Method and system for assisting navigation using rendered terrain imagery

• US 5,995,903 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taranis IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Visual Navigation Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Kurt, Smith, Eric L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/745,827
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/8, 701/9, 701/208, 701/211, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215, 342/64, 342/65, 342/357, 342/457, 342/357.03, 342/357.06, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/36 Simulation of night or reduced visibility flight

Abstract

A digital computer system for displaying a computer generated terrain representing a 3-dimensional depiction of the real world terrain surrounding a vehicle in real-time while the vehicle is in motion. This 3-D (3-Dimensional) image is rendered in real time while the vehicle is in motion and uses Global Positioning System (GPS) or differential GPS (dGPS) data available from a GPS unit and translates that data into virtual space within an Image Generation Processing block of the digital computer system. The digital computer system generates a virtual world 3-D image representing the eye-point position of the vehicle and directional vector into a terrain database. Using the latitude, longitude, and altitude supplied from the GPS unit as the eye point position into a virtual world using a terrain database, the Image Generation Processing block has a render engine capable of rendering a depiction of the terrain outside of the vehicle, as would be seen in high visibility conditions, regardless of weather, lighting and atmospheric conditions.

Claims

1. A digital computer system that correlates positional input data for generating a 3-D virtual image, representational of a localized terrain over which a vehicle is traveling, comprising:

a positional information unit which receives the positional input data provided by a satellite-based positioning system;

a terrain database unit, containing data of the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling; and

a location calculation unit which receives the positional input data from the positional information unit and generates a most recent spatial location of the vehicle in the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling;

an image generation processing unit having a render engine which receives data from the positional information unit and the terrain database unit and which generates the 3-D virtual image representational of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling, wherein the image generation processing unit generates the 3-D virtual image by referencing the most recent spatial location of the vehicle in the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling in order to compute a heading, a pitch, and a directional vector of a current position of the vehicle, wherein the most recent spatial location of the vehicle is generated by the location calculation unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heading and the pitch of the current position of the vehicle are computed through the use of a lookup table.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a radar information unit that provides radar data to the image generation processing unit, wherein the image generation processing unit incorporates the radar data from the radar information unit with data from the terrain database unit and the positional information unit to generate the 3-D virtual image representative of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the radar information unit is a weather radar system and the radar data is representative of weather conditions.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the radar information unit is a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and the radar data is representative of vehicular traffic.

6. A digital computer system that correlates positional input data for generating a 3-D virtual image, representational of a localized terrain over which a vehicle is traveling, comprising:

a positional information unit which receives the positional input data provided by a satellite-based positioning system;

a terrain database unit, containing data of the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling; and

an image generation processing unit having a render engine which receives data from the positional information unit and the terrain database unit and which generates the 3-D virtual image representational of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling, wherein the image generation processing unit generates the 3-D virtual image by referencing a most recent spatial location of the vehicle in the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling in order to compute a heading and a pitch of a current position of the vehicle, wherein the most recent spatial location of the vehicle is generated by a location calculation unit which receives the positional input data from the positional information unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the heading and the pitch of the current position of the vehicle are computed through the use of a lookup table.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the system further comprises:

a radar information unit that provides radar data to the image generation processing unit, wherein the image generation processing unit incorporates the radar data from the radar information unit with data from the terrain database unit and the positional information unit to generate the 3-D virtual image representative of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the radar information unit is a weather radar system and the radar data is representative of weather conditions.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the radar information unit is a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and the radar data is representative of vehicular traffic.

11. method for generating a 3-D virtual image representational of a localized terrain over which a vehicle is traveling, comprising the steps of:

receiving positional input data provided by a satellite-based positioning system which provides latitude data, longitude data, altitude data, and time data to define a spatial location representative of an eye point position seen by an operator of the vehicle in the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling;

deriving an initial positional reading of the vehicle at time T1 from a sampled GPS data, wherein the initial positional reading at time T1 is represented as A =(X₁, Y₁, Z₁, T₁) where X₁ is representative of latitude at time T₁, Y₁ is representative of longitude at time T₁, and Z₁ is representative of altitude at time T_1;

deriving a subsequent positional reading of the vehicle at time T2 from the sampled GPS data, wherein the subsequent positional reading at time T2 is represented as B=(X₂, Y₂, Z₂, T₂) where X₂ is representative of latitude at time T2, Y₂ is representative of longitude at time T2, and Z₂ is representative of altitude at time T₂ ;

calculating a directional vector of the vehicle defined as the vector AB;

calculating the velocity of the vehicle according to the equation;

##EQU4## generating a computer image representative of the eye point position seen by the operator of the vehicle and the directional vector of the vehicle, wherein the computer image is generated by a render engine of an image generation processing unit; and

overlaying the computer image representing the eye point position and the directional vector of the vehicle onto a simulated image of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling to generate a 3-D virtual image.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the further step of:

displaying the 3-D virtual image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the sampled global positioning satellite (GPS) data is differential global positioning satellite data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of overlaying the computer image representing the eye point position and the directional vector of the vehicle onto the simulated image to generate the 3-D virtual image is accomplished by an image generation processing block of a digital computer system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving positional input data is accomplished by periodically sampling global positioning satellite (GPS) data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the GPS data is preferably sampled as often as possible.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the GPS data is sampled at least every 1/2 second.

18. A digital computer system that correlates differential positional input data for generating a 3-D virtual image, representational of a localized terrain over which a vehicle is traveling, comprising:

a positional information unit which receives the differential positional input data provided by a satellite-based positioning system, wherein the differential positional input data is a differential GPS data provided from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) unit;

a terrain database unit, containing data of the localized terrain over which the vehicle is traveling;

an image generation processing unit having a render engine which receives differential data from the positional information unit and the terrain database unit and which generates the 3-D virtual image representational of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling; and

a radar information unit that provides radar data to the image generation processing unit, wherein the image generation processing unit incorporates the radar data from the radar information unit with data from the terrain database unit and the positional information unit to generate the 3-D virtual image representative of the terrain over which the vehicle is traveling.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the radar information unit is a weather radar system and the radar data is representative of weather conditions.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the radar information unit is a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and the radar data is representative of vehicular traffic.