Digital visual and sensor simulation system for generating realistic scenes
US5317689A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 10, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 31, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 10, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG09B9/301
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system using a ray-tracing algorithm and a hierarchy of volume elements (called voxels) to process only the visible surfaces in a field of view. In this arrangement, a dense, three-dimensional voxel data base is developed from the objects, their shadows and other features recorded, for example, in two-dimensional aerial photography. The rays are grouped into subimages and the subimages are executed as parallel tasks on a multiple instruction stream and multiple data stream computer (MIMD). The use of a three-dimensional voxel data base formed by combining three-dimensional digital terrain elevation data with two-dimensional plan view and oblique view aerial photography permits the development of a realistic and cost-effective data base. Hidden surfaces are not processed. By processing only visible surfaces, displays can now be produced depicting the nap-of-the-earth as seen in low flight of aircraft or as viewed from ground vehicles. The approach employed here is a highly-parallel data processing system solution to the nap-of-the-earth flight simulation through a high level of detail data base. The components of the system are the display algorithm and data structure, the softwar…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.