Traffic Device Position Correction for Non-Motorized Road Users
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for determining the position of non-motorized road users, such as pedestrians or cyclists, using mobile terminals have insufficient accuracy, which hinders safety functions in vehicles, especially when these users are not detectable by surrounding sensors.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes bidirectional communication between mobile terminals and traffic devices to provide feedback on position deviations, allowing for more accurate position determination by combining geodetic positions from both the terminal and traffic device sensors, thereby improving the accuracy of the ego position of non-motorized road users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based position determination in mobile terminals is used, then the position can be determined without additional sensors, but the accuracy is insufficient (inaccuracies of a few meters)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GPS-based position determination from the mobile terminal with sensor data from the traffic device's surroundings sensors (camera, radar, lidar, ultrasonic sensors). The control unit fuses these data sources to calculate a corrected position, merging independent measurement systems to achieve higher accuracy than either system alone could provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the traffic device detect the road user's position independently using surroundings sensors, compare this with the GPS-reported position, calculate the deviation, and transmit correction information back to the mobile terminal. This feedback loop enables continuous improvement of position accuracy.
2Reliability
If GPS position determination is used in mobile terminals, then the system remains simple, but the position accuracy is insufficient for safety functions when road users are not detectable by vehicle sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The traffic device acts as an intermediary between the mobile terminal's GPS system and the vehicle's safety functions. It receives GPS position data, independently verifies/corrects it using its own sensors, and provides reliable position information to trigger safety functions. This intermediary role ensures reliability even when the vehicle's sensors cannot directly detect the road user.
3Measurement precision
If feedback on position deviations is transmitted from traffic device to mobile terminal, then position accuracy is improved, but communication data volume and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential correction information (position deviation) from the complete sensor data set and transmits only this condensed feedback to the mobile terminal. This selective extraction minimizes communication data volume while still providing the necessary information for position correction.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the position of a non-motorized road user including ascertaining a first geodetic position of the road user in a position determination device, which uses a global navigation satellite system, of the terminal, and transmitting the first geodetic position to a traffic device. In a control unit of the traffic device, ascertaining a second geodetic position of the road user from a geodetic traffic device position and a relative position ascertained from sensor data, showing the road user, of at least one surroundings sensor of the traffic device. At least if a limiting value for a deviation of the first position from the second position is exceeded, transmitting an item of deviation information describing the second position and/or the deviation from the traffic device to the mobile terminal, and using the deviation information to correct the position ascertainment in the position determination device.