Positioning system, positioning method and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024221394-A1
Application number	US-202318451459-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2023
Priority date	Jan 4, 2023
Publication date	Jul 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a positioning system includes a sensor section and a processor. The sensor section is provided in a vehicle. The sensor section includes a first image sensor configured to image a road surface. The vehicle is configured to travel in the roar surface. The processor is configured to process a first information including a first image information regarding the road surface obtained by the first image sensor. The processor is configured to derive a direction information regarding a direction of the vehicle based on the first information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A positioning system, comprising:
a sensor section provided in a vehicle, the sensor section including a first image sensor configured to image a road surface, the vehicle being configured to travel in the roar surface; and a processor configured to process a first information including a first image information regarding the road surface obtained by the first image sensor, the processor being configured to derive a direction information regarding a direction of the vehicle based on the first information.

2 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to derive a movement amount information regarding the movement amount of the vehicle based on the first information.

3 . The positioning system according to claim 2 , wherein
the processor is configured to derive a position information regarding the position of the vehicle based on the direction information and the movement amount information.

4 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to derive a movement amount information regarding the movement amount of the vehicle based on the first information, and the processor is configured to derive the direction information based on a first distance between a position of the first image sensor in the vehicle and a rotation center of the vehicle and at least a part of the moving amount.

5 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to derive a movement amount information regarding the movement amount of the vehicle based on the first information, the moving amount includes a first moving amount in a first direction and a second moving amount in a second direction, a plane including the first direction and the second direction crosses a third direction from the road surface to the first image sensor, the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction, the direction information includes information regarding a first angle, and the first angle (degree) is expressed by [{(Px1 2 +Py1 2 )1/2}/(2n×r1)]×360, the Px1 is the first direction moving amount, the Py1 is the second direction moving amount, and the r1 is a first distance between the position of the first image sensor in the vehicle and a rotation center of the vehicle.

6 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle includes a base section away from the road surface, the base section includes a base face facing the road surface, and the first image sensor is provided on the base face.

7 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor section further includes a second image sensor, the second image sensor is configured to image the road surface, and the first information includes second image information regarding the road surface obtained by the second image sensor.

8 . The positioning system according to claim 7 , wherein
the processor is configured to distinguish a rotation of the vehicle and a translation of the vehicle based on the first image information and the second image information.

9 . The positioning system according to claim 7 , wherein
the moving direction of the vehicle includes a first component along a first direction and a second component along a second direction, a plane including the first direction and the second direction crosses a third direction from the road surface to the first image sensor, the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction, a position of a rotation center of the vehicle in the first direction is between a position of the first image sensor in the first direction and a position of the second image sensor in the first direction, and a position of the rotation center in the second direction is between a position of the first image sensor in the second direction and a position of the second image sensor in the second direction.

10 . The positioning system according to claim 7 , wherein
in a plane perpendicular to a direction from the road surface to the first image sensor, a rotation center of the vehicle is between at least a part of the first image sensor and at least a part of the second image sensor.

11 . The positioning system according to claim 10 , wherein
a first distance between the rotation center and the first image sensor is different from a second distance between the rotation center and the second image sensor.

12 . The positioning system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the first information does not include information from an inertial sensor.

13 . A positioning method, comprising:
deriving a direction information regarding a direction of a vehicle based on a first information including a first image information regarding a road surface on which the vehicle travels, the first image information being obtained by a first image sensor included in a sensor section provided in the vehicle.

14 . The positioning method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
deriving a moving amount information regarding a moving amount of the vehicle based on the first information.

15 . The positioning method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
deriving a position information regarding a position of the vehicle based on the direction information and the movement amount information.

16 . The positioning method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
deriving a movement amount information regarding the movement amount of the vehicle; and deriving the direction information based on at least a part of the moving amount and a first distance between a position of the first image sensor in the vehicle and a rotation center of the vehicle.

17 . The positioning method according to claim 13 , wherein
the sensor section further includes a second image sensor, the second image sensor is configured to image the road surface, and the first information includes second image information regarding the road surface obtained by the second image sensor.

18 . A vehicle, comprising:
a base section; and a sensor section including a first image sensor and a second image sensor, the base section being away from a road surface, the vehicle being configured to travel on the road surface, a moving direction of the vehicle including a first component along a first direction and a second component along a second direction, a plane including the first direction and the second direction crossing a third direction from the road surface to the first image sensor, the second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, and a position of the rotation center of the vehicle in the first direction being between a position of the first image sensor in the first direction and a position of the second image sensor in the first direction.

19 . The vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein
a position of the rotation center in the second direction is between a position of the first image sensor in the second direction and a position of the second image sensor in the second direction.

20 . The vehicle according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to process a first information including a first image information regarding the road surface obtained by the first image sensor and a second image information regarding the road surface obtained by the second image sensor, and to derive a direction information regarding a direction of the vehicle based on the first information.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ogawa Jumpei

Classifications

• G01C21/1656

  with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras · CPC title

• G01C21/28

  with correlation of data from several navigational instruments · CPC title

• G01C21/12

  executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning · CPC title

• G06V20/588 Primary

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• B60W2420/403

  Image sensing, e.g. optical camera · CPC title