Digital elevation model data structure for geospatial analysis

• US 20060279436A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Brian Michael Ambroziak, Jeffrey Russell Ambroziak, Russell Andrew Ambroziak
• Original Assignee: Brian Michael Ambroziak, Jeffrey Russell Ambroziak, Russell Andrew Ambroziak
• Inventors: Ambroziak, Russell Andrew, Ambroziak, Brian Michael, Ambroziak, Jeffrey Russell
• Application Number:
  US11/390,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A data structure stored on a computer readable storage media comprises a plurality of layers each comprising a data array and a corresponding normal vector array, and a plurality of layer structures each comprising information related to a corresponding one of the plurality of layers.

Claims

1. A data structure stored on a computer readable storage media, comprising:

a plurality of layers each comprising a data array and a corresponding normal vector array; and

a plurality of layer structures each comprising information related to a corresponding one of said plurality of layers.

2. The data structure of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of data arrays comprises a plurality of data elements each having a magnitude attribute.

3. The data structure of claim 2 wherein the magnitude attribute is an elevation.

4. The data structure of claim 2 further comprising a header structure comprising an information describing said data structure.

5. The data structure of claim 4 wherein said information comprises at least one of a latitude and a longitude of an area, a latitude and a longitude of an upper left most data element, a pointer to a first one of said plurality of layer structures, a number of said data elements per degree of longitude, a number of said data elements per degree of latitude, and a number of said plurality of layer structures in the data structure.

6. The data structure of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of layer structures comprises a scaling factor.

7. The data structure of claim 1 wherein said plurality of normal vector arrays comprise a plurality of vector elements.

8. The data structure of claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of vector elements comprises a unit vector.

9. The data structure of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of unit vectors is scaled by a scaling factor.

10. The data structure of claim 7 wherein each of said plurality of vector elements is an unsigned integer.

11. The data structure of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of percentile arrays each corresponding to one of said plurality of layers.

12. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

retrieving data from a data structure comprising;

a plurality of layers each comprising a data array and a corresponding normal vector array; and

a plurality of layer structures each comprising information related to a corresponding one of said plurality of layers; and

displaying the retrieved data.

13. The signal bearing medium of claim 12 wherein each of said plurality of data arrays comprises a plurality of data elements each having a magnitude attribute.

14. The signal bearing medium of claim 13 wherein the magnitude attribute is an elevation.

15. The signal bearing medium of claim 12 wherein said data structure additionally comprises a header structure comprising an information describing said data structure.

16. The signal bearing medium of claim 15 wherein said information comprises at least one of a latitude and a longitude of an area, a latitude and a longitude of an upper left most data element, a pointer to a first one of said plurality of layer structures, a number of said data elements per degree of longitude, a number of said data elements per degree of latitude, and a number of said plurality of layer structures in the data structure.