USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Gregory B Jones

Joseph B Lopes

Stacy J Hills

Christopher Shaw

Gerald R Martel

A method is provided for navigating a vehicle. Waypoint exclusion zones are efined as circles whose centers are known-position waypoints. The vehicle is steered along a path that is tangential to the 'current' waypoint exclusion zone. This path that is maintained until a relative bearing between the vehicle and a center of the current waypoint exclusion zone is at least 90.degree. if the path is left of the center of the current waypoint exclusion zone, and at most -90.degree. if the path is right of the center of the current waypoint exclusion zone. When either of these conditions is met, the vehicle is located along the circle of the current waypoint exclusion zone. The vehicle is then advanced along the circle of the current waypoint exclusion zone until a heading of the vehicle matches a heading of a path that: is tangential to the 'next' waypoint exclusion zone. When the heading of the vehicle matches the heading of the path that is tangential to the next waypoint exclusion zone, the next waypoint exclusion zone becomes the current waypoint exclusion zone for carrying out the steering, maintaining and advancing of the vehicle.

Waypoint navigation using exclusion zones

The method of the present invention minimizes the time required to display portion of a time sampled data file. A plurality of compressed data files are generated based on the time sampled data file. Each of the compressed data files is defined by a corresponding unique compression ratio such that each compressed data file contains fewer data points than the original time sampled data file. Each compressed data file characterizes the original time sampled data file. The compressed data files are stored in a data storage device for subsequent retrieval. A resolution factor is defined for each of the compressed data files. One of the compressed data files is then selected based on the resolution factor and the portion of the time sampled data file requested for display. The selected compressed data file is transferred from the data storage device to the display device.

Growing community of inventors

Tiverton, RI, United States of America

Gregory B Jones