Vehicle navigation system and method
A vehicle navigation system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is configured to render an image of a host-vehicle in a field-of-view of the camera. The camera located remote from the host-vehicle. The controller is installed on the host-vehicle. The controller is configured to receive the image and determine a vehicle-coordinate of the host-vehicle in accordance with a position of the host-vehicle in the image. The camera may be configured to superimpose gridlines on the image, and the controller may be configured to determine the position in accordance with the gridlines.
1. A vehicle navigation system, said system comprising:
a camera configured to render an image of a host-vehicle on a roadway in a field-of-view of the camera, said camera comprising a traffic-camera located remote from the host-vehicle and connected to a wide area traffic-control-system that coordinates transmission of the image; and
a controller installed on the host-vehicle, said controller configured to receive the image and determine a vehicle-coordinate of the host-vehicle in accordance with a position of the host-vehicle on the roadway in the image.
2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the camera is configured to superimpose gridlines on the image, and the controller is configured to determine the position in accordance with the gridlines.
3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes an image-processor configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image.
4. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the image-processor is installed in the host-vehicle, the system includes a digital-map, and the controller is configured to determine which of a plurality of lanes is an occupied-lane where the host-vehicle resides.
5. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the system includes a sensor installed on the host-vehicle, said sensor configured to determine a distance-and-direction to an object indicated in the image.
6. The system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the camera is configured to superimpose gridlines on the image, and the controller is configured to determine the position in accordance with the gridlines.
7. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes a beacon installed on the host-vehicle, said beacon configured to emit a light-signal, and the image-processor is configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image in accordance with a detection of the light-signal.
8. The system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the light-signal comprises infrared light.
9. The system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the light-signal is modulated to indicate an identification number that is unique to the host-vehicle.
10. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes an attribute installed on the host-vehicle, said attribute detectable in the image, and the image-processor is configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image in accordance with a detection of the attribute.
11. A controller for a vehicle navigation system, said controller comprising:
an input configured to receive an image from a camera configured to render an image of a host-vehicle on a roadway in a field-of-view of the camera, said camera comprising a traffic-camera located remote from the host-vehicle and connected to a wide area traffic-control-system that coordinates transmission of the image; and
a processor configured to determine a vehicle-coordinate of the host-vehicle in accordance with a position of the host-vehicle on the roadway in the image.
12. The controller in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the camera is configured to superimpose gridlines on the image, and the processor is configured to determine the position in accordance with the gridlines.
13. The controller in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the processor includes an image-processor configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image.
14. The controller in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a beacon installed on the host-vehicle, said beacon configured to emit a light-signal, and the image-processor is configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image in accordance with a detection of the light-signal.
15. The controller in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the image-processor is configured to determine the position of the host-vehicle in the image in accordance with a detection of an attribute on the host-vehicle.
16. A method of operating a vehicle navigation system, said method comprising:
receiving an image from a camera, wherein the image depicts a host-vehicle on a roadway in a field-of-view of the camera, said camera comprising a traffic-camera located remote from the host-vehicle and connected to a wide area traffic-control-system that coordinates transmission of the image;
receiving the image by a controller installed on the host-vehicle; and
determining a vehicle-coordinate of the host-vehicle in accordance with a position of the host-vehicle on the roadway in the image.
17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes:
superimposing, by the camera, gridlines on the image; and
determining the position in accordance with the gridlines.
18. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes:
accessing a digital-map of the field-of-view; and
determining from the digital-map and the image which of a plurality of lanes is an occupied-lane occupied by the host-vehicle.
19. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes:
receiving a signal from a sensor installed on the host-vehicle; and
determining a distance-and-direction to an object detected by the sensor.
20. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the method includes:
operating a beacon installed on the host-vehicle to emit a light-signal;
detecting the light-signal in the image; and
determining the position of the host-vehicle in accordance with a detection of the light-signal in the image.