2011-02-18 2012-12-13 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab System and method for determining altitude
US10845202B1 (en) 2011-11-10 2020-11-24 Waymo Llc Method and apparatus to transition between levels using warp zones
US11852492B1 (en) 2011-11-10 2023-12-26 Waymo Llc Method and apparatus to transition between levels using warp zones
DE102016210352A1 (en) * 2016-06-10 2017-12-14 Continental Automotive Gmbh Positioning method, electronic control module and use
US10260887B2 (en) 2016-06-10 2019-04-16 Continental Teves Ag & Co. Ohg Position determination method, electronic control module and use thereof
US10446027B1 (en) * 2017-12-11 2019-10-15 Waymo Llc Differentiating roadways by elevation
US10685566B1 (en) 2017-12-11 2020-06-16 Waymo Llc Differentiating roadways by elevation
US11002546B2 (en) 2019-04-05 2021-05-11 Toyota Connected North America, Inc. Systems and methods for determining a location of a vehicle within a structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2011026994A1 (en) 2011-03-10
TW201109956A (en) 2011-03-16
EP2475962B1 (en) 2017-11-08
TW201113506A (en) 2011-04-16
WO2011026654A1 (en) 2011-03-10
WO2011026656A1 (en) 2011-03-10
US8706403B2 (en) 2014-04-22
US20120259478A1 (en) 2012-10-11
WO2011026664A1 (en) 2011-03-10
US20120226436A1 (en) 2012-09-06
WO2011026660A1 (en) 2011-03-10
US8793033B2 (en) 2014-07-29
TW201109705A (en) 2011-03-16
US20120265792A1 (en) 2012-10-18
WO2011027224A1 (en) 2011-03-10
EP2476049A1 (en) 2012-07-18
WO2011026530A1 (en) 2011-03-10
TW201116808A (en) 2011-05-16
EP2475962A1 (en) 2012-07-18

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US20120265437A1 (en) Land-based navigation using on-the-fly elevation assessments
US9909884B2 (en) Systems and methods for identifying attributes located along segments of a driving route
EP3318844B1 (en) Method, apparatus, and computer program product for verifying and/or updating road map geometry based on received probe data
US8326521B2 (en) Traffic situation determination systems, methods, and programs
EP2462411B1 (en) Method of verifying attribute information of a digital transport network database using interpolation and probe traces
US7035733B1 (en) Method and system for obtaining road grade data
US20110082642A1 (en) Method and system for the building up of a roadmap and for the determination of the position of a vehicle
US7831388B2 (en) Accurate positioning system for a vehicle and its positioning method
JP2004325777A (en) Road information system of on-vehicle navigation and road information measurement method therefor, road surface altitude value measurement system, and navigation using the same system
US11170138B2 (en) Geographic position calculation for sign placement based on destination profiling of probe data
US20080270013A1 (en) Vehicle position information providing devices, methods, and programs
Boroujeni et al. Road grade measurement using in-vehicle, stand-alone GPS with barometric altimeter
JP4652097B2 (en) Altitude calculation device and navigation device
US20200182627A1 (en) Segmented path coordinate system
US20200292338A1 (en) Dangerous lane strands
US11262209B2 (en) Methods and systems for road work extension identification
CN101581583B (en) Navigation positioning system for moving object
US10883839B2 (en) Method and system for geo-spatial matching of sensor data to stationary objects
KR100448054B1 (en) Method for Preparing Geographical Information System Employing the Amended Value as Road Data
CN111033177A (en) Mobile device, server and method for updating and providing high-precision map
JP6718811B2 (en) Information processing system and information processing method
KR100581235B1 (en) Method for updating gis numerical map of surveying information structural facilities along road by using aerial photograph as well as vehicle with gps receiver and laser measuring instrument
JP2007127428A (en) Navigation system, navigation method and navigation program
US20230048365A1 (en) Corrected trajectory mapping
US20230053157A1 (en) Gnss error resolution

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V., NETHERLANDS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SCHAMINEE, JOHANNES G.M.;REEL/FRAME:029727/0525

Effective date: 20120606

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION