公开(公告)号：US06184823B2

公开(公告)日：2001-02-06

申请号：US09071721

申请日：1998-05-01

申请人： Nicholas E. Smith ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Vijaya Israni

发明人： Nicholas E. Smith ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Vijaya Israni

IPC分类号： H04B7185

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30241

摘要： An architecture for a geographic database that supports the identification and use of names for intersections of roads located in a geographic region, and methods for use and formation thereof. The geographic database includes data that represent components of a road network in a geographic region. The geographic database includes a first plurality of data entities each of which represents an intersection of roads in the road network and a second plurality of data entities each of which represents a name of one of the components of the road network. The geographic database includes a third plurality of data entities each of which associates one of the first plurality of data entities with one of the second plurality of data entities. The third plurality of data entities are referenced by other data entities in the geographic database and by indices to allow a navigation application program using the geographic database to identify intersections of roads in the geographic region by name and to use the name of an intersection for the purpose of location identification and route guidance. Also disclosed is an improved process for forming substitute data records to represent complex physical geographic features thereby facilitating operation of a navigation system by reducing processing requirements for certain functions.

摘要翻译： 用于地理数据库的架构，其支持识别和使用位于地理区域中的道路的交叉点的名称，以及使用和形成它们的方法。 地理数据库包括表示地理区域中的道路网络的组件的数据。 地理数据库包括第一多个数据实体，每个数据实体表示道路网络中的道路的交叉点和每个代表道路网络的一个组件的名称的第二多个数据实体。 地理数据库包括第三多个数据实体，每个数据实体将第一多个数据实体之一与第二多个数据实体之一相关联。 第三多个数据实体由地理数据库中的其他数据实体引用，并通过索引来引用，以允许使用地理数据库的导航应用程序通过名称来识别地理区域中的道路的交叉点，并使用交叉点的名称 位置识别和路线指导的目的。 还公开了一种用于形成替代数据记录以表示复杂的物理地理特征的改进过程，从而通过减少某些功能的处理需求来促进导航系统的操作。

公开(公告)号：US07197500B1

公开(公告)日：2007-03-27

申请号：US10007910

申请日：2001-10-22

申请人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith ,  David S. Lampert ,  James A. Meek ,  Aaron I. Crane

发明人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith ,  David S. Lampert ,  James A. Meek ,  Aaron I. Crane

IPC分类号： G06F17/30

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  Y10S707/92

摘要： An improved method and system for storage of data that represent geographic features in a region. The data are organized into parcels each of which contains data that represent those geographic features that are located within a separate one of a plurality of rectangular areas into the region is divided. The method identifies linearly extending features that extend across multiple rectangular areas so that data representing the linearly extending feature can be included in each parcel that contains data that represents a rectangular area in which the linearly extending feature extends at least in part.

摘要翻译： 用于存储表示区域中的地理特征的数据的改进的方法和系统。 数据被组织成包裹，每个包裹中的每一个包含表示那些位于多个矩形区域中的单独的一个区域内的区域的那些地理特征的数据。 该方法识别延伸跨越多个矩形​​区域的线性延伸特征，使得表示线性延伸特征的数据可以被包括在每个宗地中，其中包含表示线性延伸特征至少部分地延伸的矩形区域的数据。

公开(公告)号：US06473770B1

公开(公告)日：2002-10-29

申请号：US10044580

申请日：2001-10-23

申请人： Michael Livshutz ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

发明人： Michael Livshutz ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

IPC分类号： G06F1730

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  Y10S707/99931 ,  Y10S707/99934 ,  Y10S707/99935 ,  Y10S707/99944

摘要： A geographic database for use with a navigation application program that provides navigation features to an end-user. The geographic database includes a plurality of data records of a first type and a plurality of data records of a second type. The plurality of records of the first type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the first type and the plurality of records of the second type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the second type. The parcels of data records of the first type are interleaved with the parcels of data records of the second type. This interleaving enables navigation functions that use these different types to access these different types more quickly and efficiently, thereby enhancing navigation system performance. Also disclosed is a method for forming a geographic database that includes a plurality of data records that represent geographic features and which can be used in a navigation system. The method includes the step of interleaving parcels containing pluralities of data records of a first type with parcels containing pluralities of data records of a second type.

