A Method of Map Matching for Automotive Navigation

Abstract

The technology used in the navigation system to locate vehicle's position is dead reckoning. This navigation system, however, has a problem that errors may be cumulative. Suppose that sensor errors are reduced, cumulative errors are reduced but inevitable over a long drive. Map matching allows total accuracy of positioning relative to the street network.
In this paper, a method of map matching with a simple algorithm has been proposed and examined by computer simulation. The method consists of two phases: the road selection and the correction of the vehicle's position. In a typical map matching simulation based on this method, the matching accuracy is improved from 5% to a value around 3%. The processing speed is close to five points per second. This performance is effective to improve the accuracy of dead reckoning.