MAP - a positioning system that combines smart use of in-vehicle information and digital map information

Today virtually all navigation systems rely on satellite positioning systems like GPS. Other positioning technologies include dead reckoning, map matching, and GSM positioning (positioning of cellular phones). Most of these, however, have too poor performance to be interesting in vehicle applications. For example are dead reckoning and map matching only used in various combinations together with GPS and GSM positioning is basically only interesting in applications like yellow pages services and other M-commerce services due to its rather modest positioning accuracy (typically 100-500m).

High accuracy positioning that does not require GPS

The MAP system calculates the absolute position of the vehicle using advanced sensor data fusion of dead-reckoning information and the available digital map information. MAP can be configured to run with or without support from external positioning services such as GPS or GSM positioning. Thanks to the advanced sensor data fusion techniques employed MAP always delivers statistically optimal position estimates, regardless of configuration.

Autonomous: Calculates the absolute position of a vehicle using information from a digital map and in-vehicle sensors only

Flexible: Can be used stand alone or together with GPS

Accurate and robust: Positioning accuracy can be improved in cases where GPS coverage is poor

When run stand alone using conventional, commercially available map databases, MAP gives a positioning accuracy comparable or better than most GPS based systems. The independence of GPS further means that MAP does not run into problems in situations like when driving in tunnels, in parking garages, near high buildings and so on, where the GPS accuracy and availability often is poor.

When combined with GPS, MAP can be used to create a better and more reliable positioning system, which combines the best features of both GPS and the infrastructure-independent MAP system

A combination of GPS and MAP ensures high positioning accuracy, high robustness, high availability, and an interesting flexibility for the integrator.

MAP is delivered as a software component with fully documented standardized software interfaces (APIs). MAP can be delivered in different configurations and can be ported to different targets.

• Delivered as a standardized software component with fully documented and easy-to-use APIs
• Can easily be ported to different target processors and systems
• Can be delivered in many different configurations adapted to available sensors