摘要翻译： 用于与最终用户提供导航功能的导航应用程序一起使用的地理数据库。 地理数据库包括第一类型的多个数据记录和第二类型的多个数据记录。 第一类型的多个记录被组织成多个包裹，每个包裹包括第一类型的多个数据记录，并且第二类型的多个记录被组织成多个包裹，每个包裹包括 第二类型的多个数据记录。 第一类型的数据记录的包裹与第二类型的数据记录的包裹交织。 该交错使得能够使用这些不同类型的导航功能更快更有效地访问这些不同类型，从而增强导航系统的性能。 还公开了一种用于形成包括表示地理特征并且可以在导航系统中使用的多个数据记录的地理数据库的方法。 该方法包括将包含第一类型的多个数据记录的包裹交织到包含多个第二类型的数据记录的包裹的步骤。

公开(公告)号：US06507850B1

公开(公告)日：2003-01-14

申请号：US09467276

申请日：1999-12-20

申请人： Michael Livshutz ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

发明人： Michael Livshutz ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

IPC分类号： G06F1730

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  Y10S707/99932 ,  Y10S707/99934 ,  Y10S707/99945 ,  Y10S707/99948

摘要： A geographic database for use with a navigation application program that provides navigation features to an end-user. The geographic database includes a plurality of data records of a first type and a plurality of data records of a second type. The plurality of records of the first type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the first type and the plurality of records of the second type are organized into a plurality of parcels, each of which includes a plurality of data records of the second type. The parcels of data records of the first type are interleaved with the parcels of data records of the second type. This interleaving enables navigation functions that use these different types to access these different types more quickly and efficiently, thereby enhancing navigation system performance. Also disclosed is a method for forming a geographic database that includes a plurality of data records that represent geographic features and which can be used in a navigation system. The method includes the step of interleaving parcels containing pluralities of data records of a first type with parcels containing pluralities of data records of a second type.

公开(公告)号：US06308177B1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-23

申请号：US09362947

申请日：1999-07-28

申请人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith

发明人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith

IPC分类号： G06F1730

CPC分类号： G08G1/096827 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30241 ,  G08G1/0969 ,  G09B29/106 ,  Y10S707/99943

摘要： An improved method and system for storage of geographic data on physical storage media. The geographic data are stored in a manner that facilitates and enhances use and access of the data by various navigation application functions in navigation systems that use the data. The geographic data includes a parcelization that separates the geographic data into parcels having less than or equal to a maximum parcel size but having at least a desired fill percentage. The parcelization method also provides for a division arrangement that facilitates addressing and identification of the parcels. According to a further aspect, the geographic data includes special nodal entities that are used to collapse complex intersections, such as roundabouts, cloverleaves, and divided highways, into simpler data representations. The special nodal entities are associated with road segment data entities and used in a route calculation program in place of regular node entities. Further, the geographic data include a normalized attribute array that includes reoccurring combinations of certain selected attributes of the geographic data. Indices to the array are included in place of data corresponding to the selected attributes. When a navigation application program requests data, an entry in the normalized attribute table pointed to by an index in the data is used to return the requested data in the particular combination of attributes from the normalized attribute array. The geographic data is compiled by a method that facilitates access to the data on a physical medium. According to the compilation method, data files to be stored on the medium are organized into parcels. The data records within the data files are identified by the parcel in which they are located. An arrangement of all the data files on the medium is determined and a parcel identification related to the medium is assigned to each parcel. Cross references between data records are updated to include the assigned parcel identifications and the parcels are stored on the medium.

公开(公告)号：US5968109A

公开(公告)日：1999-10-19

申请号：US740295

申请日：1996-10-25

申请人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith ,  David S. Lampert ,  James A. Meek ,  Aaron I. Crane

发明人： Vijaya S. Israni ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Gregory M. Nyczak ,  Nicholas E. Smith ,  David S. Lampert ,  James A. Meek ,  Aaron I. Crane

IPC分类号： G01C21/00 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G08G1/0968 ,  G08G1/0969 ,  G09B29/10

CPC分类号： G08G1/096827 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30241 ,  G08G1/0969 ,  G09B29/106 ,  Y10S707/99943

