Patents by Inventor James Laurence Buxton

James Laurence Buxton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Caching for pathfinding computation
    Patent number: 6377887
    Abstract: A system for computing a path in an electronic map (or other network) starts a pathfinding exploration in the background while the system is waiting for a request to find a path. The system automatically chooses an origin. The system's memory can be divided such that a portion of memory acts as a cache. The data for the nodes in the electronic map are loaded into the cache when needed. The system terminates the pathfinding process when a predetermined condition occurs; for example, a predetermined percentage of the cache is filled. When the system terminates the pathfinding process, the system can start a new pathfinding process from a new origin. Thus, when a user requests a path to be found, the pathfinding process begins with data already loaded in the cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Tele Atlas North America
    Inventors: Richard Frederick Poppen, Rodney Jude Fernandez, James Laurence Buxton
  • Caching for pathfinding computation
    Patent number: 5978730
    Abstract: A system for computing a path in an electronic map (or other network) starts a pathfinding exploration in the background while the system is waiting for a request to find a path. The system automatically chooses an origin. The system's memory can be divided such that a portion of memory acts as a cache. The data for the nodes in the electronic map are loaded into the cache when needed. The system terminates the pathfinding process when a predetermined condition occurs; for example, a predetermined percentage of the cache is filled. When the system terminates the pathfinding process, the system can start a new pathfinding process from a new origin. Thus, when a user requests a path to be found, the pathfinding process begins with data already loaded in the cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Etak, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Frederick Poppen, Rodney Jude Fernandez, James Laurence Buxton