Patent ID: 9587948
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: G01C,G01S,G05D,G06K,G06T

Claim:
1. A method for determining an absolute position of a mobile unit, which has at least one optical surroundings sensor that captures a detection area of an environment of the mobile unit, in a predefined navigation environment, the method comprising: determining, based on a last determined position of the mobile unit and a map dataset, adjustment data that indicates a plurality of optically, distinguishable markers that are able to be detected at a current point in time by the at least one optical surroundings sensor and positions of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers relative to the mobile unit, wherein each of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers is used in the predefined navigation environment and is assigned an absolute position that is retrievable from the map dataset; detecting and identifying, by means of an image processing algorithm, one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers in sensor data recorded by the at least one optical surroundings sensor for position determination, wherein the adjustment data is used to limit the sensor data to be evaluated in order to detect and identify the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers; determining a relative position between the mobile unit and the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers based on a position of the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers in the sensor data; and determining the absolute position of the mobile unit as a function of the relative position between the mobile unit and the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers and an absolute position of the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers, wherein only one extract of an image contained in the sensor data in which the one of the plurality of optically, distinguishable markers marker is expected is evaluated, wherein the adjustment data is further determined based on potential visual objects contained in the map dataset.