摘要： An improved method and system for storage of geographic data on physical storage media. The geographic data are stored in a manner that facilitates and enhances use and access of the data by various navigation application functions in navigation systems that use the data. The geographic data includes a parcelization that separates the geographic data into parcels having less than or equal to a maximum parcel size but having at least a desired fill percentage. The parcelization method also provides for a division arrangement that facilitates addressing and identification of the parcels. According to a further aspect, the geographic data includes special nodal entities that are used to collapse complex intersections, such as roundabouts, cloverleaves, and divided highways, into simpler data representations. The special nodal entities are associated with road segment data entities and used in a route calculation program in place of regular node entities. Further, the geographic data include a normalized attribute array that includes reoccurring combinations of certain selected attributes of the geographic data. Indices to the array are included in place of data corresponding to the selected attributes. When a navigation application program requests data, an entry in the normalized attribute table pointed to by an index in the data is used to return the requested data in the particular combination of attributes from the normalized attribute array. The geographic data is compiled by a method that facilitates access to the data on a physical medium. According to the compilation method, data files to be stored on the medium are organized into parcels. The data records within the data files are identified by the parcel in which they are located. An arrangement of all the data files on the medium is determined and a parcel identification related to the medium is assigned to each parcel. Cross references between data records are updated to include the assigned parcel identifications and the parcels are stored on the medium.

公开(公告)号：US6038559A

公开(公告)日：2000-03-14

申请号：US39583

申请日：1998-03-16

申请人： Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

发明人： Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Srinivasa Doddapaneni ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Matthew Friederich ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  John C. Jasper ,  Asta Kavakh ,  William McDonough ,  James A. Meek ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Nicholas E. Smith

IPC分类号： G09B29/00 ,  G01C21/00 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G08G1/0969

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  Y10S707/99932 ,  Y10S707/99934 ,  Y10S707/99945 ,  Y10S707/99948

摘要： A geographic database for use with a navigation application program that provides navigation features to an end-user. The geographic database includes data entities that represent segments of roads and additionally includes data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads. The data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads are used during a route calculation by the navigation application to suppress evaluation of roads of lesser functional rank thereby enhancing performance of the navigation system. According to one aspect, each of the data entities that represent segments of roads that represents a segment of a road that together with at least one other segment of a road forms part of an aggregation which is represented by one of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads includes a reference thereto. According to another aspect, each of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads refers to data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation. Each of the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads refers to a corresponding one of the data entities that represent segments of roads that represents the same respective segment of road. According to this aspect, at least some of the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads are stored separately from the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation. According to a further aspect, the navigation application program uses the references between the data entities that represent segments of roads, the data entities that represent aggregations of segments of roads, and the data entities that are abbreviated representations of the segments of roads included in the represented aggregation to provide navigation features, including evaluating which data entities to use for route calculation and ascertaining whether a solution route has been found.

公开(公告)号：US6029173A

公开(公告)日：2000-02-22

申请号：US979211

申请日：1997-11-26

申请人： James A. Meek ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  David S. Lampert

发明人： James A. Meek ,  Richard A. Ashby ,  David S. Lampert

IPC分类号： G09B29/00 ,  G01C21/00 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G06G6/00

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  Y10S707/92 ,  Y10S707/99943 ,  Y10S707/99945 ,  Y10S707/99948

摘要： A system and method for storing data in a computer-readable database to represent curved geographic features. The database can be used in a navigation system. A computable function is used to define a curved line that represents the curved geographic feature. The computable function may be a polynomial equation whose shape is defined by its coefficients. In one embodiment, the polynomial equation is a type of spline curve, in particular a Bezier curve whose shape is defined by control points. The coefficients of the polynomial equation are associated with data representing the curved geographic feature. In the case in which the polynomial equation is a Bezier curve, the control points for generating the Bezier curve are associated with the data representing the curved geographic feature. These control points are stored in the database and are used in displaying the curved geographic feature. Use of a computable function to represent curved geographic features and storing parameters to be used by the computable function has the potential for significantly reducing the storage requirements for representing curved geographic features in a database. According to a further aspect, data identifying the normalized control points are stored in a data array and references into the data array are associated with data representing the curved geographic features, thereby enabling curved geographic features to be represented in space efficient manner.

摘要翻译： 一种用于将数据存储在计算机可读数据库中以表示弯曲地理特征的系统和方法。 数据库可以在导航系统中使用。 可计算函数用于定义表示曲面地理特征的曲线。 可计算函数可以是其形状由其系数定义的多项式方程。 在一个实施例中，多项式方程式是一种样条曲线，特别是其形状由控制点定义的贝塞尔曲线。 多项式方程的系数与表示弯曲地理特征的数据相关联。 在多项式方程为贝塞尔曲线的情况下，用于生成贝塞尔曲线的控制点与表示弯曲地理特征的数据相关联。 这些控制点存储在数据库中，用于显示弯曲的地理特征。 使用可计算函数来表示曲面地理特征并存储要由可计算函数使用的参数，这有可能显着降低在数据库中表示曲面地理特征的存储要求。 根据另一方面，标识归一化控制点的数据被存储在数据阵列中，并且数据阵列的引用与表示弯曲地理特征的数据相关联，从而使得能够以空间有效的方式表示弯曲的地理特征。

