U.S. patent application number 09/942179 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-27 for method and apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model for display during flight simulation.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Boeing Company. Invention is credited to Lechner, Robert J..
Application Number | 20030059743 09/942179 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25477680 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030059743 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lechner, Robert J. |
March 27, 2003 |
Method and apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model
for display during flight simulation
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for automatically generating
a terrain model for display during a simulated flight along a
predefined mission route. The apparatus includes a mission profiler
that automatically determines the area containing the mission route
for which the terrain source data is required and the respective
resolution of different regions within the area. The apparatus also
includes an apparatus for automatically collecting the terrain
source data including a search engine for automatically searching
electronic collections of terrain source data to identify terrain
source data covering the area containing the mission route. The
apparatus also includes an image engine for processing the terrain
source data into one or more predefined formats and a terrain
engine for automatically compiling the processed data to create a
terrain model for display during flight simulation.
Inventors: |
Lechner, Robert J.; (St.
Charles, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Assignee: |
The Boeing Company
Seattle
WA
|
Family ID: |
25477680 |
Appl. No.: |
09/942179 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
434/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B 9/085 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
434/43 |
International
Class: |
G09B 009/08; G09B
019/16 |
Claims
That which is claimed:
1. An apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model for
display during a simulated flight along a predefined mission route,
the apparatus comprising: a mission profiler for automatically
determining an area containing the mission route for which terrain
source data is required; a search engine for automatically
searching a plurality of electronic collections of terrain source
data to identify terrain source data covering the area containing
the mission route; an image engine for processing terrain source
data into one or more predefined formats; and a terrain engine for
automatically compiling the processed data to create a terrain
model for display during flight simulation.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mission profiler
comprises an input for receiving data at least partially defining a
mission route.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said mission profiler
comprises a processing element for automatically dividing the area
into a plurality of regions based upon the mission route and
determining a respective resolution of the terrain source data for
each region.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said input also
receives data defining at least one of an aircraft platform and a
simulator platform, and wherein said processing element determines
the area and the respective resolution of regions within the area
based at least partially upon at least one of the aircraft platform
and the simulator platform.
5. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said input receives
data defining a plurality of different types of points along the
mission route, and wherein said processing element determines the
area and the respective resolution of regions within the area based
at least partially upon the different types of points along the
mission route.
6. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said processing
element is capable of determining the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area based upon predefined
criteria, and wherein said input is adapted to receive adjustments
to at least some of the predefined criteria such that said
processing element determines the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area based upon the adjusted
criteria.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a memory
device for storing the terrain source data covering the area
containing the mission route identified by the search engine to
facilitate display during flight simulation.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said memory device
stores terrain source data from prior mission routes.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said search engine
compares terrain source data obtained from an electronic collection
of terrain source data with terrain source data from prior mission
routes to determine the terrain source data that is most acceptable
for the flight simulation of the mission route.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said search engine
obtains information representative of the terrain source data that
is obtainable from the electronic collection of terrain source
data, wherein said search engine obtains the terrain source data
from the electronic collection of terrain source data that is more
acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route than
terrain source data from prior mission routes, and wherein said
memory device stores the terrain source data obtained from the
electronic collection.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said memory device
comprises: a first memory device for storing the information
representative of the terrain source data; and a second memory
device for storing the terrain source data.
12. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said image engine
automatically generates processed terrain data having one of the
predefined formats and at least one of a corrected elevation model,
a material map, vector data and a feature model.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said terrain engine
comprises a data importer for receiving the processed data for an
area containing a mission route, said data importer also receiving
project source data defining geospecific properties for the area
containing the mission route.
14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said terrain engine
further comprises a terrain compiler for automatically creating the
terrain model for display during flight simulation based upon a
combination of both the processed data and the project source
data.
15. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said data importer
receives project source data selected from the group consisting of
information related to vegetation and information related to
cultural features.
16. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said data importer
receives processed data from said image engine that is selected
from the group consisting of imagery data, elevational data,
feature data and mission route data.
17. A method for automatically generating a terrain model for
display during a simulated flight along a predefined mission route,
the method comprising: automatically determining an area containing
the mission route for which terrain source data is required;
automatically searching a plurality of electronic collections of
terrain source data to identify terrain source data covering the
area containing the mission route; processing terrain source data
into one or more predefined formats; and automatically compiling
the processed data to create a terrain model for display during
flight simulation.
