Method and system for assisting navigation using rendered terrain imagery

Claim 2

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.

Claim 3

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.

Claim 4

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.

Claim 5

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

Claim 6

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.

Claim 7

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.

Claim 8

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.

Claim 9

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.

Claim 10

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.

Claim 11

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

Claim 12

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.

Claim 13

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 =(X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 , T 1 ) where X 1 is representative of latitude at time T 1 , Y 1 is representative of longitude at time T 1 , and Z 1 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=(X 2 , Y 2 , Z 2 , T 2 ) where X 2 is representative of latitude at time T2, Y 2 is representative of longitude at time T2, and Z 2 is representative of altitude at time T 2 ; 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.

Claim 14

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 =(X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 , T 1 ) where X 1 is representative of latitude at time T 1 , Y 1 is representative of longitude at time T 1 , and Z 1 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=(X 2 , Y 2 , Z 2 , T 2 ) where X 2 is representative of latitude at time T2, Y 2 is representative of longitude at time T2, and Z 2 is representative of altitude at time T 2 ; 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.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11, comprising the further step of: displaying the 3-D virtual image.

Claim 16

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

Claim 17

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.

Claim 18

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

Claim 19

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

Claim 20

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

Claim 21

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.

Claim 22

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.

Claim 23

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

Claim 24

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.