1. A method for updating a master copy of a geographic database comprising:
obtaining a report about errors in data that represent geographic features;
identifying a location of at least one of said errors;
determining whether said report is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery;
if said report is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery, obtaining a satellite image containing said location of said error; and
determining from the satellite image appropriate changes to make to the master copy of the geographic database to correct said error in said data that represent said geographic feature.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to the step of obtaining, grouping reports about errors that relate to the same geographic feature.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to the step of obtaining, grouping repots about errors that relate to the same geographic feature so that only one satellite image needs to be obtained to determine the appropriate change to make to the master copy of the geographic database with respect to the data that represent that geographic feature.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to the step of obtaining, grouping reports about errors that relate to geographic features that are located close to each other so that only one satellite image needs to be obtained to determine the appropriate changes to make to the master copy of the geographic database with respect to the data that represent those geographic features.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
assigning a higher priority to reports about errors that relate to the same geographic feature.
6. A method of updating a master copy of a geographic database comprising:
obtaining a report relating to at least one geographic feature;
identifying a location corresponding to said report;
determining whether said report is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery;
if said report is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery, obtaining a satellite image of the location corresponding to said report;
analyzing the satellite image to determine how to update the master copy of the geographic database; and
updating the master copy of the geographic database.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the satellite image is obtained by ordering from a commercial satellite image provider.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:
prior to obtaining the satellite image, confirming that a current satellite image is not available in a satellite image archive; and then ordering the satellite image from a commercial satellite image provider.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein the satellite image has at least approximately 1 meter accuracy.
10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:
after the step of obtaining the satellite image, displaying the satellite image at a workstation of a geographic database developer.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
indicating a position on the satellite image being displayed wherein the position corresponds to the reported geographic location.
12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
indicating latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to a position of a movable cursor.
13. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
while displaying the satellite image at a workstation of a geographic database researcher, displaying geographic features represented by data contained in the master copy of the geographic database at a workstation indicating a position on the satellite image being displayed wherein the position corresponds to the reported geographic location.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
overlaying the geographic features represented by the data contained in the master copy of the geographic database over the satellite image being displayed at the workstation.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
displaying the geographic features represented by the data contained in the master copy of the geographic database and the satellite image side-by-side on the workstation.
16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
while displaying the satellite image at a workstation of a geographic database developer, displaying the report submitted by an end user including explanatory text provided therewith.
17. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing an on-line program accessible to the end users; and
with the on-line program, allowing the end user to submit the report.
18. The method of claim 6 wherein said satellite image is obtained from an archive.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
prior to analyzing said satellite image, confirming that said satellite image was taken recently enough depending on a type of updating to be made to said master copy of said geographic database.
20. The method of claim 6 wherein the satellite image is obtained from a central server of a geographic database developer.
21. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
defining a grid that overlays a geographic coverage area corresponding to said geographic database, wherein said satellite image corresponds to a cell of said grid.
22. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to roadway geometry.
23. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to a placement of a roadway divider.
24. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to a number of roadway lanes.
25. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to roadway lane widths.
26. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to roadway direction restrictions.
27. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to a turn restriction along a road.
28. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to whether a road is paved.
29. The method of claim 6 wherein the report relates to a lake, river, park, or recreational area.
30. A method of updating a geographic database including data that represents geographic feature in a geographic region comprising:
obtaining a report indicating a location of an error in data representing the geographic feature in the geographic region;
determining whether said report relates to a type of error that is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery;
if said report does relate to the type of error that is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery, obtaining a satellite image of the location;
analyzing the satellite image to determine a correction to the data, said correction to the data accurately representing the geographic feature; and
updating the geographic database with the correction.
31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:
if said report does not relate to a type of error that is suitable for confirmation by satellite imagery, designating the location for review by field inspection.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What I claim is:
1. A magnetostrictive valve actuator comprising:
a body having a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity having a distal end and a proximal end forming a longitudinal axis and the second cavity forming a hydraulic chamber in communication with the first cavity via a first bore having a first sealing diameter;
a first piston positioned in the first bore, the first piston being displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis;
a second bore having a second sealing diameter, the second bore being in communication with the hydraulic chamber;
a second piston positioned in the second bore, the second piston being displaceable within the second bore in response to changes in hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic chamber;
a magnetostrictive member having a predetermined length disposed substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first cavity, the magnetostrictive member being in operative contact with the first piston;
a coil that generates a magnetic field disposed proximate the magnetostrictive element such that magnetic flux passes through the magnetostrictive element upon excitation of the coil, causing the predetermined length to increase, forcing the first piston to be displaced toward the hydraulic chamber and the second piston to move under the influence of the hydraulic pressure created by the displacement of the first piston.
2. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 1, further comprising a biasing means disposed in the body and operatively arranged to exert a predetermined prestress force on the magnetostrictive member.
3. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 2, wherein the prestress force is in the range of 5-15 MPa.
4. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 2, further comprising a check valve for filling the hydraulic chamber with fluid.
5. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the magnetostrictive member comprises a terbium-based material.
6. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 5, wherein the terbium-based material comprises Terfenol-D.
7. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, further comprising shims disposed at the distal and proximate ends of the magnetostrictive member.
8. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 7, wherein the shims comprise metal.
9. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 7, wherein the shims comprise a plastic material.
10. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the coil is substantially coaxially oriented with respect to the magnetostrictive member.
11. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the second piston forms a portion of a valve stem.
12. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the ratio of the first and second sealing diameters produces a gain of 40-60 with respect to the linear motion of the second piston as compared with the first piston.
13. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the coil comprises a winding on a cylindrical bobbin having an outside diameter of approximately 28 mm.
14. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the coil comprises approximately 1550 turns of 20 AWG wire.
15. The magnetostrictive valve actuator of claim 4, wherein the coil comprises approximately 1560 turns of 18 AWG wire.
16. A method of actuating a valve in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
locating a coil for generating a magnetic field proximate a magnetostrictive element having a predetermined length, such that magnetic flux passes through the magnetostrictive element upon excitation of the coil, causing the predetermined length to increase and forcing a first piston to be displaced toward a hydraulic chamber and a second piston to move under the influence of the hydraulic pressure created by the displacement of the first piston.
17. The method of actuating a valve in an internal combustion engine according to claim 16, further comprising:
forming a body having a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity having a distal end and a proximal end forming a longitudinal axis and the second cavity forming the hydraulic chamber in communication with the first cavity via a first bore having a first sealing diameter;
positioning the first piston in the first bore, the first piston being displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis;
forming a second bore having a second sealing diameter, the second bore being in communication with the hydraulic chamber;
positioning the second piston in the second bore, the second piston being displaceable within the second bore in response to changes in hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic chamber;
placing the magnetostrictive member substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first cavity, the magnetostrictive member being in operative contact with the first piston.