Navigation System Path Determination Using Altitude Profiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern navigation systems face challenges in accurately determining a user's position on parallel and closely spaced paths, leading to incorrect route guidance and delayed recognition of deviations from the calculated route, due to uncertain positioning.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using a digital map with three-dimensional route information to determine path candidates, recording and comparing altitude change profiles from user trajectory measurements with pre-determined height profiles, and applying a Kalman filter to compensate for measurement noise, thereby enhancing the reliability of identifying the current path used by the user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional two-dimensional map fitting methods are used to determine user position, then the system is simple to operate, but the positioning reliability deteriorates on parallel closely spaced paths

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidpositioning reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from two-dimensional map fitting to three-dimensional position determination by incorporating altitude information. The system compares the user's altitude trajectory with pre-stored altitude profiles of candidate paths, enabling reliable path identification on parallel closely spaced routes where 2D methods fail due to insufficient spatial differentiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If only two-dimensional user trajectory evaluation is performed, then the device complexity is low, but the path identification precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidpath identification precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system enhances path identification precision by adding the altitude dimension to trajectory evaluation. Instead of relying solely on 2D spatial coordinates, the system incorporates 3D altitude data and compares it with stored altitude profiles, significantly improving the ability to distinguish between parallel paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing altitude profiles of candidate paths in the digital map before route guidance begins. These pre-computed reference profiles enable rapid and accurate comparison with real-time user altitude measurements, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If map fitting is used to determine user position, then the system can provide route guidance, but the detection of route deviations is delayed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroute guidance capabilityVSAvoiddetection delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous feedback by comparing real-time user altitude measurements with pre-stored altitude profiles of the planned route and candidate paths. This continuous 3D trajectory monitoring enables immediate detection of route deviations, allowing the system to prompt users to follow the correct path without delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach reduces the risk of erroneous route guidance by providing a clearer and more reliable identification of the user's path, allowing for timely recognition of deviations and triggering necessary route recalculation.

Implementation Method 1

an altitude change profile of a change in a user height at which the user is located along a user trajectory section of a user trajectory of the user from measurement signals from the measuring unit (104)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBarometric pressure measurement: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP3088845B1Determination of a path used by a user of a navigation system
Publication Date: 2018.02.28 PREH CAR CONNECT GMBH
  • EP3088845B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3088845B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3088845B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a navigation system (102) and a method for determining a route currently being used by a user of the navigation system (102). The navigation system (102) determines the user's current approximate position (205) and potential routes (201, 202, 203) within a region (204) of the determined approximate user position (205). For each potential route (201 to 203), an elevation profile (401, 402, 403) of the route's elevation along a segment of the potential route (201 to 203) is determined using a digital map (106). Along the user's trajectory, measurement signals indicating changes in the user's elevation are recorded, and from these, an elevation change profile (404) of the change in the user's elevation along a segment of the user's trajectory is determined.The elevation change profile (404) determined from the measurement signals is compared with the elevation profiles (401 to 403) determined for the path candidates (201 to 203) in order to determine the currently used path.