Real time three dimensional geo-referenced digital orthophotograph-based positioning, navigation, collision avoidance and decision support system
First Claim
1. A vehicle position tracking and display system, comprising:
- positioning means for providing positional coordinate signals corresponding to spatial coordinates of a current position of a vehicle;
computational means for accessing an image library of differentially rectified images for predefined geographic area, indexed by spatial coordinates, and a data library of terrain elevational data of said predefined geographic areas, indexed by said spatial coordinates of said current position of said vehicle;
for receiving said positional coordinate signals; and
for analyzing said positional coordinate signals by selecting said differentially rectified images from said image library and said terrain elevational data from said data library;
processing said positional coordinate signals, said selected differentially rectified images, and said terrain elevational data into resultant differentially rectified image signals corresponding to the current position and terrain of said vehicle; and
display means responsive to said resultant differentially rectified image signals for translating said resultant differentially rectified image signals into visual, pictorial information corresponding to the current position and geographic surroundings of said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Herein is presented a positioning, navigation and collision avoidance system for ships, aircraft, land vehicles and the like, which utilizes a geo-referenced digital orthophotograph data-base and a positioning signal to display upon a computer stereo graphics device a high visibility dynamic photographic image of the user'"'"'s immediate environment, including both moving and stationary obstacles. The position and temporal data along with the geo-referenced elevation data utilized to derive the digital orthophotograph(s) can serve to warn the user of nearby obstacles; and optionally, to implement semi-automatic avoidance. Substituting user generated x-y-z positions and times, the system may be used in a static mode as a flight simulator or a simulator for other modes of transportation. The system may also be used as a mobile Geographic Information Systems decision making tool with the addition of user supplied geo-referenced digital data layers.
721 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A vehicle position tracking and display system, comprising:
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positioning means for providing positional coordinate signals corresponding to spatial coordinates of a current position of a vehicle; computational means for accessing an image library of differentially rectified images for predefined geographic area, indexed by spatial coordinates, and a data library of terrain elevational data of said predefined geographic areas, indexed by said spatial coordinates of said current position of said vehicle;
for receiving said positional coordinate signals; and
for analyzing said positional coordinate signals by selecting said differentially rectified images from said image library and said terrain elevational data from said data library;processing said positional coordinate signals, said selected differentially rectified images, and said terrain elevational data into resultant differentially rectified image signals corresponding to the current position and terrain of said vehicle; and display means responsive to said resultant differentially rectified image signals for translating said resultant differentially rectified image signals into visual, pictorial information corresponding to the current position and geographic surroundings of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of tracking and display of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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obtaining positional coordinate signals corresponding to spatial coordinates of a current position of said vehicle; accessing an image library of differentially rectified images of predefined geographic areas, indexed by spatial coordinates, and a data library of terrain elevational data of said predefined geographic areas, indexed by spatial coordinates of said current position of said vehicle; analyzing said positional coordinate signals by selecting said differentially rectified images from said image library and said terrain elevational data from said data library; processing said positional coordinate signals, said selected differentially rectified images, and said terrain elevational data into resultant differentially rectified image signals corresponding to the current position and terrain of said vehicle; and translating said resultant differentially rectified image signals into visual, pictorial information corresponding to the current position and geographic surroundings of said vehicle.
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Specification