Topography (e.g., Land Mapping) Patents (Class 702/5)
  • Patent number: 6226594
    Abstract: A tide meter for calculating a spring tide day. First, a moon age value is determined depending on a designated calendar. The moon age value includes at least one of the day of the new moon and the day of the full moon. Tidal data is stored that is specific for each geographic location, and this data is used in calculating the spring tide day for a selected geographic area. Since the time of the rising and falling of the tide depends on geographic location, simply calculating a spring tide day from the position of the moon and sun may not be accurate for a specific geographic location. Accordingly, the stored tidal data that corresponds to a selected geographic area is included in the spring tide day calculation. Thus, the accuracy of the spring tide day calculation is increased for the particular selected geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Chiaki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6216071
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring and coordinating the harvesting and transporting operations of an agricultural crop by multiple agricultural machines on a field is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first position determining system located on a first agricultural machine, a site database for storing a dynamic model of the field, and a harvest volume indicating system located on the first agricultural machine. A control system receives information from the first position determining system, the site database, and the harvest volume indicating system, and responsively determines an expected time at which the harvested crop will reach a predetermined desired level on the first agricultural machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Darin S. Motz
  • Patent number: 6208939
    Abstract: A topography information data processing system acquires ground surface data which represents bumps and hollows on the ground, generates manifold data which represents the shape of the manifold that encloses the bumps and hollows on the ground based on the ground surface data, and acquires topological geometric data applying the Morse theory to the manifold data. A new type of geographic information data representation is provided by using topological geometric data generated based on the Morse theory known in differential geometry and differential topology. Geographic information data suitable to be stored in a recording medium or to be transmitted through a network is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Monolith Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tosiyasu Laurence Kunii
  • Patent number: 6191587
    Abstract: A method of data acquisition for geophysical surveys. The method includes the steps of providing a least one magnetic sensor unit for sensing and recording magnetic field fluctuations; providing a plurality of electric sensor units for sensing and recording electric currents induced by the magnetic field fluctuations; receiving a satellite based timing signal and responsively synchronizing and bag a position for each of the plurality of electric sensor units and the at least one magnetic sensor unit; and synchronously recording the positions, the magnetic field fluctuations and the electric currents for downloading for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Inventor: Anthony Charles Leonid Fox
  • Patent number: 6131069
    Abstract: A method is provided for computer-aided mapping of geographically referenced measurements which are collected in association with individual measuring positions. The method is checked by computer with test circles for all pairs of adjacent measuring positions, to determine whether further measuring position falls within them. All such measuring positions in which said test criterion is fulfilled are declared as boundary positions. Furthermore, the inner/outer location is determined and the best possible approximation to the boundary path is determined from the sequence of boundary positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Stefan Bottinger
  • Patent number: 6125329
    Abstract: A computationally efficient method, system and programmed medium according to the present invention creates highly accurate maps of celestial bodies, spanning multiple UTM zones given sparse control points on the celestial body surface without requiring the existence or synthesis of a mathematical model of the satellite image sensor. The present invention provides an improved method and system for producing orthorectification coefficients needed to produce highly accurate maps of the surface of celestial bodies that span multiple UTM zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Earth Satellite Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Place, Jon Dykstra, Charles Sheffield, Roger Mitchell
  • Patent number: 6122598
    Abstract: This invention relates to a measuring and display system for loads applied upon digging blasted earth, which can contribute to accurate blasting. An operating direction of a bucket of an excavator is detected by pressure switches 15,16, while a pressure P.sub.B in a bottom compartment 6S.sub.B of a bucket cylinder is detected by a pressure sensor 17. A processor 23 computes a digging position based on signals from a boom angle sensor 18, an arm angle sensor 19, GPS 20 and a magnetic direction sensor 21, integrates pressures P.sub.B during an ON period of the pressure switch 15, and transmits the thus-integrated pressure together with the digging position to a computer 30. The computer 30 displays a map of a lot under blasting and blasting positions on a display, and on the map, also displays the thus-transmitted digging position by a mark X and the integrated pressure by a numeral. With reference to this integrated pressure, a determination is made as to whether the blasting was proper or improper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Tanaka, Yutaka Watanabe, Yoshinori Furuno, Takashi Yagyu, Yukihiko Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 6119069
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the boundaries of a field is disclosed. The system and method utilizes computational geometry and, in particular, the alpha shape of the field to derive the field boundary of a set of georeferenced data points. The method includes collecting georeferenced data for the field, assigning the georeferenced data to a data set, filtering the data to remove anomalous data points, filtering the data to remove known inside points, scaling the point coordinates from decimal to integer form, determining the alpha shape of the set, buffering the alpha shape to compensate for antenna position, and outputting the field boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventor: James Darrell McCauley
  • Patent number: 6112144
