Animated Visualization of GPS Data in a GIS System
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for animated visualization of geo-located objects in a geographic information system including an interactive three-dimensional environment, comprising:
- determining an active time window for representing a first moving object in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on geographic positioning data associated with the first moving object, the geographic positioning data including a plurality of geographic locations of the first moving object, each location associated with a timestamp representing a time at which the location was recorded;
determining one or more positions for a graphical representation of the first moving object in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the geographic positioning data associated with the first moving object;
automatically visualizing an animation of the graphical representation of the first moving object along a first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the determined active time window, the one or more positions of the graphical representation of the first moving object, and the time stamp associated with each location such that the graphical representation of the first moving object is registered to real world time, the animation of the graphical representation of the first moving object including providing for display a first visual trace representing a movement of the first moving object along the first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment during the active time window; and
dynamically orienting the animated graphical representation of the first moving object as it is visualized along the first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the geographic positioning data associated with a first moving object,wherein the determining of the active time window, the determining of the one or more positions, the visualizing, and the orienting are performed by one or more computing devices.
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Abstract
A visualization system and method allow moving objects to be visualized in a GIS system as an interactive animation by moving an icon or 3D graphical model in an interactive virtual environment of the GIS. A line may also be drawn behind the icon/3D model representing the path traveled during a window of time. Additionally, the evolution of time-dependent data associated with the moving object may be encoded and visualized in the GIS.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for animated visualization of geo-located objects in a geographic information system including an interactive three-dimensional environment, comprising:
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determining an active time window for representing a first moving object in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on geographic positioning data associated with the first moving object, the geographic positioning data including a plurality of geographic locations of the first moving object, each location associated with a timestamp representing a time at which the location was recorded; determining one or more positions for a graphical representation of the first moving object in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the geographic positioning data associated with the first moving object; automatically visualizing an animation of the graphical representation of the first moving object along a first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the determined active time window, the one or more positions of the graphical representation of the first moving object, and the time stamp associated with each location such that the graphical representation of the first moving object is registered to real world time, the animation of the graphical representation of the first moving object including providing for display a first visual trace representing a movement of the first moving object along the first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment during the active time window; and dynamically orienting the animated graphical representation of the first moving object as it is visualized along the first continuous path in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the geographic positioning data associated with a first moving object, wherein the determining of the active time window, the determining of the one or more positions, the visualizing, and the orienting are performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23)
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12. A geographic information system for animated visualization of geo-located objects in an interactive three-dimensional environment, comprising:
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one or more processors; an object positioner to determine an active time window of the geographic information system based on geographic positioning data associated with a first moving object to be visualized in an interactive three-dimensional environment of the geographic information system, and to determine one or more positions of the first moving object within the active time window based on the geographic positioning data associated with the first moving object, wherein the geographic positioning data includes a plurality of geographic locations of the first moving object, each location associated with a time representing a time at which the location was recorded; a renderer configured to automatically generate a visualization of the first moving object based on the determined one or more positions of the first moving object within the active time window and the time stamp associated with each location such that that visualization of the first moving object is registered to real world time, the visualization of the first moving object including a graphical representation of the first moving object and graphical representation of a visual trace representing a movement of the first moving object along a first path in the interactive three-dimensional environment, and to render the generated visualization of the first moving object in the interactive three-dimensional environment of the geographic information system; and a path planner configured to dynamically orient the graphical representation of the first moving object as it is rendered in the interactive three-dimensional environment based on the determined one or more positions of the first moving object within the active time window, wherein, the object positioner, the renderer, and the path planner are implemented using the one or more processors. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
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Specification