The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 1997
Filed:
May. 01, 1995
Adam J Gudat, Edelstein, IL (US);
Dong Hun Shin, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
William L Whittaker, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Karl W Kleimenhagen, Peoria, IL (US);
Sanjiv J Singh, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Dana A Christensen, Peoria, IL (US);
Carl A Kemner, Peoria Heights, IL (US);
Walter J Bradbury, Peoria, IL (US);
Craig L Koehrsen, Peoria, IL (US);
Christos T Kyrtsos, Peoria, IL (US);
Norman K Lay, Peoria, IL (US);
Joel L Peterson, Peoria, IL (US);
Larry E Schmidt, Peoria, IL (US);
Darrell E Stafford, Dunlap, IL (US);
Louis J Weinbeck, Peoria, IL (US);
Lonnie J Devier, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US);
Abstract
A system for generating a path allows a vehicle to traverse a predetermined route. The system stores route data for the predetermined route. The route data identifies a series of contiguous path segments that form the predetermined route. The route data also identifies a series of nodes located at the beginning and the end of the predetermined route and between adjacent path segments. Each path segment represents a series of postures along the predetermined route. Each posture identifies a position, a heading, and a curvature for the vehicle at a particular point along the predetermined route. The system stores the path segments and nodes as compressed path data. In one embodiment, the compressed path data is a function that is continuous in posture, i.e., continuous in position, heading and curvature. The system retrieves the compressed path data and generates a series of postures from the retrieved compressed path data to allow the vehicle to traverse the predetermined route.