Real-time multi-sensor synthetic environment created from a feature and terrain database using interacting and updatable abstract models

• US 6,128,019 A
• Filed: 04/01/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Elevate Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deyo, Roderic C., Olszanskyj, Serge J., Crocker, John A. F. III, Isaacson, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/053,835
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/419, 345/420, 345/421, 345/422, 345/423, 345/424, 345/425
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

A method for creating a large-scale synthetic environment simulation which can be used in real-time. The method enables real-time viewing, control and interaction of automatically generated, abstract feature models and terrain surface models having multiple levels of detail, while providing correlated multi-sensor viewing and interaction of objects.

Claims

1. A method for generating abstract models from vector features and elevation data wherein a single source of information can be manipulated to thereby generate a plurality of different abstract models, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) providing at least one set of two-dimensional (2D) vector feature source information;

(2) selecting from a plurality of different fundamental model types a desired feature model which is to be generated from the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information;

(3) processing the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information to thereby generate the desired feature model;

(4) providing at least one set of elevation data;

(5) selecting from a plurality of different terrain surface models a desired terrain surface model which is to be generated from the at least one set of elevation data; and

(6) processing the at least one set of elevation data to thereby generate the desired terrain surface model.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of selecting the desired feature model further comprises the step of selecting a desired feature model which contains a plurality of sub-models.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

(1) localizing the desired feature model by segmenting the desired feature model to obtain a feature set of regions of interest;

(2) localizing the desired terrain surface model by segmenting the desired terrain surface model to obtain a terrain set of regions of interest; and

(3) merging at least a portion of the feature set of regions of interest with at least a corresponding portion of the terrain set of regions of interest to thereby obtain at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the step of obtaining at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain further comprises the step of determining feature set and terrain set interaction.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the step of determining feature set and terrain set interaction further comprises the step of determining feature set and terrain set interaction at multiple levels of detail.

6. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the steps of localizing the desired feature model and the desired terrain surface model to thereby generate the feature and terrain set of regions of interest further comprises the step of localizing by creating a plurality of grids until reaching a desired level of grid division.

7. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises the step of enabling feature-feature interaction after at least two desired feature models are generated, wherein each set of 2D vector features defines attributes sufficient to enable feature models to inherently determine a result of feature-feature interaction.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the method further comprises including sufficient feature information in the at least two desired feature models such that feature-feature interaction can occur without providing a set of external interaction rules for determining results of interaction between the at least two desired feature models.

9. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the step of enabling feature-feature interaction is caused to occur in accordance with defined behaviors in accordance with geometry and topology attributes of the different terrain surface models.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of selecting from the plurality of different terrain surface models the desired terrain surface model further comprises the step of treating the plurality of different terrain surface models as subsets of the plurality of different fundamental model types.

11. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the step of obtaining the at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain is accomplished at a last stage in database creation, thereby maximizing independence of the desired feature model by avoiding reconciliation with the desired terrain surface model until the last stage.

12. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the method of generating the desired feature model further comprises the steps of:

(1) selecting from the plurality of different fundamental model types a different desired feature model which is to be generated from the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information;

(2) processing the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information to generate the different desired feature model; and

(3) repeating steps (1) and (2) to thereby generate any desired number or type of desired feature model from the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information without having to process any feature model completely.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of enabling feature-feature interaction further comprises the step of enabling feature-feature interaction regardless of the types of feature models which are being caused to interact.

14. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises the step of enabling terrain-terrain interaction at any step in the method, wherein a plurality of terrain surface models are able to define how interaction will occur in accordance with attributes possessed by each of the plurality of terrain surface models.

15. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises the step of enabling terrain-terrain interaction after at least two desired terrain models are generated, wherein each set of elevation data defines attributes sufficient to enable terrain models to inherently determine a result of terrain-terrain interaction.

16. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the step of obtaining the at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain is accomplished at a last stage in database creation, thereby maximizing independence of the desired terrain surface model by avoiding reconciliation with the desired feature model until the last stage.

17. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method of generating the desired terrain surface model further comprises the steps of:

(1) selecting from the plurality of different terrain surface model types a different desired terrain surface model which is to be generated from the at least one set of elevation data;

(2) processing the at least one set of elevation data to generate the different desired terrain surface model; and

(3) repeating steps (1) and (2) to thereby generate any desired number or type of desired terrain model from the at least one set of elevation data without having to process any terrain surface model completely.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 wherein the step of enabling terrain-terrain interaction further comprises the step of enabling terrain-terrain interaction regardless of the types of terrain surface models which are being caused to interact.

19. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

(1) determining that at least one more different feature model is required in a new database after obtaining the at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain;

(2) selecting from the plurality of different fundamental model types the at least one more different feature model which is to be generated from the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information;

(3) processing the at least one set of 2D vector feature source information to thereby generate the at least one more different feature model;

(4) localizing the at least one more different feature model by segmenting the at least one more different feature model to the feature set of regions of interest; and

(5) merging at least a portion of the feature set of regions of interest with at least a corresponding portion of the terrain set of regions of interest to thereby obtain the new database which is at least a partially reconciled database of features and corresponding terrain which contains the at least one more different feature model.

20. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein the step of using defined behaviors further comprises the step of creating a plurality of parametric feature models, wherein a choice of which parametric feature models to apply in feature-feature interaction is determined by what particular data from the 2D vector feature source information was used to create the different fundamental model types which are interacting.

21. A method for generating abstract models from vector features and elevation data, wherein the abstract models are able to negotiate interaction in accordance with rules of interaction which are based upon previously defined behaviors, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) creating a plurality of feature models, wherein each of the plurality of feature models has associated therewith the previously defined behavior for a particular type of feature model;

(2) creating a plurality of terrain surface models, wherein each of the plurality of terrain surface models has associated therewith the previously defined behavior for a particular type of terrain surface model;

(3) causing the plurality of feature models to determine which interact with each other, and negotiating interaction in accordance with the previously defined behavior;

(4) causing the plurality of terrain surface models to determine which interact with each other, and negotiating interaction in accordance with the previously defined behavior; and

(5) reconciling the plurality of feature models and the plurality of terrain surface models by causing them to determine which interact with each other, negotiating interaction in accordance with the previously defined behavior, and thereby generating a database of features and terrain.

22. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of localizing the plurality of feature models and the plurality of terrain surface models before causing interaction therebetween.

23. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

(1) determining that at least one more different feature model is required in the features and terrain database;

(2) generating the at least one more different feature model;

(3) localizing the at least one more different feature model; and

(4) merging the at least one more different feature model with the plurality of feature models and the plurality of terrain surface models to thereby modify the features and terrain database to include the at least one more different feature model.

24. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of rendering the database of features and terrain in accordance with a selectable level of detail, wherein the database of features and terrain provides level of detail information for all selectable levels thereof.

25. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of defining behavior in terms of geometry, attributes and topology of the features models.

26. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein the method further comprises the step of generating a parametric feature model which includes attributes which determine behavior of the plurality of terrain surface models.

27. The method as defined in claim 26 wherein the step of selecting the parametric feature model for a terrain surface model further comprises the step of first classifying the vector feature which then determines which type of parametric feature model is to be applied.

28. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of maintaining a back reference between each of the plurality of vector features and the database of features and terrain such that each of the plurality of vector features can be modified without having to regenerate the database of features and terrain.

29. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of maintaining a back reference between each of the plurality of terrain surface models and the database of features and terrain such that each of the plurality of terrain surface models can be modified without having to regenerate the database of features and terrain.

30. The method as defined in claim 22 wherein the method further comprises the step of providing a method for incrementally updating any selected portion of the localized plurality of terrain surface models to thereby enable any single localized area to be included in the database of features and terrain.

31. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein the method further comprises the step of providing the database of features and terrain, wherein said database does not require that all of the localized terrain surface models be included in the database for the database to be functional.

32. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein the method further comprises the step of utilizing time stamping of the plurality of feature models and of the plurality of terrain surface models to enable the incremental updating of the database of features and terrain.

33. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of providing a bi-directional connection between the database of features and terrain and each of the plurality of vector features so that if one of the plurality of vector features requires modification, it is possible to return to any step in a process of generating the plurality of feature models and making a modification thereto.

34. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of automating the generation of the database of features and terrain such that said database can be generated without intervention by a user regarding feature-feature interaction, terrain-terrain interaction, or localization.

35. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein the method further comprises the step of achieving correlation, wherein a set of the plurality of feature models all based on a same feature are all coordinated because of full attribution of the plurality of feature models.