SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPLAYING IMAGES WITH MULTI-RESOLUTION INTEGRATION

• US 20130106832A1
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Baughman, David, Meeker, John, Cunningham, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,347,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A display system is provided for a vehicle. The system includes a first data source configured to provide low resolution terrain data; a second data source configured to provide high resolution terrain data; a processing unit coupled to the first data source and the second data source, the processing unit configured to receive the low resolution terrain data and high resolution terrain data, to integrate the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data into a common three-dimensional view that includes graphical elements representing both the low and the high resolution terrain data, and to supply display commands associated with the low and the high resolution terrain data; and a display device coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the display commands and operable to render the common three-dimensional view to thereby allow simultaneous viewing of the low and the high resolution terrain data.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first data source configured to provide low resolution terrain data;

a second data source configured to provide high resolution terrain data;

a processing unit coupled to the first data source and the second data source, the processing unit configured to receive the low resolution terrain data and high resolution terrain data, to integrate the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data into a common three-dimensional view that comprises graphical elements representing both the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data, and to supply display commands associated with the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data; and

a display device coupled to the processing unit and configured to receive the display commands and operable to render the common three-dimensional view to thereby allow simultaneous viewing of the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first data source and the second data source are disparate data sources.

3. The display system of claim 1, wherein the high resolution terrain data of the second data source corresponds to a point of interest.

4. The display system of claim 1, wherein the common three-dimensional view has a field of view (FOV), and wherein the processing device is configured to review the high resolution terrain data for high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein the processing device is further configured to remove the low resolution terrain data corresponding to the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV from the common three-dimensional view.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein the processing device is further configured to patch the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV into the common three-dimensional view.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein the processing device is further configured to blend a boundary between the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV in the common three-dimensional view.

8. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first data source and the second data source are both databases.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the first data source and the second data source are different kinds of data sources.

10. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display device is a Primary Flight Display (PFD).

11. The display system of claim 1, wherein the display device is a Multi-Function Display (MFD).

12. A method for displaying multi-resolution terrain data, the method comprising:

receiving low resolution terrain data from a first data source;

receiving high resolution terrain data from a second data source;

blending the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data into a field of view (FOV); and

producing display signals for the FOV.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising reviewing the high resolution terrain data for high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the low resolution terrain data from the FOV corresponding to the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV.

15. The method of claim 16, further comprising patching the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV into the low resolution terrain data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the blending step includes blending the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data into a continuous, three-dimensional perspective view.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the high resolution terrain data has a resolution at least 10 times greater than the low resolution terrain data.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the high resolution terrain data has a resolution with a non-integer relationship relative to the low resolution terrain data.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the producing step includes rendering the FOV on a Primary Flight Display (PFD) or a Multi-Function Display (MFD).

20. A method for displaying multi-resolution terrain data in a field of view (FOV), the method comprising:

receiving low resolution terrain data from a first data source;

reviewing the high resolution terrain data from a second data source for high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV;

removing the low resolution terrain data from the FOV corresponding to the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV;

patching the high resolution terrain data associated with the FOV into the FOV;

blending the low resolution terrain data and the high resolution terrain data into a continuous, three-dimensional perspective view of integrated high resolution terrain data and low resolution terrain data, the high resolution terrain data having a resolution higher than the low resolution terrain and having a non-integer relationship; and

producing display signals for the FOV.