18. A method according to claim 17 further comprising receiving
data at least partially defining a mission route prior to
determining the area containing the mission route.
19. A method according to claim 18 wherein determining the area
comprises automatically dividing the area into a plurality of
regions based upon the mission route and determining a respective
resolution of the terrain source data for each region.
20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising receiving
data defining at least one of an aircraft platform and a simulator
platform, and wherein determining the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area is based at least partially
upon at least one of the aircraft platform and the simulator
platform.
21. A method according to claim 19 further comprising defining a
plurality of different types of points along the mission route, and
wherein determining the area and the respective resolution of
regions within the area is based at least partially upon the
different types of points along the mission route.
22. A method according to claim 19 wherein determining the area and
the respective resolution of regions within the area is based upon
predefined criteria, and wherein the method further comprises
receiving adjustments to at least some of the predefined criteria
such that the area and the respective resolution of regions within
the area are based upon the adjusted criteria.
23. A method according to claim 17 further comprising storing the
terrain source data covering the area containing the mission route
identified by the search engine to facilitate display during flight
simulation.
24. A method according to claim 23 wherein storing the terrain
source data comprises storing terrain source data from prior
mission routes.
25. A method according to claim 24 wherein automatically searching
the electronic collections of terrain source data comprises
comparing terrain source data obtained from an electronic
collection of terrain source data with terrain source data from
prior mission routes to determine the terrain source data that is
most acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route.
26. A method according to claim 25 wherein automatically searching
the electronic collections of terrain source data further comprises
obtaining information representative of the terrain source data
that is obtainable from the electronic collection of terrain source
data and obtaining the terrain source data from the electronic
collection of terrain source data that is more acceptable for the
flight simulation of the mission route than terrain source data
from prior mission routes, and wherein storing the terrain source
data comprises storing the terrain source data obtained from the
electronic collection.
27. A method according to claim 17 wherein processing the terrain
source data comprises automatically generating processed terrain
data having one of the predefined formats and at least one of a
corrected elevation model, a material map, vector data and a
feature model.
28. A method according to claim 17 wherein automatically compiling
the processed data comprises receiving both the processed data for
an area containing a mission route and project source data defining
geospecific properties for the area containing the mission
route.
29. A method according to claim 28 wherein automatically compiling
the processed data further comprises automatically creating the
terrain model for display during flight simulation based upon a
combination of both the processed data and the project source
data.
30. A method according to claim 28 wherein receiving project source
data comprises receiving project source data selected from the
group consisting of information related to vegetation and
information related to cultural features.
31. A method according to claim 28 wherein receiving processed data
comprises receiving processed data selected from the group
consisting of imagery data, elevational data, feature data and
mission route data.
32. An automated flight simulation mission profiler comprising: an
input for receiving data at least partially defining a mission
route; and a processing element for automatically determining an
area containing the mission route for which terrain source data is
required, said processing element also automatically dividing the
area into a plurality of regions based upon the mission route and
determining a respective resolution of the terrain source data for
each region.
33. An automated flight simulation mission profiler according to
claim 32 wherein said input also receives data defining at least
one of an aircraft platform and a simulator platform, and wherein
said processing element determines the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area based at least partially upon
at least one of the aircraft platform and the simulator
platform.
34. An automated flight simulation mission profiler according to
claim 32 wherein said input receives data defining a plurality of
different types of points along the mission route, and wherein said
processing element determines the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area based at least partially upon
the different types of points along the mission route.
35. An automated flight simulation mission profiler according to
claim 32 wherein said processing element is capable of determining
the area and the respective resolution of regions within the area
based upon predefined criteria, and wherein said input is adapted
to receive adjustments to at least some of the predefined criteria
such that said processing element determines the area and the
respective resolution of regions within the area based upon the
adjusted criteria.
36. An automated method for determining a flight simulation mission
profile comprising: receiving data at least partially defining a
mission route; automatically determining an area containing the
mission route for which terrain source data is required; and
automatically dividing the area into a plurality of regions based
upon the mission route and determining a respective resolution of
the terrain source data for each region.
37. A method according to claim 36 further comprising receiving
data defining at least one of an aircraft platform and a simulator
platform, and wherein automatically determining the area and the
respective resolution of regions within the area is based at least
partially upon at least one of the aircraft platform and the
simulator platform.
