Patent ID: 8392103
Filing Date: 2013-03-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for operating a train on a train track according to a smaller-size database that captures the geometry of the train track, the method comprising: obtaining a set of geo-locations from a survey of the train track, wherein each geo-location is a point on the centerline of the train track, and wherein a first database comprises the obtained set of centerline geo-locations; converting the centerline geo-locations from latitude/longitude/altitude to a set of points expressed in three-dimensional Earth-Centered Earth-Fixed Cartesian coordinates; generating, by a data-processing system, based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the set of points, a piecewise polynomial spline that is defined in terms of a proper subset of the set of points; populating, by the data-processing system, a first data structure in a second database, wherein the first data structure stores for each point P in the subset of the piecewise polynomial spline: populating, by the data-processing system, a second data structure in the second database, wherein the second data structure stores for each of a non-empty set of features along the train track: wherein the second database comprises a smaller quantity of data than the first database; and operating the train on the train track according to the second database.