Method and system for determining the location of a vehicle

A method for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• determining a first location estimate of a vehicle based on a first location determining receiver associated with satellite beacons;
• determining a second location estimate of a vehicle based on a second location determining receiver exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons;
• applying a first weight to a first location and a second weight to the second location to derive a weighted estimate as a preferential location of the vehicle;
• establishing a first target probability density function for the first location estimate based on empirical measurements in a work area;
• establishing a second target probability density function for the second location estimate based on empirical measurements in the work area;
• and
• providing a soft transition from the first location estimate as a dominant estimate in the weighted estimate and the second location estimate as the dominant estimate in the weighted estimate by limiting a rate of change in the first weight and the second weight in accordance with the first target probability density function and the second probability density function.

A system for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a first location determining receiver for determining a first location estimate of a vehicle based on a first location determining receiver associated with satellite beacons;
• a second location determining receiver for determining a second location estimate of a vehicle based on a second location determining receiver exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons;
• a selector for selecting the first location estimate of the vehicle as a preferential location in accordance with an initialization scheme for the vehicle in a work area;
• and
• a filtering module for applying a first weight to a first location and a second weight to the second location to derive a weighted estimate as the preferential location upon satisfactory completion of the initialization scheme.

A system for accurately determining a location of a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a first location determining receiver for determining a first location estimate of a vehicle based on a first location determining receiver associated with satellite beacons;
• a second location determining receiver for determining a second location estimate of a vehicle based on a second location determining receiver exclusively associated with terrestrial beacons;
• a filtering module for applying a first weight to a first location and a second weight to the second location to derive a weighted estimate as a preferential location of the vehicle;
• a definer for establishing a first target probability density function for the first location estimate based on empirical measurements in a work area and for establishing a second target probability density function for the second location estimate based on empirical measurements in the work area;
• and
• a transition manager for providing a soft transition from the first location estimate as a dominant estimate in the weighted estimate and the second location estimate as the dominant estimate in the weighted estimate by limiting a rate of change in the first weight and the second weight in accordance with the first target probability density function and the second probability density function.