Moving map display

• US 4,825,381 A
• Filed: 03/31/1987
• Issued: 04/25/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Southard, Conway A., Russell, Jeffrey D., Bottorf, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US07/033,298
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 364/521, 364/518, 364/449, 364/443, 340/727, 340/731, 340/745, 340/798, 340/799, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 340/724
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

A multichannel moving map display having a first channel for processing of background geographical data and inputting said process data into a display memory for scanning by a display and a second channel for generating cultural features and storing the same in a second display memory for scanning by the display. A dual bank display memory concept is disclosed for both the first and second display memories.

Claims

1. A moving map display comprising:

a. a CPU having a system bus connected thereto;

b. a system memory connected with said system bus;

c. an input device connected with said system bus for entering data to said system memory;

d. mass storage means connected with said system bus for storing image data;

e. a first image data processing channel in connection with said system bus for generating an image from said image data;

f. a second image data processing channel in connection with said system bus for processing said image data;

g. a plurality of display memory banks in connection with said first image data processing channel and said second image data processing channel, for storing image data;

h. a display device connected with said plurality of display memory banks for receiving and displaying said images;

i. the first image data processing channel having an image memory interconnected with said system bus, for storing data representing a moving geographic map and an image processor interconnected with said image memory for scanning and processing image data in said image memory; and

j. said second image data processing channel having a geometry engine interconnected with said system bus for processing vector endpoints of images to be displayed in addition to the moving geographical map and a vector generator interconnecting with said geometry engine for generating intermediate points in vectors to be displayed;

whereby a moving map display with a rapid data update capability is achieved by providing the processing of the moving geographic map through the first image data processing channel together with providing the generation of the images from the geometry engine and the vector generator, by the second image data processing channel.

2. A display as in claim 1 further comprising an output control and color map for receiving image data from said plurality of display memory banks and converting the digital data to an analog video signal to be supplied to said display device.

3. A high speed moving map display system, of the type having rapidly selectable cultural features displayed over the moving map;

the display system comprising;

a. CPU having a system bus connected thereto;

b. a system memory device connected with said system bus for entering data to said system memory;

c. an input device connected with said system bus for entering data to said system memory;

d. mass storage means connected with said system bus for storing geographical map data and cultural feature data;

e. a first image data processing channel in connection with said system bus for generating an image from said geographic map data;

f. a second image data processing channel in connection with said system bus for processing said rapidly selectable cultural feature data;

g. a plurality of display memory banks in connection with said first image data processing channel and said second image data processing channel, for storing said geographic map data and said cultural featured data; and

h. a display device connected with said plurality of display memory banks for receiving and displaying said images;

whereby a high speed moving map display system with the capability of providing rapidly selectable cultural features displayed over the map is achieved by dividing the data within the mass storage means, on a functional basis, and separately processing the different functional data in separate and distinct image data processing channels.

4. A display system of claim 3 wherein said first image data processing channel further comprises:

a. an image memory interconnected with said system bus, for storing data representing a moving geographic map;

b. an image processor interconnected with said image memory for scanning and processing image data in said image memory.

5. A display system of claim 4 wherein said second image data processing channel further comprises:

a. a geometry engine interconnected with said system bus for processing vector endpoints of images to be displayed and

b. a vector generator interconnecting with said geometry engine for generating intermediate points in vectors to be displayed.

6. A display system of claim 5 further comprising an output control and color map for receiving image data from said plurality of display memory banks in converting the digital data to an analog video signal to be displayed to said display device.