Sensor-aided vehicle positioning system

1. A method for localizing a vehicle in a digital map comprising:

generating GPS coordinates of the vehicle on the traveled road;

retrieving from a database a digital map of a region traveled by the vehicle based on the location of the GPS coordinates, the digital map including a geographic mapping of a traveled road and registered roadside objects, the registered roadside objects being positionally identified in the digital map by longitudinal and lateral coordinates;

sensing roadside objects in the region traveled by the vehicle;

identifying the sensed roadside objects on the digital map;

determining a vehicle position on the traveled road utilizing coordinates of the sensed roadside objects identified in the digital map; and

localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects, wherein localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel is further a function of identifying a curvature of the road and determining a vehicle position based on a location of the vehicle within the curvature, wherein the curvature formula is represented as:

K=f ( s )

where s is the position of the vehicle and K is the curvature of the road.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a heading of the vehicle and a curvature of the traveled road as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the heading of the vehicle and the curvature of the traveled road is provided to a curvature estimator, wherein the curvature estimator enables curvature speed control of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the heading of the vehicle and the curvature of the traveled road is provided to a curvature estimator for enabling lane centering control of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of localizing a position of the vehicle in a curved road as a function of the heading of the vehicle and the curvature of the traveled road.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensed roadside objects are detected using a forward imaging system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensed roadside objects are detected using a radar-based system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects further includes determining a relative position of the vehicle utilizing Wi-Fi routers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects further includes determining a relative position of the vehicle utilizing RFID tags.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects further includes determining a relative position of the vehicle utilizing pseudolite signals.

11. A method for localizing a vehicle in a digital map comprising:

generating GPS coordinates of the vehicle on the traveled road;

retrieving from a database a digital map of a region traveled by the vehicle based on the location of the GPS coordinates, the digital map including a geographic mapping of a traveled road and registered roadside objects, the registered roadside objects being positionally identified in the digital map by longitudinal and lateral coordinates;

sensing roadside objects in the region traveled by the vehicle;

identifying the sensed roadside objects on the digital map;

determining a vehicle position on the traveled road utilizing coordinates of the sensed roadside objects identified in the digital map; and

localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects, wherein localizing the position of the vehicle is further a function of identifying a heading of the vehicle and an arc length of a curvature of the road, wherein the vehicle location based on the arc length is represented as:

s y =θ −1 ( y )

where s y is the position of the vehicle, θ is a road curve, and y is the heading of the road.

12. A method for localizing a vehicle in a digital map comprising:

generating GPS coordinates of the vehicle on the traveled road;

retrieving from a database a digital map of a region traveled by the vehicle based on the location of the GPS coordinates, the digital map including a geographic mapping of a traveled road and registered roadside objects, the registered roadside objects being positionally identified in the digital map by longitudinal and lateral coordinates;

sensing roadside objects in the region traveled by the vehicle;

identifying the sensed roadside objects on the digital map;

determining a vehicle position on the traveled road utilizing coordinates of the sensed roadside objects identified in the digital map; and

localizing the position of the vehicle in the road of travel as a function of the GPS coordinates and the determined vehicle position utilizing the coordinates of the sensed roadside objects, wherein localizing the position of the vehicle further comprises the steps of:

identifying a position of the vehicle when a GPS signal is lost due to an obstruction;

determining when a first satellite signal is received after the GPS signal is lost;

localizing the vehicle at a predetermined position in response to the determination that the first satellite signal is received.