Global visualization process (GVP) and system for implementing a GVP

• US 7,239,311 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture, The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of The Navy Chief of Naval Research
• Original Assignee: Department of Health and Human Services (State of Victoria)
• Inventors: Gatewood, Walter P. Jr., Allport, Christopher S., Hamilton, Joseph A., Erchak, Wayne, Jackson, Donald, Dunn, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, RYAN R
• Application Number:
  US10/255,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/36 Level of detail

Abstract

A system and process that incorporates hardware and software as elements to be combined with procedures and processes to obtain, format, store, combine, control, display, record, and visualize dynamic scenarios by interacting with accurate, realistic models and actual events within, on, and above a three-dimensional surface to be observed or modeled. One application provides a user-manipulated large-scale dynamic display of systems testing in a real world environment for real time visualization by test personnel. The Global Visualization Process (GVP) system is an integrated software solution for high-performance visualization. GVP software and process is capable of displaying extremely high resolution terrain models and imagery in real time over the entire surface of the planet, as well as a large number of moving entities and their associated graphical models. The system can display imagery at 2 cm/pixel, and infinitely detailed terrain in real time over the whole surface of a planet. All displayed data is referenced to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS-84) ellipsoid for true round-earth effects, and can be rendered in correct asymmetric stereo. These features, combined with a network application progamming interface (API), make GVP suitable for flight simulation out-the-window displays, command and control scenarios, and mission review or rehearsal.

Claims

1. A process for dynamic human visualization of events occurring within a volume having varying spatial and temporal gradients, said process providing readily adjustable scale and resolution, and initiating activities internal thereto, the process comprising:

acquiring data, wherein said data represents imagery, geometric and time relationships to be used for generating motion paths, stored maps, location, and activity;

integrating said data, wherein said integrating said data uses full external network connectivity, wherein said data is acquired from simulations, actual events or other sources, and wherein said data includes multi-source satellite and aerial imagery available in various wavelengths and formats;

developing at least one database, having a software architecture from which at least one model is generated;

generating at least one display containing at least one depiction from said at least one model and said data, wherein said depiction is displayed in real time;

controlling said at least one display;

enabling accurate and rapid visualization of an area via orienting position based on a geographical coordinate system to at least one eyepoint, wherein, said geographical coordinate system is fully compatible with navigation systems, wherein included within said area are events having a range of spatial and temporal gradients, and wherein systems operating to said geographical coordinate system permit navigation systems to connect, register, and synchronize within said process, at least one model is a terrain model, wherein said terrain model contains terrain imagery and geometry data, wherein said at least one model retains the positional accuracy inherent in said data as originally acquired, wherein retention of the positional accuracy enables an accurate depiction of an object'"'"'s location and dynamic replay of events occurring within said volume, wherein said at least one model is geo-specific, geo-referenced, and universally scalable and provides an accurate depiction representative of a round world, wherein, cultural features are added to said software architecture with negligible impact on response time of said process, wherein, types and instances of mobile objects are added having appearance, location, and dynamics established by external sources, and wherein, said software architecture and said process enable multiple scenarios to be modeled or displayed while maintaining fast update rates; and

,

employing database software to convert data files from said at least one model into database products, wherein, said data files consist of a portion of said terrain imagery and a portion of said geometry data contained in said terrain model, wherein, said terrain imagery combined with said geometry data incorporating terrain elevation is generated from more than one source in at least one pre-selected degree of resolution, wherein, said database products are terrain models, fixed and mobile object models, weather or visibility effects, or map materials with multiple layers of information, wherein, cultural features are added to said software architecture with negligible impact on response time of said process, wherein, many types and instances of mobile objects are added, said instances having appearance, location, and dynamics established by external sources, and wherein, said software architecture and said process enables multiple scenarios to be modeled or displayed while maintaining update rates that facilitate real time display.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

interfacing to outside events;

defining objects and events to be displayed using said model; and

providing two-way communications with external events;

wherein said interfacing is accomplished via a Master Object Manager module having software architecture, wherein said Master Object Manager collects communication and control processes, wherein said Master Object Manager can interact with standards-based process selected from the group consisting of;

distributed interactive simulation (DIS), DoD systems under High Level Architecture (HLA), Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operating Environment (DII-COE) formats for the Global Command and Control System (GCCS), and commercial computer network communications protocols, wherein, said software architecture of said Master Object Manager achieves update rates facilitating real time viewing on said display and permitting a user'"'"'s areas of interest to the embedded at a pre-selected resolution, and wherein, said data is in a format selected from the group consisting of;

DII-COE messages in GCCS-M, Combat Command and Control System, IILA, DIS, military LINK, and air traffic control radar or any combination thereof.

3. The process of claim 2 employing at least one specialized file structure in CTL World software architecture, world geometry, and at least one specialized operation to organize said data, wherein said world geometry is provided by CTL World software'"'"'s display generation process, wherein, said CTL World software incorporates flexible user interface provisions, various input device drivers for position and motion control, and broadly functional application programmer interface (API) features, and wherein, said CTL World display software is written for, and adapts itself to, multi-processor CPUs, multi-channel video outputs, and multi-pipe computer systems.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said at least one database is populated with clip texture files, said clip texture files stored separately from said geometry files, wherein said separate storing until run lime of said clip texture files and said geometry files eliminates at least some computation prior to window content selection for said at least one display.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein said geometry files are used to generate triangulated irregular network (TIN) files, wherein said TEN files are polygons assembled to approximate the surface shape of terrain.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein said clip texture files and said TIN files have an associated data density that indicates the degree of precision in representing actual terrain, wherein said clip texture files and said geometry files are retained and processed separately until combined immediately prior to said generating said at least one display.

7. The process of claim 4 further comprising applying dual quad tree architecture to said clip texture files and said terrain geometry files,

wherein management of both position and resolution variations within said clip texture files and said terrain geometry files facilitates the population of at least one worldwide database,

wherein resolution of said display can be adjusted for varying eyepoints, a first adjustment possibly defining a first level of a plurality of levels within said quad tree architecture,

wherein each succeeding level of said plurality of levels may consist of four sub-sectors each depicting a quarter of the area of said depiction of an immediately preceding level but containing the same amount of image data as said depiction of the immediately preceding level, thus providing higher resolution than any of said preceding levels, and

wherein moving through said plurality of levels, in either direction, provides a resolution required by a user.

8. The process of claim 7 in which said dual quad architecture is expandable, wherein said dual quad architecture consists of 32 levels that can hold and operate anywhere on the earth'"'"'s surface with a resolution of two centimeters.

9. The process of claim 3 wherein said Master Object Manager assembles and tracks locations, orientation, types, activities and depiction-relevant factors for objects, wherein said Master Object Manager refines an object list for said display by incorporating various sorting, filtering mid aggregation algorithms, wherein some aspects of selection for visibility and said display'"'"'s level of detail required are conducted within said Master Object Manager to reduce computational demands in said CTL World display generator, thereby conserving memory resources for graphics processes while ordering data traffic between graphics processing and external systems, and wherein said Master Object Manager may feed multiple copies of said CTL World to match various extended visualization generation demands.