System and method for accurate and efficient geodetic database retrieval

• US 5,751,612 A
• Filed: 08/24/1995
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Donovan, Kenneth B., Heidrich, Arthur J., Zirpolo, Dominick S., Ferrell, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US08/519,063
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 364/900, 364/452, 364/443, 364/449, 434/146, 342/457, 342/357, 395/119
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/952 Simulation

Abstract

A system and a method for retrieving geographic information stored in geodetic coordinates based on one or more input positions based on nongeodetic coordinates includes a programmable processor in combination with a previously loaded database defined in geodetic coordinates. The processor is coupled to a display device and converts the received query position or positions into geodetic coordinates which are then used to retrieve associated geographic or structural information from the database for display.

Claims

1. A system for retrieving information stored in a first coordinate system corresponding to at least one target location specified relative to a second coordinate system comprising:

a database containing information stored in the first coordinate system;

an input device for providing a reference location defined in the first coordinate system and for providing indicia relative to the reference location, for defining at least one target location relative to the reference location but with respect to said second coordinate system;

processing means for establishing a region adjacent to at least said one target location including means for representing at least first and second points on said region with respect to said first coordinate system;

processing means for translating said representations of said points into representations with respect to said second coordinate system; and

wherein said processing means includes means for establishing a representation of said target location in said first coordinate system using said translated representation of said points.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said database information represent geographic information.

3. A system as in claim 2 which includes a display device, coupled to said processing means, upon which indicia indicative of said at least one target location, retrieved from said database, can be visually exhibited.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein said processing means includes means for altering said target location indicia in response to changes in said reference position.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first coordinate system is a geodetic-type system and said second is a cartesian-type system.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said processing means defines a plurality of target locations along a selected direction with respect to the second coordinate system relative to the reference location defined in the first coordinate system.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein said processing means includes means for establishing said region wherein at least said one target location is contained therein.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said processing means includes means for interactively evaluating a relationship between a current position of said region and said one target location.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said processing means includes further means for altering said current position of said region in response to said relationship.

10. A system as in claim 1 wherein said input device includes a communications link coupled to said processing means and a remote source.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein said input device includes a manually operable member.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one target point is included in the adjacent region.

13. A simulator comprising:

a data output device;

an input device;

a processor coupled to said data output device and said input device;

a database containing information, stored with reference to a first coordinate system, and coupled to said processor wherein said processor includes means for establishing reference location relative to said first coordinate system and one or more target positions defined relative to said reference location but relative to a second, different, coordinate system, and for establishing a region defined in said first coordinate system which contains at least some of said one or more target positions.

14. A simulator as in claim 13 wherein said output device includes a visual display.

15. A simulator as in claim 14 wherein said processor includes further means for determining coordinates of said one or more target positions, relative to said first system, by use of one or more selected parameters of said region.

16. A simulator as in claim 14 wherein said first coordinate system corresponds to a geodetic-type system and said second coordinate system corresponds to a cartesian-type system.

17. A simulator as in claim 14 wherein said processor includes means for retrieving geographical data from said database, corresponding to said one or more target locations and for presenting indicia indicative thereof on said visual display.

18. A simulator as in claim 14 wherein said stored information corresponds to geographical information.

19. A simulator as in claim 14 wherein said input device includes a manually manipulatable portion.

20. The simulator of claim 13 wherein the processor is programmable.

21. A method of retrieving information stored in a first coordinate system corresponding to at least one target position specified relative to a second coordinate system comprising:

establishing a database relative to a first coordinate system;

establishing a reference location relative to the first coordinate system;

establishing at least one target location relative to said second coordinate system;

establishing a bounded region, relative to the first coordinate system adjacent to one target location;

determining at least first and second parameters of the region and determining the coordinates of the one target location, using the parameters, in the first coordinate system.

22. A method as in claim 21 wherein the position of the bounding region is relatively established so as to achieve a predetermined relationship with the one target location.

23. A method as in claim 21 wherein the one target location is contained within the bounded region.

24. A method as in claim 21 including establishing a bounding region defined by a regular grid.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein the bounding region is as a rectangle.

26. A system for determining at least one target location in a first coordinate system specified relative to a second coordinate system comprising:

a processing device to establish a region associated with the at least one target location and to determine at least one point associated with the region with respect to the first coordinate system, the processing device translating the representations of the at least one point into the second coordinate system and establishing a representation of the at least one target location in the first coordinate system using the translated representation of the at least one point.

27. The system as in claim 26 further comprising a database containing information stored in the first coordinate system.

28. The system as in claim 26 wherein said processing device determines a plurality of points along a line extending from a reference point.

29. A method of retrieving information stored in a first coordinate system corresponding to at least one target position specified relative to a second coordinate system comprising:

establishing a database relative to the first coordinate system;

establishing at least one target location relative to the second coordinate system;

establishing a bounded region, relative to the first coordinate system, associated with the one target location; and

determining at least first and second parameters of the region and using the parameters to determine the coordinates of the one target location in the first coordinate system.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the step of establishing a reference location relative to the first coordinate system.

31. The method as in claim 29 wherein the bounded region encloses the target location.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of generating coordinates in the first coordinate system for a plurality of points within the bounded region, wherein the points were initially specified in the second coordinate system.

33. The method as in claim 31 further comprising the step of moving the bounded region in at least a first direction to enclose another target location.

34. An apparatus to determine a target position in a first coordinate system where the target position is represented in a second coordinate system comprising:

a processing device to receive the target position defined in the second coordinate system, the processing device determining a representation of the target position in the first coordinate system based upon at least one selected position and without converting all of the information in a database represented in a first coordinate system to the second coordinate system.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the at least one selected position is translated from the first coordinate system to the second coordinate system.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the processing device determines a boundary region associated with the target position.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the boundary region intersects a line extending at a selected angle from a reference position.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the processing device determines at least one position where the line intersects the boundary region.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the processing device determines a second selected position associated with the boundary region.

40. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the processing device determines at least one point of the boundary region relative to a reference position.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the processing device determines first and second points where a line intersects with the boundary region.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the processing device translates the first and second points into the first coordinate system by interpolating from at least one point on the boundary region.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein the processing device determines the target position by interpolating between the first and second points.