Scenery displaying system for displaying a scenery from an arbitrary position

• US 5,838,330 A
• Filed: 01/19/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ajima, Takumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/588,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 395/119, 395/118, 395/127, 395/123, 395/124, 395/125, 395/129
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects

Abstract

A scenery from a first position in which contours of natural formations such as mountains, seas, lakes, basins, wide green areas and the like, contours of artificial structures such as buildings, towers, famous temples, schools and the like, a starry sky including stars and constellations, names of administrative regions such as cities, towns and the like, names of the natural formations and the artificial structures, positions of sunrise, sunset, a propagation locus of a diffracted electric wave and an earth orbital locus of the sun, and populations are indicated is displayed on a displaying unit 21. The first position is input to an input unit, or a current position is detected by a global positioning system as the first position. The scenery is prepared in a scenery displaying apparatus according to scenery information stored in a scenery information storing unit. Also, a specific scenery position is automatically selected from among a plurality of candidates for the specific scenery position by quantitatively estimating visibility fields of a plurality of sceneries in a special scenery position designating unit.

Claims

1. A scenery displaying system, comprising:

first position receiving means for receiving a first position placed on the earth;

scenery information storing means for storing various types of scenery information including shapes of natural objects, data derived from the natural objects, shapes of artificial objects and data derived from the artificial objects;

scenery preparing means for reading a specific type of scenery information of a specific object placed in a specific area viewing from the first position received by the first position receiving means from the scenery information storing means and preparing a scenery from the first position according to the specific type of scenery information, a shape of the specific object and data derived from the specific object being included in the specific type of scenery information; and

scenery displaying means for displaying the scenery prepared by the scenery preparing means.

2. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, in which the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means is composed of ground information indicating one or more three-dimensional geographical features and positions of natural formations, artificial structure information indicating one or more three-dimensional shapes and positions of artificial structures and name information indicating one or more names of the natural formations, the artificial structures and administrative regions, and the scenery displayed by the scenery displaying means composed of one or more objects selected from the natural formation and the artificial structures, one or more names of objects selected from the natural formation, the artificial structures and the administrative regions.

3. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

map preparing means for preparing a planimetric map displayed by the displaying means; and

first position designating means for designating the first position on the planimetric map prepared by the map preparing means, the first position designated on the planimetric map being received by the first position receiving means.

4. A scenery displaying system according to claim 3 in which the first position designating means is a cursor displayed on the planimetric map or a write pen.

5. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

compass direction detecting means for detecting a compass direction of the scenery displaying system; and

panning operation control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery viewed in the compass direction detected by the compass direction detecting means.

6. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

starry sky display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery in which a time of a sunrise or sunset and a position of the sunrise or sunset are indicated.

7. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system for detecting a current position of the scenery displaying system as the first position received by the first position receiving means.

8. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

position and direction detecting means for detecting a current position and a moving direction of the scenery displaying system as the first position received by the first position receiving means and an absolute compass direction; and

scenery display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery in which the absolute compass direction detected by the position and direction detecting means and a relative horizontal angle defined as a horizontally shifting angle from the absolute compass direction are indicated.

9. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

starry sky information storing means for storing starry sky information;

date and time inputting means for inputting a particular date and time; and

starry sky display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery in which a starry sky indicated by the starry sky information stored in the starry sky information storing means for the particular date and time input by the date and time inputting means is indicated.

10. A scenery displaying system according to claim 9 in which the date and time inputting means has an internal clock or an external clock for generating a current date and time as the particular date and time.

11. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

population density storing means for storing a density of population for each of unit areas;

visibility field extracting means for extracting a visibility field, which is defined as a land directly viewed from the first position received by the first position receiving means, from the scenery prepared by the scenery preparing means;

visibility angle area calculating means for calculating a visibility angle area of the visibility field extracted by the visibility field extracting means and dividing the visibility angle area into a plurality of unit visibility angle areas, the visibility angle area being defined as a product of a horizontal visibility angle at the first position in a horizontal direction and a perpendicular visibility angle at the first position in a perpendicular direction;

unobstructed view distance calculating means for calculating an unobstructed view distance between the first position and a portion of the visibility field corresponding to one unit visibility angle area according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means for each of the unit visibility angle areas obtained by the visibility angle area calculating means;

population calculating means for calculating a population by multiplying one unit visibility angle area obtained by the visibility angle area calculating means, one corresponding unobstructed view distance calculated by the unobstructed view distance calculating means and one corresponding density of population stored in the population density storing means together for each of the unit visibility angle areas and calculating a total population in the visibility field by adding up the populations for the unit visibility angle areas; and

population display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery in which the total population calculated by the population calculating means is indicated.

12. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

population density storing means for storing a density of population for each of unit areas;

special scenery position candidate setting means for setting a plurality of candidates for a special scenery position, a plurality of inspected sceneries from the inspected positions being prepared by the scenery preparing means;

visibility field extracting means for extracting a visibility field, which is defined as a land directly viewed from each of the inspected positions set by the special scenery position candidate setting means, from each of the inspected sceneries;

visibility angle area calculating means for calculating a plurality of visibility angle areas of the visibility fields extracted by the visibility field extracting means and dividing each of the visibility angle areas into a plurality of unit visibility angle areas, each of the visibility angle areas at the inspected positions being defined as a product of a horizontal visibility angle in a horizontal direction and a perpendicular visibility angle in a perpendicular direction;

unobstructed view distance calculating means for calculating an unobstructed view distance for one unit visibility angle area between one inspected position corresponding to the unit visibility angle area and a portion of one visibility field corresponding to the unit visibility angle area according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means for each of the unit visibility angle areas obtained by the visibility angle area calculating means;

population calculating means for calculating a population by multiplying one unit visibility angle area obtained by the visibility angle area calculating means, one corresponding unobstructed view distance calculated by the unobstructed view distance calculating means and one corresponding density of population stored in the population density storing means together for each of the unit visibility angle areas and calculating a total population by adding up the populations for the unit visibility angle areas of one visibility angle area for each of the inspected positions;

special scenery position selecting means for selecting a particular inspected position corresponding to a maximum total population among the total populations calculated by the population calculating means as the special scenery position from among the inspected positions; and

population display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery viewed from the special scenery position selected by the special scenery position selecting means in which the maximum total population calculated by the population calculating means is indicated.

13. A scenery displaying system according to claim 12 in which the special scenery position candidate setting means comprises

a particular road receiving unit for receiving a particular road;

and

candidate setting unit for setting a plurality of inspected positions placed at predetermined intervals on the particular road received by the particular road receiving unit as the candidates for the special scenery position.

14. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

second position receiving means for receiving a second position;

distance calculating means for calculating a particular distance between the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means;

relative angle calculating means for calculating a particular relative horizontal angle from the first position received by the first position receiving means to the second position received by the second position receiving means;

elevation angle calculating means for calculating a particular elevation angle of the second position received by the second position receiving means; and

position and distance adding means for adding the second position received by the second position receiving means to the scenery prepared by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery in which the particular distance calculated by the distance calculating means and the second position placed at the particular relative horizontal angle calculated by the relative angle calculating means and the particular elevation angle calculated by the elevation angle calculating means are indicated.

15. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

second position receiving means for receiving a second position;

cutting plane preparing means for preparing a perpendicular cutting plane taken along the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means; and

display control means for controlling the scenery displaying means to display the perpendicular cutting plane prepared by the cutting plane preparing means.

16. A scenery displaying system according to claim 15, further comprising:

propagation locus calculating means for calculating a propagation locus of an electric wave transmitted between the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means; and

propagation locus curving means for curving the propagation locus calculated by the propagation locus calculating means to diffract the electric wave at a natural formation indicated by the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means in cases where the transmission of the electric wave is disturbed by the natural formation, the propagation locus curved being indicated on the perpendicular cutting plane displayed under control of the display control means.

17. A scenery displaying system according to claim 16, further comprising:

straight length calculating means for calculating a straight length between the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means;

propagation length calculating means for calculating a propagation length of the propagation locus curved by the propagation locus curving means;

elevation angle calculating means for calculating a particular elevation angle of the propagation locus curved by the propagation locus curving means at a diffraction position of the electric wave; and

caption adding means for adding the straight length calculated by the straight length calculating means, the propagation length calculated by the propagation length calculating means and the particular elevation angle calculated by the elevation angle calculating means to the perpendicular cutting plane displayed by the scenery displaying means.

18. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

special scenery position candidate setting means for setting a plurality of candidates for a special scenery position as a plurality of inspected positions, a plurality of inspected sceneries from the inspected positions being prepared by the scenery preparing means;

visibility field extracting means for extracting a visibility field, which is defined as a natural formation directly viewed from each of the inspected positions set by the special scenery position candidate setting means, from each of the inspected sceneries;

visibility angle area calculating means for calculating a plurality of visibility angle areas of the visibility fields extracted by the visibility field extracting means, each of the visibility angle areas at the inspected positions being defined as a product of a horizontal visibility angle in a horizontal direction and a perpendicular visibility angle in a perpendicular direction;

special scenery position selecting means for selecting a particular inspected position corresponding to a maximum visibility angle area among the visibility angle areas calculated by the visibility angle area calculating means as the special scenery position from among the inspected positions; and

special scenery position display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery viewed from the special scenery position selected by the special scenery position selecting means.

19. A scenery displaying system according to claim 18 in which the special scenery position candidate setting means comprises

a particular road receiving unit for receiving a particular road;

and

candidate setting unit for setting a plurality of inspected positions placed at predetermined intervals on the particular road received by the particular road receiving unit as the candidates for the special scenery position.

20. A scenery displaying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

special scenery position candidate setting means for setting a plurality of candidates for a special scenery position as a plurality of inspected positions, a plurality of inspected sceneries from the inspected positions being prepared by the scenery preparing means;

visibility field extracting means for extracting a visibility field, which is defined as a natural formation directly viewed from each of the inspected positions set by the special scenery position candidate setting means, from each of the inspected sceneries;

visibility angle area calculating means for calculating a plurality of visibility angle areas of the visibility fields extracted by the visibility field extracting means and dividing each of the visibility angle areas into a plurality of unit visibility angle areas, each of the visibility angle areas at the inspected positions being defined as a product of a horizontal visibility angle in a horizontal direction and a perpendicular visibility angle in a perpendicular direction;

unobstructed view distance calculating means for calculating an unobstructed view distance for one unit visibility angle area between one inspected position corresponding to the unit visibility angle area and a portion of one visibility field corresponding to the unit visibility angle area according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means for each of the unit visibility angle areas obtained by the visibility angle area calculating means;

average unobstructed view distance calculating means for calculating an average of the unobstructed view distances calculated by the unobstructed view distance calculating means and corresponding to one visibility angle area for each of the visibility angle areas;

special scenery position selecting means for selecting one inspected position corresponding to a maximum average among the averages calculated by the average unobstructed view distance calculating means as the special scenery position from among the inspected positions; and

special scenery position display control means for controlling the preparation of the scenery performed by the scenery preparing means to display the scenery viewed from the special scenery position selected by the special scenery position selecting means.

21. A scenery displaying system according to claim 20 in which the special scenery position candidate setting means comprises

a particular road receiving unit for receiving a particular road;

and

candidate setting unit for setting a plurality of inspected positions placed at predetermined intervals on the particular road received by the particular road receiving unit as the candidates for the special scenery position.

22. A scenery displaying system, comprising:

first position receiving means for receiving a first position;

scenery information storing means for storing scenery information;

scenery display control means for controlling display of a scenery viewed from the first position received by the first position receiving means according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means; and

scenery displaying means for displaying the scenery under control of the scenery display control means, the scenery display control means comprising

natural formation adding means for adding one or more contours of natural formations to the scenery;

artificial structure adding means for adding one or more contours of artificial structures to the scenery; and

name adding means for adding one or more names of the natural formations, the artificial structures and administrative regions to the scenery, the scenery in which the contours of the natural formations added by the natural formation adding means, the contours of the artificial structures added by the artificial structure adding means and the names added by the name adding means are indicated being displayed by the scenery displaying means.

23. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22 in which the scenery display control means further comprises

starry sky adding means for adding a starry sky to the scenery displayed by the scenery displaying means;

and

earth orbital locus adding means for adding an earth orbital locus of the sun to the scenery displayed by the scenery displaying means and adding a sunrise or sunset time and a position of the sunrise or sunset to the scenery displayed by the scenery displaying means.

24. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22 in which the scenery display control means further comprises

area type receiving means for receiving a type of area;

scenery estimation standard determining means for determining a standard of a scenery estimation according to the type of area received by the area type receiving means;

candidate setting means for setting a plurality of candidates for a special scenery position or setting a plurality of candidates for a special scenery position placed on a particular road as a plurality of inspected positions, a plurality of inspected sceneries viewed from the inspected positions being prepared by the natural formation adding means, the artificial structure adding means and the name adding means;

scenery estimation area extracting means for extracting a scenery estimation area for each of the sceneries viewed from the inspected positions set by the candidate setting means according to the standard of the scenery estimation determined by the scenery estimation standard determining means;

scenery estimation value calculating means for calculating a scenery estimation value for each of the sceneries viewed from the inspected positions set by the candidate setting means according to the standard of the scenery estimation determined by the scenery estimation standard determining means and the scenery estimation areas extracted by the scenery estimation area extracting means;

special scenery position selecting means for selecting one inspected position corresponding to a particular scenery estimation value having a maximum value among the scenery estimation values calculated by the scenery estimation value calculating means as the special scenery position from among the inspected positions set by the candidate setting means; and

special scenery position designating means for designating the special scenery position selected by the special scenery position selecting means in the scenery displayed by the scenery displaying means.

25. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22 in which the scenery display control means further comprises

second position receiving means for receiving a second position;

distance and angle calculating means for calculating a distance between the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means, calculating a particular relative horizontal angle from the first position to the second position and calculating a particular elevation angle of the second position; and

position and distance adding means for adding the second position placed at the particular relative horizontal angle and the particular elevation angle calculated by the distance and angle calculating means and the distance calculated by the distance and angle calculating means to the scenery.

26. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22 in which the scenery display control means further comprises

second position receiving means for receiving a second position

cutting plane preparing means for preparing a perpendicular cutting plane taken along the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means according to the scenery information stored in the scenery information storing means;

propagation locus calculating means for calculating a propagation locus of an electric wave which is transmitted between the first position received by the first position receiving means and the second position received by the second position receiving means and is curved at a diffraction point, a straight length between the first and second positions and a propagation length of the propagation locus; and

propagation locus adding means for adding the propagation locus of the electric wave, the straight length and the propagation length calculated by the propagation locus calculating means to the scenery.

27. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a beam antenna;

beam antenna actuating means for moving the beam antenna under control of the scenery display control means; and

beam antenna direction and elevation angle detecting means for detecting a compass direction and an elevation angle of the beam antenna moved by the beam antenna actuating means, and

the scenery display control means further comprising

second position receiving means for receiving a second position;

direction and elevation angle calculating means for calculating a particular relative direction of the second position from the first position and a particular relative elevation angle of the second position from the first position;

direction and elevation angle difference calculating means for calculating a measured relative direction and a measured relative elevation angle of the beam antenna from the first position according to the compass direction and the elevation angle detected by the beam antenna direction and elevation angle detecting means, calculating a relative direction difference between the particular relative direction calculated by the direction and elevation angle calculating means and the measured relative direction and calculating an elevation angle difference between the particular relative elevation angle calculated by the direction and elevation angle calculating means and the measured relative elevation angle; and

beam antenna direction control means for controlling a compass direction and an elevation angle of the beam antenna to reduce the relative direction difference and the elevation angle difference calculated by the direction and elevation angle difference calculating means to zero together.

28. A scenery displaying system according to claim 22, further comprising:

a beam antenna for receiving an electric wave;

beam antenna actuating means for moving the beam antenna under control of the scenery display control means;

beam antenna direction and elevation angle detecting means for detecting a compass direction and an elevation angle of the beam antenna moved by the beam antenna actuating means; and

receiving level measuring means for measuring a receiving level of the electric wave received by the beam antenna, and the scenery display control means further comprising

second position receiving means for receiving a second position;

direction and elevation angle calculating means for calculating a relative direction of the second position from the first position and a relative elevation angle of the second position from the first position;

scanning signal generating means for generating a scanning signal to scan the beam antenna around the relative direction and the relative elevation angle calculated by the direction and elevation angle calculating means;

receiving level storing means for storing the receiving level of the electric wave measured by the receiving level measuring means on every scanning unit time during the scanning of the beam antenna performed according to the scanning signal generated by the scanning signal generating means; and

directivity pattern adding means for adding a directivity pattern of the beam antenna indicated by a pattern of the receiving levels stored in the receiving level storing means to the scenery.