Visual Guidepost Positioning for GPS Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current outdoor positioning systems, primarily relying on GPS, face limitations in accuracy, especially in challenging environments such as rainy conditions, high building blockages, and tunnels, and struggle to meet the precise location requirements of advanced applications like driverless cars and drones.
Innovation Solution
A positioning method and system that combines GPS data with visual positioning technology by using guideposts identified through images, where a positioning device sends current location information to a server, receives guidepost identification, and matches images with guidepost information to correct location data, enhancing accuracy through integration with satellite positioning systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS positioning is used as the main positioning means, then the positioning system can operate in outdoor environments, but the positioning accuracy can only reach a range of 10 meters which limits application range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines GPS satellite positioning with visual positioning technology by integrating guidepost identification from images with satellite location data. The positioning device receives both GPS coordinates and visual guidepost information, merging these two positioning methods to achieve higher accuracy (within several meters or even sub-meter level) while maintaining outdoor operability.
2Reliability
If GPS positioning is used, then positioning can be achieved in open environments, but positioning accuracy decreases in rainy days and fails in tunnels and areas with high building blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guideposts as intermediary visual markers that can be identified in images even when GPS signals are blocked or degraded. These guideposts serve as mediators between the positioning device and the environment, providing reference points for visual positioning when satellite signals are unavailable or inaccurate due to weather or physical obstructions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between GPS positioning and visual positioning based on signal availability. When GPS signals are strong, the system uses satellite positioning; when signals are weak or blocked (in tunnels, rainy conditions, or urban canyons), the system transitions to visual positioning using guidepost identification, ensuring continuous reliable operation across varying environmental conditions.
3Measurement precision
If visual positioning with guidepost matching is implemented, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases due to image processing and guidepost library management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a guidepost library with known locations and visual characteristics before the positioning operation. Guideposts are identified and their coordinates are pre-recorded in the guidepost library, so that during actual positioning, the system only needs to match images against this pre-prepared library rather than building the reference database in real-time, significantly reducing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses visual copies (images) of guideposts as the basis for positioning. Instead of requiring direct physical measurement or complex sensor arrays, the system captures images of guideposts and matches them against stored guidepost images in the library. This copying approach simplifies the hardware requirements while maintaining high positioning accuracy through image pattern recognition and coordinate matching.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a positioning method, including following steps: current location information is determined, and the current location information is sent to a positioning server; identification information of a guidepost and guidepost location information of the guidepost sent by the positioning server are received; and an image of a current location is acquired, the image is matched with the identification information of the guidepost, and in response to a success in matching the image with the identification information of the guidepost, corrected current location information is obtained according to the guidepost location information, or the current location information and the guidepost location information.