公开(公告)号：US07114050B2

公开(公告)日：2006-09-26

申请号：US10967468

申请日：2004-10-18

申请人： Richard A. Ashby

发明人： Richard A. Ashby

IPC分类号： G06F12/00

CPC分类号： G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30241

摘要： A method whereby a computing platform that uses geographic data that are spatially organized into parcels of a given size can specify a parcel block size larger than the given size. Thereafter, during runtime, the geographic data are accessed by the computing platform in groups of one or more parcels not larger than the parcel block size. According to one embodiment, at or after initialization of the computing platform, groupings of parcels corresponding to parcel blocks are determined. Each parcel block has a size larger than the maximum parcel size but not larger than a maximum parcel block size. Data identifying the groupings and the parcels corresponding thereto are stored on the computing platform and the data identifying the groupings and the parcels corresponding thereto are used to access all the parcels corresponding to a parcel block whenever geographic data in any one of the parcels are needed.

摘要翻译： 使用将空间上被组织成给定尺寸的地块的地理数据的计算平台可以指定大于给定尺寸的包裹块大小的方法。 此后，在运行时间期间，地理数据由计算平台以不大于宗地块大小的一个或多个宗地的组进行访问。 根据一个实施例，在计算平台的初始化之后或之后，确定对应于包裹块的包裹的分组。 每个包裹块的大小大于最大包裹大小，但不大于最大包裹块尺寸。 识别分组和与之对应的包裹的数据被存储在计算平台上，并且当需要任何一个包裹中的地理数据时，使用标识分组的数​​据和与其对应的包裹的数据访问对应于包裹块的所有包裹。

公开(公告)号：US06370539B1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-09

申请号：US09694589

申请日：2000-10-23

申请人： Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  David S. Lampert ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Grant S. Killey ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Jerry S. Feigen

发明人： Richard A. Ashby ,  Paul M. Bouzide ,  Vijaya S. Israni ,  David S. Lampert ,  Senthil K. Natesan ,  Grant S. Killey ,  John C. Jasper ,  Robert P. Fernekes ,  Jerry S. Feigen

IPC分类号： G06F1730

CPC分类号： G09B29/106 ,  G01C21/26 ,  G01C21/32 ,  G06F17/30241 ,  G08G1/0969 ,  Y10S707/99931 ,  Y10S707/99932 ,  Y10S707/99942 ,  Y10S707/99943

摘要： An improved method and system that provides for a data access interface layer in a navigation system. The navigation system is of the type that includes a navigation application software program that provides navigating features to a user of the system and a geographic database stored on a computer-readable storage medium wherein the geographical database includes information relating to the geographical region about which the navigation system provides the navigation features to the user. The data access interface layer is preferably stored in the navigation system as a library of software functions. The data access interface layer operates in conjunction with the navigation system application software. The data access interface layer isolates the navigation application software from the geographic data which are stored on the storage medium. The data access interface layer intercepts requests by the navigation application software for geographic data. The data access interface layer retrieves geographic data from the storage medium and converts the data into a format usable by the navigation application software. The data access interface layer also provides for memory management that facilitates accessing and using geographic data from the particular storage medium quickly and efficiently. By recognizing that different media types have different physical formats, the data access interface layer accommodates and isolates the differences so that the portions of the data access interface layer that interact with the navigation application software can be generic.

摘要翻译： 一种改进的方法和系统，其提供导航系统中的数据访问接口层。 导航系统的类型包括向系统的用户提供导航功能的导航应用软件程序和存储在计算机可读存储介质上的地理数据库，其中地理数据库包括与地理区域有关的信息， 导航系统为用户提供导航功能。 数据访问接口层优选地作为软件功能库存储在导航系统中。 数据访问接口层与导航系统应用软件一起运行。 数据访问接口层将导航应用软件与存储在存储介质上的地理数据隔离。 数据访问接口层拦截导航应用软件对地理数据的请求。 数据访问接口层从存储介质检索地理数据，并将数据转换成导航应用软件可用的格式。 数据访问接口层还提供用于快速有效地访问和使用来自特定存储介质的地理数据的存储器管理。 通过识别不同的媒体类型具有不同的物理格式，数据访问接口层适应和隔离差异，使得与导航应用软件交互的数据访问接口层的部分可以是通用的。