Remote landscape display and pilot training

• US 6,496,189 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Skyline Software Systems Incorporated (Aecom Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Skyline Software Systems Incorporated (Aecom Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yaron, Ronnie, Shor, Ofer
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sealey, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US09/258,663
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/582, 345/428, 342/36, 342/44, 342/357.01, 342/456, 701/207
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer. The data blocks belong to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels. The method includes receiving from the renderer one or more coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level, providing the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more coordinates, from a local memory, and downloading from a remote server one or more additional data blocks which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level.

Claims

1. A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

receiving from the renderer one or more coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level;

providing the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more coordinates, from a local memory;

downloading from a remote server one or more additional data blocks at a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first block which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein downloading the one or more additional data blocks comprises downloading the blocks from a succession of resolution levels, from the level immediately higher than the resolution level of the first block up to the maximal existent resolution level on the server not above the indicated resolution level.

3. A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

receiving from the renderer a plurality of coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level;

said plurality of coordinates being included in a plurality of respective distinct blocks;

providing the renderer with first data block which includes data corresponding to at least some of the plurality of coordinates from a local memory;

downloading from a remote server one or more additional blocks which include data corresponding to a plurality of respective distinct blocks if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level, wherein blocks of lower resolution levels are downloaded before blocks of higher resolution levels.

4. A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

receiving from the renderer a plurality of coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level;

said plurality of coordinates being included in a plurality of respective distinct blocks;

providing the renderer with first data block which includes data corresponding to at least some of the plurality of coordinates from a local memory;

downloading from a remote server one or more additional blocks which include data corresponding to a plurality of respective distinct blocks if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level, wherein of lower resolution levels are downloaded before blocks of higher resolution levels and the block for which the coordinates were provided last among blocks at a common resolution level is downloaded first.

5. A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

receiving from the renderer a plurality of coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level;

said plurality of coordinates being included in a plurality of respective distinct blocks;

providing the renderer with first data block which includes data corresponding to at least some of the plurality of coordinates from a local memory;

downloading from a remote server one or more additional blocks which include data corresponding to a plurality of respective distinct blocks if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level, wherein the blocks are downloaded according to the order in which the coordinates were provided.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein downloading the blocks comprises downloading first the block for which the coordinates were provided last.

7. A method of providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a renderer, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the method comprising:

receiving from the renderer one or more coordinates in the terrain along with indication of a respective resolution level;

providing the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more coordinates, from a local memory;

downloading from a remoter server one or more additional data blocks which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the provided block from the local memory is not at the indicated resolution level; and

downloading from a remote server excess blocks not currently needed by the renderer to fill up the local memory when not downloading blocks required by the renderer.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein downloading the data blocks comprised downloading the blocks via the Internet.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the renderer renders a view from a current viewpoint, and wherein downloading the excess blocks comprises filling the local memory with substantially all of the blocks surrounding a point in the terrain seen from the current viewpoint within a predetermined distance range.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein downloading excess blocks comprises filling the local memory with substantially the same number of blocks from each different resolution level.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein filling the local memory comprises filling the memory with substantially all the blocks within the range from a lower resolution level before downloading blocks of higher resolution levels.

23. The method of claim 7, wherein the coordinates relate to the coordinates of a predetermined course of a flight vehicle.

12. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, and downloads over the communication link one or more data blocks of a resolution level higher than the resolution level of the first block which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level.

13. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, and downloads over the communication link blocks from the resolution level of the first block up to a maximal resolution level of blocks stored on the server that is not above the indicated resolution level which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level.

14. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, and downloads over the communication link blocks of lower resolution levels before blocks of higher resolution levels which include data corresponding to the one or coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level.

15. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, and downloads over the communication link blocks which include data corresponding to the one or coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level, wherein the processor downloads blocks of lower resolution levels before blocks of higher resolution levels and the block for which the coordinates were provided last among blocks from a common resolution level is downloaded first.

16. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, and downloads over the communication link one or more additional blocks according to the order in which the coordinates were provided which include data corresponding to the one or more coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the processor downloads in first precedence the block for which the coordinates were provided last.

18. Apparatus for providing data blocks describing three-dimensional terrain to a render, the data blocks belonging to a hierarchical structure which includes blocks at a plurality of different resolution levels, the apparatus comprising:

a local memory which stores data blocks corresponding to coordinates proximal to a current viewpoint of the renderer;

a communication link, through which the memory receives the data blocks from a remote server;

a processor which receives one or more specified coordinates along with indication of a respective resolution level from a renderer, provides the renderer with a first data block which includes data corresponding to the one or more specified coordinates from a local memory, downloads over the communication link blocks which include data corresponding to the one or coordinates if the first block is not from the indicated level; and

downloads excess blocks not currently needed by the renderer to fill up the local memory when the processor is not downloading blocks required by the renderer.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the renderer renders a view from a current viewpoint and the processor fills the local memory with substantially all the blocks surrounding a point in the terrain seen from the current viewpoint in a predetermined range.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processor fills the local memory with substantially the same number of blocks from each resolution level.

21. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processor fills the local memory with substantially all the blocks from a lower level before downloading blocks of higher resolution levels.

22. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the communication link comprises a connection to the internet.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said data blocks relate to a course of a flight vehicle.