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

A route data base generating system for generating data definitive of a traversable route and accumulating data relevant to the location and orientation of a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order definitive thereof comprising:

• (a) an assembly with a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart and rotatable in ground contact about a horizontal axis of rotation that is common to both components, said rotatable components being moveable with said assembly over said linear segments of the route and each of said rotatable components having an associated means for determining incremental rotational movements of the component and generating output signals which are respectively indicative of a predetermined distance of travel by the component during an increment of movement thereof, and
• (b) computer means operatively connected to the associated means of each of said components for detecting the output signals indicative of the distances traveled thereby during the assembly traversals of the respective linear segments and generating data indicative of the segment lengths and heading changes thereof, said lengths and heading changes of the linear segments being generated in response to the detection of a predetermined change in segment heading during the respective traversals of the linear segments by the assembly, and
• (c) a data storage facility for accumulating and storing the data relevant to the location and orientation of the linear segments traversed by the assembly.

A route data base generating system for accumulating data relevant to the location and orientation of a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order definitive of a traversable route comprising:

• (a) a self-propelled vehicle that has an assembly with a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart and rotatable in ground contact about a horizontal axis of rotation that is common to both components, said assembly being moveable over said linear segments of said route and arranged to successively traverse the interconnected linear segments of the serial order, each of said rotatable components having associated means for determining incremental rotational movements of the component and for generating output signals which are respectively indicative of a predetermined distance of travel by the component during an increment of movement of the component,
• (b) computer means operatively connected to the associated means of said components and in response to the generation of output signals during traversal of a linear segment that are indicative of a predetermined heading change of the linear segment for thereupon generating data indicative of the length and end point coordinates of the linear segment, and
• (c) a storage facility for accumulating and storing the computer generated data relevant to the location and orientation of the linear segments in said serial order including the data indicative of the lengths and end point coordinates of the linear segments in said serial order.

The combination of a self-propelled vehicle and a navigation system for vehicles traversing area highway routes having impaired reception of navigational signals emanating from satellites associated with a global positioning system, said vehicle having means with tangible movements equatable to heading changes and incremental distances of movement of the vehicle, said navigation system comprising:

• (a) a data base of an area route that is traversable by the vehicle and based on a division of the area route into a plurality of linear route segments which are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order,
• (b) computer means responsive to said tangible movements for generating route data without dependency upon geo-magnetic or inertial forces but nevertheless indicative of the current location of the vehicle along the area route of said data base, said route data comprising length and opposite end point coordinates of the linear route segments successively traversed by the vehicle,
• (c) means for generating a visually perceivable graphic display of said area route during its traversal by the vehicle, and
• (d) means for generating indicia on said graphic display and which is thereon indicative of the current location of the vehicle along said area route.

The combination of a self-propelled vehicle and a navigation system for vehicles traversing an area highway route having impaired reception of navigational signals emanating from satellites associated with a global positioning system,

• (a) said navigation system including a data base generating system for generating and recording driving events that occur during traversal of the area route and where the generating system is based on traversal of a route having a plurality of interconnected linear segments that are arranged in an end-to-end serial order with each segment having an equal angular change of heading with respect to the adjacent linear segments connected thereto in the serial order,
• (b) the vehicle has means with tangible movements equatable to heading changes and incremental distances of movement of the vehicle,
• (c) said data base generating system having computer means responsive to said tangible movements for generating data without dependency upon geo-magnetic or inertia forces but nevertheless indicative of current locations of the vehicle along the area route then being traversed,
• (d) said navigation system having means for generating a visually perceivable graphic display of the area route then being traversed, and means for generating indicia on said graphic display which is thereon indicative of the current location of the vehicle along the area route then being traversed, and
• (e) said computer means has a data storage means for receiving and storing the generated data indicative of said current locations of the vehicle along the area route.

A system for generating a data base of a route in an area where reception of navigational signals emanating from satellites associated with a global positioning system are obstructed and wherein the data base includes an accumulation of data relevant to the route that comprises a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order definitive thereof, said generating system comprising:

• (a) an assembly having a pair of rotatable components that are spaced apart in ground contact and adapted for rotation continually about a horizontal axis that is common to both of the components, said assembly being moveable over the course of the route in said area and having sensing means associated with each rotatable component for generating signals that are respectively indicative of a predetermined incremental distance of rotational movement of the component,
• (b) computer means operatively responsive to reception of the predetermined incremental distance indicative signals for generating data without reliance upon geo-magnetic or inertial force dependent systems but which are definitive of the location and orientation of the linear segments in the serial order of the route being traversed by the assembly, and
• (c) means including a storage facility for accumulating and storing the generated data definitive of the location and orientation of the linear segments in the serial order together with dated time occurrences indicative of the generation thereof.

A system for generating a data base of a route being traversed by a vehicle having a pair of rotatable components that in ground contact are spaced apart and continually rotatable about a common horizontal axis during the vehicle traversal of the route, the definition of the route being based upon a plurality of linear route segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order and have an equal angular change of heading with respect to the adjacent linear segments connected thereto in the serial order, said system comprising:

• (a) measuring means associated with said rotatable components for incrementally measuring the respective distances traveled by the rotatable components and having output signals associated with the respective components that are indicative of predetermined incremental distances of rotational movement thereof,
• (b) means operating in response to the associated measuring means for determining the respective distances traveled by the vehicle during its traversals of the linear segments of the route,
• (c) means operating in response to the associated measuring means without dependency upon geo-magnetic or inertial forces for continually determining the heading of the vehicle during its traversals of the linear segments of the route, and
• (d) means operating in response to the associated measuring means for computing coordinates indicative of the locations of the opposite ends of the linear segments traversed by the vehicle.

