# US 12,181,288 B2 · Securing a geographic position > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,288 B2 - Document ID: US12181288B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/457,205 - Filed: 2021-12-01 - Published: 2022-06-02 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-02 - Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Alexander Lottes; Pascal Minnerup; Bernd Spanfelner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181288B2 ## CPC - G01C 21/28: with correlation of data from several navigational instruments - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G01S 5/16: using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 13/862: {Combination of radar systems with sonar systems} - G01S 13/865: {Combination of radar systems with lidar systems} - G01S 13/867: {Combination of radar systems with cameras} - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G06N 7/01: Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method for securing a geographic position of a vehicle includes scanning multiple information sources, which each provide items of information which indicate the position of the vehicle; determining individual positions on the basis of each of items of information of one of the information sources and items of surroundings information in the region of a position hypothesis; validating items of information, the associated individual position of which deviates by not more than a predetermined amount from the position hypothesis; determining the position of the vehicle on the basis of the validated items of information, wherein a change of a quality of the items of surroundings information is determined; and, on the basis of the change, determining a probability at which the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from an actual position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for securing a geographic position of a vehicle, the method comprising: scanning multiple information sources, wherein each of the information sources provides items of information which indicate the position of the vehicle; determining individual positions based on each of items of information of one of the information sources and items of surroundings information, including map data, in the region of a position hypothesis; validating items of information, an associated individual position of which deviates by not more than a predetermined amount from the position hypothesis; determining the position of the vehicle based on the validated items of information; determining a change of a quality of the items of surroundings information; and on the basis of the change, determining a probability at which the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from an actual position; wherein the probability is determined by way of a Markov chain, which models the change of the quality of the items of surroundings information; and wherein a probability of a rapid deterioration of the quality is determined based on observations of past validator KPIs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the probability is determined based on a product of probabilities with each of which items of information are validated, although the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from the actual position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the Markov chain models probabilities of changes at different speeds of the quality of the items of surroundings information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a probability of a slow deterioration of the quality is determined based on a frequency at which items of information are validated, although the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from the actual position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein frequencies which were observed on various vehicles are taken into consideration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is controlled based on the determined position and the control is ended if a probability that items of information are validated, although the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from the actual position, exceeds a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality indicates a frequency of false-positive determinations of the geographic position of the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the items of information indicate a pose of the vehicle, the pose including the position and an alignment of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 A device for securing a geographic position of a vehicle, the device comprising: multiple information sources, wherein each of the information source is configured to provide items of information which indicate the position of the vehicle, wherein: each of the information sources is assigned a matcher and a validator; the matcher is configured to determine an individual position based on the items of information of the information source and items of surroundings information, including map data, in the region of a position hypothesis; and the validator is configured to validate the provided items of information if the individual position deviates by not more than a predetermined amount from the position hypothesis; a processing unit for determining the position of the vehicle based on the validated items of information, wherein the processing unit is configured to: determine a change of a quality of the items of surroundings information; and based on the change, determine a probability at which the determined position deviates by more than the predetermined amount from an actual position; wherein the probability is determined by way of a Markov chain, which models the change of the quality of the items of surroundings information; and wherein a probability of a rapid deterioration of the quality is determined based on observations of past validator KPIs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A vehicle comprising the device according to claim 9. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The device according to claim 9, wherein the quality indicates a frequency of false-positive determinations of the geographic position of the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The device according to claim 9, wherein the items of information indicate a pose of the vehicle, the pose including the position and an alignment of the vehicle.