38. A method according to claim 36 further comprising receiving
data defining a plurality of different types of points along the
mission route, and wherein automatically determining the area and
the respective resolution of regions within the area is based at
least partially upon the different types of points along the
mission route.
39. A method according to claim 36 wherein automatically
determining the area and the respective resolution of regions
within the area is based upon predefined criteria, and wherein the
method further comprises receiving adjustments to at least some of
the predefined criteria such that the area and the respective
resolution of regions within the area are determined based upon the
adjusted criteria.
40. An apparatus for automatically collecting terrain source data
for display during flight simulation, the apparatus comprising: an
input for receiving data defining an area containing a mission
route for which terrain source data is required; a search engine
for automatically searching a plurality of electronic collections
of terrain source data to identify terrain source data covering the
area containing the mission route; and a memory device for storing
the terrain source data covering the area containing the mission
route identified by the search engine to facilitate display during
flight simulation.
41. An apparatus according to claim 40 wherein said memory device
stores terrain source data from prior mission routes.
42. An apparatus according to claim 41 wherein said search engine
compares terrain source data obtained from an electronic collection
of terrain source data with terrain source data from prior mission
routes to determine the terrain source data that is most acceptable
for the flight simulation of the mission route.
43. An apparatus according to claim 42 wherein said search engine
obtains information representative of the terrain source data that
is obtainable from the electronic collection of terrain source
data, wherein said search engine obtains the terrain source data
from the electronic collection of terrain source data that is more
acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route than
terrain source data from prior mission routes, and wherein said
memory device stores the terrain source data obtained from the
electronic collection.
44. An apparatus according to claim 43 wherein said memory device
comprises: a first memory device for storing the information
representative of the terrain source data; and a second memory
device for storing the terrain source data.
45. A method for automatically collecting terrain source data for
display during flight simulation, the method comprising: receiving
data defining an area containing a mission route for which terrain
source data is required; automatically searching a plurality of
electronic collections of terrain source data to identify terrain
source data covering the area containing the mission route; and
storing the terrain source data covering the area containing the
mission route identified by the search engine to facilitate display
during flight simulation.
46. A method according to claim 45 wherein storing the terrain
source data comprises storing terrain source data from prior
mission routes.
47. A method according to claim 46 wherein automatically searching
the plurality of electronic collections of terrain source data
comprises comparing terrain source data obtained from an electronic
collection of terrain source data with terrain source data from
prior mission routes to determine the terrain source data that is
most acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route.
48. A method according to claim 47 wherein automatically searching
the plurality of electronic collections of terrain source data
further comprises obtaining information representative of the
terrain source data that is obtainable from the electronic
collection of terrain source data, and obtaining the terrain source
data from the electronic collection of terrain source data that is
more acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route than
terrain source data from prior mission routes, and wherein storing
the terrain source data comprises storing the terrain source data
obtained from the electronic collection.
49. A terrain engine for automatically compiling terrain source
data to create a terrain model for display during flight
simulation, the terrain engine comprising: a data importer for
receiving the terrain source data for an area containing a mission
route, said data importer also receiving project source data
defining geospecific properties for the area containing the mission
route; and a terrain compiler for automatically creating the
terrain model for display during flight simulation based upon a
combination of both the terrain source data and the project source
data.
50. A terrain engine according to claim 49 wherein said data
importer receives project source data selected from the group
consisting of information related to vegetation and information
related to cultural features.
51. A terrain engine according to claim 49 wherein said data
importer receives terrain source data selected from the group
consisting of imagery data, elevational data, feature data and
mission route data.
52. A method for automatically compiling terrain source data to
create a terrain model for display during flight simulation, the
method comprising: receiving the terrain source data for an area
containing a mission route; receiving project source data defining
geospecific properties for the area containing the mission route;
and automatically creating the terrain model for display during
flight simulation based upon a combination of both the terrain
source data and the project source data.
53. A method according to claim 52 wherein receiving the project
source data comprises receiving project source data selected from
the group consisting of information related to vegetation and
information related to cultural features.
