Method and apparatus for determining the position of an object within lanes determined utilizing two independent techniques

A method of determining a position of an object comprising the steps of

• (a) producing a plurality of hyperbolic electromagnetic wave patterns, wherein a position is identified by a intersection of two hyperbolic lines of position and each of said lines of position is defined by a lane and a fractional position within a lane;
• (b) identifying one or more enclosed area(s) defined by a third hyperbolic line of position which intersects at least one of the said two hyperbolic lines of position;
• (c) calculating size of a first identified enclosed area by identifying lanes in accordance with a first technique;
• (d) calculating size of a second identified enclosed area by identifying lanes in accordance with an independent second technique;
• (e) selecting among the lines of position within lanes by selecting lines which result in a smaller enclosed area;
• and
• (f) using the selected lines as a basis for determining the position of the object.

Apparatus for determining a position of an object, such as a road vehicles, comprising;

• means for producing a plurality of hyperbolic electromagnetic wave patterns;
• means for identifying an intersection of two hyperbolic lines of position, wherein each of said lines of position is defined by a lane and a fractional position within a lane;
• means for identifying one or more enclosed areas defined by a third hyperbolic line of position which intersects at least one of the said two hyperbolic lines of position and which is defined by a lane and fractional position within a lane;
• means for calculating a size of a first identified enclosed area by identifying lanes in accordance with a first technique;
• means for calculating a size of a second identified enclosed area by identifying lanes in accordance with an independent second technique;
• and
• means for selecting among the lines of position within lanes by selecting lines which result in a smaller enclosed area, and using said selected lines as a basis for determining the position of the object.