Holographic illustration of weather

• US 10,088,678 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Copic, John, Bahm, Gregory Bishop, Paulovich, Jonathan Gustav, Chevrier, Jedd Alexander, Lanigan, Michael Casey, Hastings, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tun, Nay
• Application Number:
  US15/590,845
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0109 comprising details concerning the making of holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

In a method to illustrate a weather condition via a near-eye display system, a representation of a geographic region is displayed via the near-eye display system. For each of a series of elevations above the geographic region, a weather-data slice is received, which defines a weather-parameter value for each of a plurality of 2D coordinates at that elevation. A volume-filling weather model is constructed based on the weather-parameter values received for each elevation and 2D coordinate. A digital filter and a coordinate transform are then applied to the volume-filling weather model to obtain a weather-display model, the weather-display model including a display-parameter value for each of a plurality of 3D coordinates. Then, the weather-display model is displayed via the near-eye display system, co-registered to the representation of the geographic region.

Claims

1. A method to illustrate a weather condition via a near-eye display system, the method comprising:

displaying a representation of a geographic region via the near-eye display system;

for each of a series of elevations above the geographic region, receiving a weather-data slice defining a weather-parameter value for each of a plurality of 2D coordinates at that elevation;

constructing a volume-filling weather model based on the weather-parameter values received for each elevation and 2D coordinate;

applying a digital filter and a coordinate transform to the volume-filling weather model to obtain a weather-display model, the weather-display model including a display-parameter value for each of a plurality of 3D coordinates; and

displaying the weather-display model via the near-eye display system, co-registered to the representation of the geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather-parameter value includes an air temperature.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather-parameter value includes a vector-valued wind velocity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather-parameter value includes a cloud density and/or precipitation amount.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the digital filter includes nulling the weather-parameter if the weather-parameter value is below a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the digital filter includes averaging to reduce noise.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the coordinate transform includes mapping the weather-parameter value into a volume of compressed elevation.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the volume of compressed elevation is compressed non-linearly.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the representation of the geographic region includes simulating an illumination of the geographic region based on a time of day.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the representation of the geographic region includes simulating an illumination of the geographic region based on overhead cloud density and/or precipitation amount.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the weather-display model includes simulating an illumination of cloud cover at a first elevation based on overhead cloud density and/or precipitation amount at a higher, second elevation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the representation of the geographic region includes simulating a sheen of the geographic region based on a precipitation amount.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the weather-display model includes displaying a temporal evolution of the weather condition.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the temporal evolution includes a forecasted temporal evolution.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of the geographic region and the representation of the weather-display model are projected into a field of view of each user of the near-eye display system based on a location and orientation of that user.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of the geographic region and co-registered representation of the weather-display model are projected so as to constitute a spatially persistent virtual object viewable from a plurality of orientations.

17. A method to illustrate a weather condition via a near-eye display system, the method comprising:

displaying a representation of a geographic region via the near-eye display system;

for each of a series of elevations above the geographic region, receiving a weather-data slice defining a weather-parameter value for each of a plurality of 2D coordinates at that elevation;

constructing a volume-filling weather model based on the weather-parameter values received for each elevation and 2D coordinate;

applying a digital filter and a coordinate transform to the volume-filling weather model to obtain a weather-display model, the weather-display model including a display-parameter value for each of a plurality of 3D coordinates, the coordinate transform mapping the weather-parameter value into a volume of compressed elevation; and

displaying the weather display model via the near-eye display system, co-registered to the representation of the geographic region, wherein displaying the representation of the geographic region includes simulating an illumination of the geographic region based on overhead cloud density and/or precipitation amount.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the weather-parameter value includes an air temperature.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the weather-parameter value includes one or more of cloud density and precipitation amount.

20. A near-eye display system configured to illustrate a weather condition, the system comprising:

a network device;

a near-eye microprojector;

an inertial measurement sensor;

operatively coupled to the network device, the near-eye display, and the inertial measurement unit, logic configured to;

display, via the near-eye microprojector, a representation of a geographic region,

for each of a series of elevations above the geographic region, receive from the network device a weather-data slice defining a weather-parameter value for each of a plurality of 2D coordinates at that elevation,

construct a volume-filling weather model based on the weather-parameter values received for each elevation and 2D coordinate,

apply a digital filter and a coordinate transform to the volume-filling weather model to obtain a weather-display model, the weather-display model including a display-parameter value for each of a plurality of 3D coordinates, and

display, via the near-eye microprojector, the weather-display model via the near-eye display system, co-registered to the representation of the geographic region.