A self-propelled vehicle for use in traversing land based routes and having a system for generating a data base definitive of a route traversed by the vehicle which is founded on an orientation of a plurality of linear route segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order, said system comprising:

• (a) means for generating data indicative of the lengths of the respective linear segments of the route during their traversal by the vehicle,
• (b) means for generating coordinate data indicative of the terminal end coordinates of the respective linear segments at the real time completions of the length determinations thereof,
• (c) a recoverable data storage facility for receiving and storing the generated data indicative of the lengths and terminal end coordinates of the respective linear route segments traversed by the vehicle, and
• (d) means for generating time data equatable to or indicative of the real time generations of the lengths and terminal end coordinates of the respective linear route segments traversed by the vehicle and storing such time data in said facility for subsequent recovery with the data indicative of the lengths and terminal end coordinates of the segments traversed by the vehicle.

A vehicle adapted for use in generating a data base definitive of a route being traversed by the vehicle without dependency upon reception of signals from a global positioning system and wherein the route data base definition is founded on an orientation of a plurality of linear route segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order, said vehicle comprising:

• (a) a pair of wheels in a coaxial spaced apart arrangement,
• (b) means associated with the respective wheels for detecting predetermined incremental rotational distance movements thereof,
• (c) computer means operating in response to the detected incremental distance movements, and without dependency upon geo-magnetic or inertial forces, for generating data indicative of the lengths, heading changes and terminal end coordinates of the respective linear route segments traversed by the vehicle during its movements along the route,
• (d) a data storage facility for receiving and storing the generated length, heading, and terminal end coordinate data of the traversed route segments, and
• (e) means for generating data indicative of or equatable to the real time generations of the lengths, heading changes, and terminal end coordinates of the respective linear route segments traversed by the vehicle and storing such real time data in said facility for subsequent recovery with the data indicative of the lengths, heading changes and terminal end coordinates of the segments traversed by the vehicle.

A self-propelled vehicle for use in traversing land based roadway routes and having a system for generating and storing a data base definitive of a route being traversed by the vehicle wherein the generated route data is founded on an orientation of a plurality of linear route segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order, said system comprising:

• (a) means for detecting predetermined incremental distance movements of the vehicle during its successive traversals of the linear segments of the route,
• (b) computing means operatively connected to the detecting means for successively determining and generating data indicative of the lengths, heading changes and terminal end coordinates of the respective linear route segments traversed during the movements of the vehicle over the route,
• (c) a data storage facility for receiving and storing the route data that is generated by said computing means and relevant to the location and orientation in the serial order of the linear route segments traversed during movements of the vehicle over the route, and
• (d) means for generating time data for reception and storing in said facility as relevant data indicative of or equatable to the real time generation occurrences of the lengths, heading changes, and terminal end coordinate data generations by said computing means.

The combination of a self-propelled vehicle for use in traversing land based roadway routes and a route data base generating system for generating a data base that is definitive of a route traversed by the vehicle and founded on an orientation of a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order over the course of the route, said vehicle having a pair of wheels which are spaced apart and rotatable in ground contact about a common axis, said data base generating system comprising:

• (a) means associated with each wheel for detecting predetermined incremental distance movements thereof and providing an output signal indicative of each increment of movement during the traversal of the route by the vehicle,
• (b) computing means operatively connected to the wheel associated incremental distance detecting means for receiving the output signals thereof and successively generating data indicative of the lengths, heading changes and terminal end point coordinates of the respective linear segments successively traversed during movement of the vehicle over the course of the route,
• (c) a retrievable data storage facility for receiving and storing route data generated by said computing means which is relevant in the serial order to the location and orientation of the linear route segments traversed during movement of the vehicle over the course of the route, and
• (d) means for generating time data for reception and storing in said facility as relevant data indicative of or equatable to the real time generation occurrences of the lengths and terminal end coordinates of the traversed linear route segments.

The combination of a self-propelled vehicle for use in traversing land based roadway routes, a route data base generating system with computing means for generating data definitive of a route being traversed by the vehicle, and a data base storage facility for receiving and storing relevant route data generated by the system computing means and having a stored data base definitive of the last route traversed and generated by the system,

• (a) said definitive data of a traversed route generated by the system being based on an orientation of a plurality of linear segments that are interconnected and arranged in an end-to-end serial order over the course of a route traversed by the vehicle,
• (b) said generating system being moveable with and operatively connected to the vehicle for reception of signals respectively indicative of predetermined incremental distance movements of the vehicle as it traverses a land based roadway route,
• (c) said relevant data including data indicative of the lengths of the route segments traversed by the vehicle, data indicative of the heading changes of the vehicle during its traversal of the route segments, data indicative of the terminal end point coordinates of the route segments traversed by the vehicle, and data indicative of the real time generation occurrences of such relevant data, and
• (d) said data base generated by the system and stored in said facility being that of the most recent route traversed by the vehicle.