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for marking field characteristics, the system being supported by a work vehicle adapted to traverse a field having a plurality of observable field characteristics. The system includes an operator interface, a plurality of marker buttons coupled to the interface, a bank switch button and a controller. Each marker button is assignable to one of the plurality of field characteristics and generates a field characteristic signal representing the assigned field characteristic when pressed. The bank switch button generates a bank switch signal representing a command to reassign the marker buttons to a new set of field characteristics. The controller records the assigned field characteristic in response to the field characteristic signal and also reassigns the marker buttons in response to the bank switch signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventor: Paul J. Allen
  • Patent number: 6106561
    Abstract: A Flogrid Simulation Gridding Program includes a Flogrid structured gridder. The structured gridder includes a structured areal gridder and a block gridder. The structured areal gridder will build an areal grid on an uppermost horizon of an earth formation by performing the following steps: (1) building a boundary enclosing one or more fault intersection lines on the horizon, and building a triangulation that absorbs the boundary and the faults; (2) building a vector field on the triangulation; (3) building a web of control lines and additional lines inside the boundary which have a direction that corresponds to the direction of the vector field on the triangulation, thereby producing an areal grid; and (4) post-processing the areal grid so that the control lines and additional lines are equi-spaced or smoothly distributed. The block gridder of the structured gridder will drop coordinate lines down from the nodes of the areal grid to complete the construction of a three dimensional structured grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher L. Farmer
  • Patent number: 6104408
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and to a device for determining the contour of valleys of a specified geographical area. According to the invention, said device comprises:means for determining the hydrographic net of the geographical area which is presented in a first matrix which includes, at each point liable to form part of a watercourse, a characteristic code designating said watercourse;means for forming a second matrix which includes at each point the altitude of the corresponding part of said geographical area; andmeans for determining, from said first and second matrices, the contours of the valleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Societe Nationale Industrielle et Aerospatiale
    Inventors: Christian Taupin, Celine Boucton, Etienne Epitalon, Coralie Fritz
  • Patent number: 6104981
    Abstract: A method of detecting man-made structures in a digital representation of a terrain, wherein said representation is a digital elevation map, and wherein said method comprises the following steps:computing isolines in said digital elevation map;filtering said isolines on the basis of a size criterion;computing extremum isolines from the isolines filtered during the preceding step; anddetermining said regions of interest. The invention is applicable to any process involving supervision of a geographical site (e.g. planning cellular telecommunications networks).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Christian Louis, Yves Lechervy
  • Patent number: 6070538
    Abstract: A control system for agricultural implements such as planters, conventional or air drills is disclosed herein. The implement includes a frame with one or more sections. Each section supports a plurality of row units configured to apply a product at variable rates to rows in a field. The products can include seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. In one configuration, the control system monitors the rates at which the product is applied to the rows. This configuration of the control system includes sensors configured to sense the rates at which product is applied, and a control module configured to monitor the sensed rates and generate a multiplexed output signal representative thereof. The output signal is used, for example, by a cab-mounted display or recording device. The control system, however, can be reconfigured to both monitor and control the application rates by installing a second control module on the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: David D. Flamme, Abraham Orbach, Paul W. Haack, Eric D. Jacobson
  • Patent number: 6058351
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining management zones in a field for precision farming. The method and apparatus use a self-organizing network, such as a Kohonen neural network, to perform the classification of site-specific farming data into management zones in a farm field. The self-organizing network is configured to learn the proper classifications through a learning or training process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventor: James D. McCauley
  • Patent number: 6044324
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing soil chemistry information from a tract of land is described. An information management system receives reference signals from a global positioning system from which soil sample collection coordinate location information may be calculated and utilized to generate a soil sampling plan for the tract of land. The information management system guides the collection of soil samples according to the soil sampling plan and records geo-referenced soil sample collection information which may be merged with the results of laboratory analysis performed on the soil samples to generate accurate geo-referenced soil chemistry information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Boerhave, John F. Cain, Neal P. Feltman
  • Patent number: 6038512
    Abstract: This method and system for estimating Earth environmental effects in relation to planetary orbital dynamics provides for integrating seemingly diverse data input sources gathered from historical data, field data, meteorological sensors, satellites, and the like for geophysical, meteorological, archeological and astrophysical purposes to perform comparison, correlation, time and date determinations for historical analysis and future event prediction. Computer systems which are used to collect and store necessary data are linked by the most appropriate transmission means given the location and data transmission characteristics to be networked. A data base module is used to store historical or archival data as well as large input current data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Inventor: Joseph T. Williams
  • Patent number: 6021376