54. A method according to claim 52 wherein receiving the terrain
source data comprises receiving terrain source data selected from
the group consisting of imagery data, elevational data, feature
data and mission route data.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to methods and
apparatus associated with flight simulation and, more particularly,
to methods and apparatus for generating a terrain model for display
during flight simulation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Pilots frequently wish to simulate a mission prior to
actually flying the mission. By simulating the mission, a pilot can
become familiar with the mission route and can either avoid or
prepare in advance for any portions of the mission that may require
special effort or attention. In order to simulate a mission route,
a pilot initially defines the mission route, such as by means of a
mission planning system (MPS) or the like. As known to those
skilled in the art, a mission planning system receives input from a
pilot that defines a plurality of points along the mission route.
For example, the pilot typically defines the beginning and end
point(s) of the mission as well as points along the route at which
the aircraft will change direction. The pilot also defines points
that identify the location of targets or other features of
interest. In addition to merely entering the points, the pilot also
indicates the significance of each point, such as by indicating
that the point represents an airfield, a target, a point at which
the aircraft will change direction or the like. Based upon the
plurality of points defined by the pilot, the MPS constructs the
mission route to include each of the plurality of points.
[0003] Once the pilot has defined the mission route, a terrain
model designer determines the area for which terrain source data
will be required. In this regard, terrain source data is typically
obtained, not just along the mission route, but for some distance
on either side of the mission route to permit the flight simulation
to continue if the aircraft deviates from the mission route. The
size of the area for which terrain source data is required is
typically based, in part, upon the aircraft platform including the
range of the sensors onboard the aircraft, the turning radius of
the aircraft and any other aircraft parameter that affects the size
of the area that will be viewed by the pilot or interrogated by the
aircraft and its sensors. In this regard, some aircraft platforms
are capable of gathering and analyzing more remote sensor data than
other aircraft platforms and therefore generally require terrain
source data to be collected for larger areas surrounding the
mission route in order to properly simulate the planned
mission.
[0004] Additionally, the terrain model designer must determine the
resolution with which the terrain source data should be displayed.
Typically, different portions of the terrain source data are
displayed at different resolutions, each of which is typically
defined by the terrain model designer. In this regard, the images
in the vicinity of an airfield, a target or other feature of
interest are generally defined with greater resolution than more
general terrain that is somewhat removed from the mission
route.
[0005] As described above, the terrain model designer must
therefore determine the area for which terrain source data is
required and the respective resolution of each different region
within the area for which terrain source data is required in order
to permit the proper images to subsequently be generated and
presented to the pilot during flight simulation. As will be
apparent, the determination of the area for which terrain source
data is required and the respective resolution of each region
within that area is not only a time-consuming task, but is also
prone to errors.
[0006] Based upon the definition of the area, a terrain model
designer then collects the terrain source data required to
construct a terrain model for a simulated flight along the mission
route. Among other things, the terrain source data includes
digitized photographs of the area over which the mission route will
be flown. In addition to imagery, the terrain source data includes
elevational data defining the elevation of the terrain along the
mission route and feature data defining a variety of features,
including obstructions, targets and the like, along the mission
route. The terrain model designer can collect at least some of the
terrain source data from terrain source data that is stored in a
local memory device. However, the terrain model designer oftentimes
must collect additional terrain source data for areas along the
mission route for which no terrain source data is locally stored.
Additionally, even in instances in which the terrain source data is
stored in a local memory device, the terrain model designer
typically canvasses other sources of terrain source data to
determine the availability of terrain source data that is of higher
quality and/or more recent than the terrain source data that is
stored in a local memory device. If terrain source data that is of
higher quality and/or more recent is available, the terrain model
designer will generally obtain the higher quality terrain source
data for use during the flight simulation in lieu of the terrain
source data that is already stored by a local memory device, but
that is of a lower quality and/or is less recent.
[0007] Electronic collections of terrain source data are maintained
by a variety of sources. For example, terrain source data may be
available from the joint services imaging processing station
(JSIPS), the Gateway Data Navigator (GDN), the United States
Imagery and Geospatial Information Services (USIGS), the master
environment library (MEL), weather service feeds, commercial
databases and the like. For many of these sources, however, the
terrain model designer must complete and submit appropriate
documents requesting the terrain source data and, in some
instances, must provide proof that the terrain model designer as
well as the pilots and other personnel who will have access to the
terrain source data have appropriate clearances to access and view
the terrain source data. As will be apparent, the process of
searching, collecting and assimilating the terrain source data can
also be a time-consuming process.
