Variable Route Corridor Navigation for Urban GPS Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
GPS navigation in urban canyon environments faces challenges due to positional accuracy degradation caused by multipath errors, leading to erroneous position information and unnecessary route recalculation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system and method for GPS navigation that utilizes variable route corridors, which adjust their width based on map data, including the location of nearby streets and road widths, to improve navigation accuracy and reduce errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS navigation uses fixed route corridors, then the system is simple to implement, but positional accuracy degrades in urban canyon environments due to multipath errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements variable route corridors that dynamically adjust their width based on environmental conditions. The corridor width expands in urban canyon areas where multipath errors are expected and contracts in open areas, allowing the system to adapt to changing GPS reliability conditions without requiring complex manual configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different corridor widths to different segments of the route based on local environmental characteristics. By analyzing map data to identify urban canyon areas, the system locally expands the acceptable deviation corridor only where needed, rather than using a uniformly wide corridor throughout the entire route
2Reliability
If GPS navigation uses wider route corridors to accommodate multipath errors, then positional accuracy improves, but false off-route notifications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The route is divided into multiple segments with different corridor widths based on the environmental characteristics of each segment. Wide corridors are applied only to segments identified as urban canyons, while narrow corridors are used for segments in open areas, allowing the system to maintain high reliability without generating false notifications in reliable GPS areas
3Productivity
If GPS navigation recalculates route whenever position goes off-course, then the system responds to position errors, but unnecessary recalculation occurs due to multipath errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of map data to identify urban canyon areas before navigation begins. By pre-defining variable corridor widths for different route segments based on environmental characteristics, the system eliminates the need for reactive route recalculation during navigation, as position deviations within the expanded corridor are correctly interpreted as acceptable
Data Source
AI summary
The described method and system provide for GPS navigation utilizing variable route corridors. The method may be implemented at a GPS-capable device (e.g. a telematics unit in one implementation) or through a call center that provides navigation services to a telecommunications device (e.g. a telematics unit in another implementation). A user input corresponding to an intended destination is received and a route to the intended destination is calculated with a variable route corridor. The variable route corridor is calculated based on map features, such as other streets not on the route, the width of streets on the route, and map data inaccuracies. In preferred implementations, the system and method are implemented within the context of a GPS unit that is part of a telematics unit in a vehicle.