    Abstract: A data recorder and method for automatically displaying connections between feature icons as like features are recorded in the field. In setup, feature codes for identifying features of interest are entered and stored. In field operation, geographical features are recorded by entering the feature codes and either entering geographical locations for the features through a keypad or receiving the locations through an I/O interface from a location apparatus. A display shows the features as icons at points having geometrical relationships corresponding to the geographical relationships of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Mark Edward Wilson
  • Patent number: 5999878
    Abstract: A system and method for acquiring differentially corrected GPS data for forming a digital database of road geometry in a geographic region. A vehicle having a GPS receiver and a DGPS demodulator located therein is driven on roadways in the geographic region. The GPS receiver receives standard GPS signals and the DGPS demodulator receives DGPS signals which are used to correct the standard GPS signals. The corrected GPS signals are stored where they can be processed to create a digital database. Alternately a GPS receiver is positioned at a stationary location along with a portable DGPS demodulator. A vehicle having a GPS receiver located therein is driven on roadways in the geographic region. The GPS receiver at the stationary location is continuously operated and the DGPS demodulator is operated once to receive a DGPS signal. The DGPS demodulator can then be moved to another geographic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Navigation Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: John L. Hanson, Robert H. Shotz
  • Patent number: 5991694
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining the location of rows of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The apparatus senses the position of a planting machine 102 during a planting operation. The apparatus transforms the planting machine position to seedling row locations and creates a database of the locations.In another aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the location of row of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The method includes the steps of planting seedlings using a planting machine, sensing the position the planting machine and transforming the machine position to seedling row locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Adam J. Gudat, Gregory R. Harrod, Stephen Colburn
  • Patent number: 5978769
    Abstract: A system and method that determines building occupancy at a selected site by using geographically based structures to identify potential clients and to analyze aggregate carrier exposure levels at the selected site. This is achieved by using geographically based structures that are formed by geocoding business addresses and by linking all similarly geocoded businesses. Geographically based structures identify building characteristics and occupant related information. Specifically, all business addresses are address standardized, interjected with public protection code information and then geocoded. The geocoding information is used to identify and determine the building's occupancy configuration. For each tenant or occupant of the building, the system will initially display basic information that includes for example, business name, address and whether the business is currently insured by the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Chubb & Sons
    Inventors: Randall E. Brown, Kathleen P. Marvel, Scott R. Spencer
  • Patent number: 5953680
    Abstract: A Method for modeling, from an initial undeformed state, the evolution of a rock basin in the course of time taking into account a) the sliding along major tectonic discontinuities with internal deformation of sediments and at the same time b) mechanical compaction due to burial of sediments by tectonic deformation or sedimentation. After first subdividing the geological objects in the basin into a number of layers or banks by limits (stratigraphic discontinuities defining banks, faults defining imbricate structures, etc.) whose geometric positions are known, the banks are defining by grids. The tectonic deformation of each modeled layer is determined separately taking its thickness and length into account as far as possible, and the grids are modified to take into account the compaction associated with the degree to which the grid elements are buried. All the intermediate geometries of the evolution process are obtained incrementally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Renaud Divies, William Sassi
  • Patent number: 5878371
    Abstract: A site-specific farming system which performs various functions while remaining relatively unaffected by spurious farming data is disclosed. The farming data may be received in real-time from location signal generation and sensing circuits, or may be received from a digital memory which stores the farming data. The farming data includes both valid and spurious farming data which are identified by integrity checking the data. Existing relationships which exist within the valid farming data are exploited to generate synthesized farming data used to replace the spurious farming data. The valid and synthesized farming data are used to perform a function of the farming system such as performing a statistical analysis of the farming data, generating an electronic display of the farming data, generating a prescription map, or generating variable rate application signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: George H. Hale, Keith W. Wendte, Paul W. Haack
  • Patent number: 5870689
    Abstract: A site-specific farming system for performing work on an agricultural field while the field is being scouted is disclosed herein. The system includes a vehicle such as a combine or tractor equipped with a tool for working the field such as a header or variable-rate applicator. A sensing circuit detects a site-specific characteristic of the field such as crop yield harvested from the field or fertilizer applied to the field. An input device is used to mark the positions of visible elements associated with the field. A location signal generation circuit generates signals relating to the locations at which the characteristic is sampled and to the positions of the visible elements. Characteristic data is correlated with the locations at which the characteristic was sampled, and scouting data representative of the visible elements is correlated with the positions of the visible elements. The correlated data is stored in a memory. The input device may include re-definable switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1999
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: George H. Hale, Keith W. Wendte
  • Patent number: 5839090
    Abstract: A method for incorporating high quality geologic interpretations onto computer generated contours. The method starts with a trend form grid on which characteristics of geological formations are superimposed. Contours of such characteristics with respect to the trend form grid are generated using a distance transformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Landmark Graphics Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Zoraster