Route data base generation procedures and systems, processes and products relating thereto

• US 8,135,537 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger L. Martin, Thurman Sasser
• Original Assignee: Roger L. Martin, Thurman Sasser
• Inventors: Martin, Roger L., Sasser, Thurman
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US12/586,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/205, 701/209, 340/988, 340/444, 382/242, 342/118, 342/147, 342/113, 342/133
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A route data base generating system avoids GPS satellite signals sources for land based vehicle azimuth and heading determinations in areas where reception of the satellite signals is unavailable or impaired and relies on vehicle part movements that are equatable to the heading and azimuth changes of the vehicle for determining such vehicle orientations. Part movements equatable to the heading changes are found in the vehicle wheel assemblies. A route data base founded on interconnecting linear route segments that are arranged in and end-to-end serial order is advocated and wherein the angular deviation between connecting segments in the order is predetermined. Various uses of the generating systems and related procedures are advocated for both on-the-road and off-road usage.

Claims

1. A method of generating data indicative of real time locations of a driver controlled self-propelled vehicle during its traversal of a route in an area having impaired reception of navigational signals emanating from satellites associated with a global positioning system comprising:

progressively moving the vehicle along said route, said vehicle having a pair of wheels that are spaced apart and rotatable in ground contact about a common axis,

generating signals indicative of predetermined incremental distance movements of each of said wheels,

generating coordinate data during such progressive movement of the vehicle that are indicative of respective end point locations of route segments which are successively traversed by the vehicle during its movement along said route,

generating data indicative of the length of each of said segments by a continuing measurement of the distance traveled by the vehicle during its traversal thereof and terminating the distance measurement upon the occurrence of a predetermined change in the heading of the vehicle during its traversal thereof,

generating data indicative of the heading of the vehicle during the traversal of each of said segments, said heading indicative data being generated on the basis of a difference in incremental distance movements of said wheels during the traversal of the segment by the vehicle, and said coordinate data being generated on the basis of the length and heading indications for the segment associated therewith, and

storing the generated coordinate data for subsequent evaluation of the driver'"'"'s control of the vehicles movements along said route.

2. A method of generating a data base of a traversable route comprising:

moving an assembly over the route, said assembly having a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart in ground contact and rotatable about a horizontal axis, and means for detecting the distance traveled by each of said components,

generating and compiling data definitive of the route and which is based on a division of the route into a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order with each segment having a determined length, orientation and location in the serial order, said generating and compiling data including measuring the distance traveled by each component during traversal of a segment by the assembly,

determining the difference in distance traveled by the components during such traversal of the segment, and

determining the orientation of the segment in the order based on the difference in distance determination.

3. A method of generating a data base in accord with claim 2 wherein:

said generating and compiling data includes determining the length of the segment during its traversal by said assembly, and determining the coordinates of the end point of the segment upon the traversal of the segment by said assembly.

4. A method of generating a data base of a traversable route comprising:

moving an assembly over the route, said assembly having a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart in ground contact and rotatable about a horizontal axis and means for detecting the distance traveled by each of said components,

generating and accumulating data definitive of the route and which is based on a division of the route into a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order with each segment having a determined length, orientation and location in the serial order, said generating and accumulating data including continually and incrementally measuring the distance traveled by each rotatable component as the assembly traverses a linear segment wherein incremental distance traveled is predetermined,

continually determining the difference in distance traveled by the rotatable components as the assembly traverses a linear segment,

continually comparing the current difference in distances traveled to a predetermined threshold different distance value as the assembly traverses a linear segment, and

determining the length, heading and end point coordinate data of a traversed linear segment upon the occurrence of a match between said difference in distances traveled by the rotatable components as the assembly traverses the linear segment and said predetermined threshold value, and

storing the length, heading and end point coordinate data in said data base as the accumulated data definitive of the traversed linear segment.

5. A method of generating a data base of a traversable route comprising:

moving an assembly over the route having a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart in ground contact and rotatable about a horizontal axis that is common to both of the components and means for detecting predetermined incremental distance movements of travel by the respective components,

generating data definitive of the route and accumulating the data in said data base on a basis contemplating a division of the route into a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order over the course of the route,

receiving and successively storing the generated data that is relevant to the location and orientation of said linear segment components in the serial order of the successive traversals thereof by said assembly,

determining the coordinates of a starting end point for movement of said assembly over a linear segment component of the route, said starting end point being the terminal end point of a route component previously traversed by the assembly,

determining the change in heading of said assembly in moving from said starting end point to the terminal end point of the linear segment component,

determining the length of the linear segment component on the basis of the distance movements detected by said means for detecting, and

determining the coordinates of the terminal end point of the linear segment component based on the change in heading and length determinations thereof.

6. A method of generating a data base in accord with claim 5 wherein:

said change in heading is based on a difference in the distances traversed by said rotatable components during the traversal of the linear segment component.

7. A method of generating a data base in accord with claim 5 wherein:

said change in heading is based on a difference in the distances traversed by said rotatable components during the traversal of the linear segment component, and said difference in the distances traveled by said rotatable components is compared to a predetermined threshold distance value which, upon the occurrence of a match there between, serves to terminate the determination of the length of the linear segment component and initiate the determination of the coordinates of the terminal end point of the route segment.