System and method for processig map data

• US 20060170693A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uncharted Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uncharted Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Bethune, Christopher, Kapler, Tom, Eccles, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/568
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/005 Tree description, e.g. octree, quadtree
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats

Abstract

A system and method is provided for assembling graphics information as a graphics display for presentation on a visual interface, the graphics information including a plurality of image tiles stored in a data store. The system and method comprise a management module for receiving a graphics request message and for coordinating processing of a selected number of the image tiles to generate at least one representative image tile as the graphics display in response to the graphics request message. The system and method also comprise a graphics system coupled to the management module for receiving processing information from the management module to facilitate access to the selected number of the image tiles. The selected number of image tiles are processed as a combination to generate the least one representative image tile, such that the graphics system includes graphics hardware such as a GPU/VPU configured for processing the graphics information.

Claims

1. A system for assembling graphics information as a graphics display for presentation on a visual interface, the graphics information including a plurality of image portions stored in a data store, the system comprising:

a management module for receiving a graphics request message and for coordinating processing of a selected number of the image portions to generate at least one representative image portion as the graphics display in response to the graphics request message; and

a graphics system coupled to the management module for receiving processing information from the management module to facilitate access to the selected number of the image portions and for processing them as a combination to generate the least one representative image portion, the graphics system including graphics hardware configured for processing the graphics information.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a frame store for storing the at least one representative image portion as a merged combination of the selected number of the image portions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the frame store is part of the graphics hardware.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the image portions are represented as image tiles and the at least one representative image portion is generated as a single representative image tile.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a pixel shader module for adjusting texture of the selected number of the image portions during processing by the graphics system, the pixel shader module being part of the graphics hardware.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the texture is adjusted to include additional graphics detail in the at least one representative image portion selected from the group comprising a hypsograph and a light map.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphics information includes information selected from the group comprising:

a selected geographic region;

three-dimensional visual characteristics including terrain elevation details and elevation details;

a selected display resolution; and

alpha-numeric information and other graphical symbols for overlay on a desired geographic region.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the data store is configured as tile-based pyramidal data referenced in an associated hierarchical indexed format, the image portions stored as a plurality of image tiles 11 in respective layers.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising at least two of the layers in the data store having different resolutions.

10. The system of claim 2 further comprising an access module coupled to the management module for coordinating the access to restricted content of the plurality of image portions stored in the data store.

11. A method for assembling graphics information as a graphics display for presentation on a visual interface, the graphics information including a plurality of image portions stored in a data store, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a graphics request message;

providing processing information for coordinating processing of a selected number of the image portions for inclusion in at least one representative image portion as the graphics display in response to the graphics request message; and

accessing the selected number of the image portions and processing them as a combination to generate the least one representative image portion through use of graphics hardware configured for processing the graphics information.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of storing the at least one representative image portion as a merged combination of the selected number of the image portions in a frame store.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the frame store is part of the graphics hardware.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the image portions are represented as image tiles and the at least one representative image portion is generated as a single representative image tile.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of adjusting texture of the selected number of the image portions during graphics processing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the texture is adjusted to include additional graphics detail in the at least one representative image portion selected from the group comprising a hypsograph and a light map.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphics information includes information selected from the group comprising:

a selected geographic region;

three-dimensional visual characteristics including terrain elevation details and elevation details;

a selected display resolution; and

alpha-numeric information and other graphical symbols for overlay on a desired geographic region.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the data store is configured as tile-based pyramidal data referenced in an associated hierarchical indexed format, the image portions stored as a plurality of image tiles 11 in respective layers.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of accessing at least two of the layers in the data store having different resolutions.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of coordinating access to restricted content of the plurality of image portions stored in the data store.