Distributed object-oriented geospatial information distribution system and method thereof

• US 6,985,929 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Ladner, Roy, Shaw, Kevin, Cobb, Maria, Wilson, Ruth, Chung, Miyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANIWANG, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US09/653,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/245, 709/203, 707/10, 701/208
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A distributed object-oriented geospatial database system and method thereof over the Internet using Web-based technology to perform data-driven queries, such as retrieving, viewing and updating, geospatial data of the object oriented geospatial database, such as vector, raster, hypertext and multimedia data, including data types or formats of ESRI shape files, GSF, oceanographic ASCII text data by NAVOCEANO and geospatial data with temporal information and supporting 3D display of the geospatial data. The object-oriented geospatial database system is implemented in a heterogeneous object-oriented development and integration environment through the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA).

Claims

1. A method of building and maintaining an object-oriented spatial database of worldwide geospatial data from at least two or more data formats, the method comprising:

instantiating objects of the object-oriented database, using at least two of Vector Product Format (VPF), Raster Product Format (RPF), Text Product Standard (TPS), Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI) shape, Generic Sensor Format (GSF), Naval Oceanographic Office text (NAVOCEANO), and temporal information databases;

initializing spatial and non-spatial feature data of the object-oriented database;

spatially indexing data among objects from the at least two VPF, RPF, TPS, ESRI, GSF, NAVOCEANO and temporal information databases into the single, object-oriented spatial database;

receiving from a client computer in the database network an area of interest from a visual image, representing active data objects, displayed on a computer on the network;

identifying to the client computer data available for the area of interest;

responsive to a request for the data, querying over the network data objects in at least one database associated with the area of interest;

receiving from at least one remote computer over the network data objects in the at least one database associated with the area of interest and creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data using object models;

transmitting a web-based applet to the client computer for viewing the data objects overlaid on a map display; and

converting two dimensional data objects to three dimensional data objects and displaying the converted three dimensional data objects,

wherein a three dimensional image is generated using digital terrain elevation data from an object oriented database on a remote computer and two dimensional feature data stored on a server and retrieved by the applet.

2. A method of distributing in real-time geospatial data over a object oriented spatial database network connecting together computers, the method comprising:

receiving from a client computer in the database network an area of interest from a visual image, representing active data objects, displayed on a computer on the network;

identifying data available for the area of interest;

responsive to a request for the data, querying over the network data objects in at least one database associated with the area of interest;

receiving from at least one remote computer over the network data objects in the database associated with the area of interest and creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data using object models;

transmitting a web-based applet to the client computer for viewing the data objects overlaid on a map display; and

converting two dimensional data objects to three dimensional data objects using gridded, triangulated irregular network, and vector data and displaying the converted three dimensional data objects.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the geospatial data includes temporal information.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data objects are displayed in three dimensions.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the querying is performed using an interface system conforming to Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

6. The method of distributing in real-time geospatial data over a network according to claim 2, wherein the querying includes receiving database, library, theme and features as data objects.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said applet allows a user at the client computer to view the data objects overlaid on the map display without downloading the database from the remote computer.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data associated with the area of interest responsive to receiving the area of interest.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing the object-oriented database on a storage unit connected to the network without downloading the database to the client computer.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

an object request broker interfacing between the applet and a server, the applet executing on the client computer.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the object oriented databases includes data from environmental sensors.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the object oriented databases includes temporal weather information.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein said area of interest is selected by a user at the client computer from a world map display.

14. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

designing object models for the geospatial data including two or more disparate data formats; and

storing the object-oriented database on a storage unit connected to the network.

15. The method according to claim 2, further comprising, responsive to a request from the client computer:

locating a nearest city to the area of interest and opening a web page with the local weather forecast for the nearest city.

16. A method of distributing in real-time geospatial data over a object oriented spatial database network connecting together computers, the method comprising:

receiving from a client computer in the database network an area of interest from a visual image, representing active data objects, displayed on a computer on the network;

identifying data available for the area of interest;

responsive to a request for the data, querying over the network data objects in at least one database associated with the area of interest;

receiving from at least one remote computer over the network data objects in the database associated with the area of interest and creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data using object models;

transmitting a web-based applet to the client computer for viewing the data objects overlaid on a map display; and

converting two dimensional data objects to three dimensional data objects and displaying the converted three dimensional data objects,

wherein a three dimensional image is generated using digital terrain elevation data from an object oriented database on a remote computer and two dimensional feature data stored on a server and retrieved by the applet.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the geospatial data includes temporal information.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the data objects are displayed in three dimensions.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the querying is performed using an interface system conforming to Common Object Request Broker Architecture.

20. The method of distributing in real-time geospatial data over a network according to claim 16, wherein the querying includes receiving database, library, theme and features as data objects.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein said applet allows a user at the client computer to view the data objects overlaid on the map display without downloading the database from the remote computer.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising

creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data associated with the area of interest responsive to receiving the area of interest.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising storing the object-oriented database on a storage unit connected to the network without downloading the database to the client computer.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising

an object request broker interfacing between the applet and a server, the applet executing on the client computer.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the object oriented databases includes data from environmental sensors.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the object oriented databases includes temporal weather information.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein said area of interest is selected by a user at the client computer from a world map display.

28. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

designing object models for the geospatial data including two or more disparate data formats; and

storing the object-oriented database on a storage unit connected to the network.

29. The method according to claim 16, further comprising, responsive to a request from the client computer:

locating a nearest city to the area of interest and opening a web page with the local weather forecast for the nearest city.

30. A method of building and maintaining an object-oriented spatial database of worldwide geospatial data from at least two or more data formats, the method comprising:

instantiating objects of the object-oriented database, using at least two of Vector Product Format (VPF), Raster Product Format (RPF), Text Product Standard (TPS), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) shape, Generic Sensor Format (GSF), Naval Oceanographic Office text (NAVOCEANO), and temporal information databases;

initializing spatial and non-spatial feature data of the object-oriented database;

spatially indexing data among objects from the at least two VPF, RPF, TPS, ESI, GSF, NAVOCEANO and temporal information databases into the single, object-oriented spatial database;

receiving from a client computer in the database network an area of interest from a visual image, representing active data objects, displayed on a computer on the network;

identifying to the client computer data available for the area of interest;

responsive to a request for the data, querying over the network data objects in at least one database associated with the area of interest;

receiving from at least one remote computer over the network data objects in the at least one database associated with the area of interest and creating an object-oriented database of geospatial data using object models;

converting two dimensional data objects to three dimensional data objects using gridded, triangulated irregular network, and vector data; and

transmitting a web-based applet to the client computer for viewing the data objects overlaid on a map display.