[0008] Once the terrain source data has been collected, the terrain
source data is generally processed in order to improve or refine
the resulting image and to extract various features from the
terrain source data. In this regard, software programs, such as the
Imagine software package by ERDAS, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., provide
many standard image processing functions, such as image
enhancement, image registration, image rectification, image mosaic
functions and elevation extraction. Additionally, these
conventional software programs provide two-dimensional feature
extraction and three-dimensional feature extrusion as well as
material classification. While these conventional software programs
perform the various image processing and feature extraction
functions, the terrain model designer must generally provide the
proper data in the correct format and must manually initiate and
interact with the software program to perform the desired image
processing.
[0009] Following the image processing operations, the terrain model
designer provides the terrain source data to a terrain modeling
software. The terrain modeling software compiles the terrain source
data to form a terrain model. As with image processing, a variety
of software programs, such as the Terra Vista software package from
Terrain Experts, Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., are commercially available
for generating a terrain model based upon terrain source data. The
terrain model can then be provided to a flight simulator and, more
particularly, to the image generator of a flight simulator for
generating the necessary images during a simulation of the mission
by the pilot.
[0010] While the terrain model that is necessary to simulate the
mission to be flown by the pilot can be constructed in the manner
described above, the manual process of collecting and processing
the terrain source data and constructing the terrain model is
time-consuming and requires that the terrain model designer have
substantial experience. For example, the terrain model designer
must often locate and obtain terrain source data from a variety of
different collections. In addition, the terrain model designer must
oftentimes determine the area for which terrain source data is to
be collected and the resolution of the terrain source data for
different regions within the area in order to properly simulate the
mission route with the desired degree of detail. As such, it would
be desirable to develop an improved method and apparatus for
generating the terrain model for display during a simulated flight
along a predefined mission route that could reliably and accurately
generate the terrain model in a more efficient manner while
requiring less manual intervention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A method and apparatus are provided for automatically
generating a terrain model for display during a simulated flight
along a predefined mission route. By automatically generating the
terrain model, the method and apparatus of the present invention
are more efficient than conventional techniques for generating
terrain models that require extensive manual participation. The
method and apparatus of one advantageous embodiment also
automatically collect and combine project source data with the
terrain source data such that the resulting terrain model is an
accurate depiction of the area through which the mission will be
flown.
[0012] The apparatus for automatically generating the terrain model
includes a mission profiler. The mission profiler automatically
determines the area containing the mission route for which the
terrain source data is required. According to one embodiment, the
mission profiler includes an input for receiving data at least
partially defining the mission route. Additionally, the mission
profiler of this embodiment includes a processing element for
automatically determining the area containing the mission route for
which terrain source data is required. The processing element also
automatically divides the area into a plurality of regions based
upon the mission route and determines the respective resolution of
the terrain source data for each region.
[0013] The processing element is typically capable of determining
the area and the respective resolution of regions within the area
based upon predefined criteria. In one embodiment, the input of the
mission profiler can receive adjustments to at least some of the
predefined criteria such that the processing element will, instead,
determine the area and the respective resolution of regions within
the area based upon the adjusted criteria. The input of the mission
profiler can also receive data defining the aircraft platform
and/or the simulator platform. As such, the processing element can
determine the area and the respective resolution of regions within
the area based at least partially upon the aircraft platform and/or
the simulator platform. The input of the mission profiler can also
receive data defining a plurality of different types of points
along the mission route. In this embodiment, the processing element
determines the area and the respective resolution of regions within
the area based at least in part upon the different types of points
along the mission route, such as points designating an airfield, a
target or the like.
[0014] The apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model
can also include an apparatus for automatically collecting terrain
source data for display during flight simulation. The apparatus for
automatically collecting terrain source data includes a search
engine for automatically searching a plurality of electronic
collections of terrain source data to identify terrain source data
covering the area containing the mission route. The apparatus for
automatically collecting terrain source data also includes an input
for receiving data defining the area containing the mission route
for which terrain source data is required and a memory device for
storing the terrain source data covering the area containing the
mission route that has been identified by the search engine.
[0015] The memory device typically stores terrain source data from
prior mission routes. During the process of automatically searching
the electronic collections of terrain source data, the search
engine preferably compares the terrain source data obtained from
the electronic collection(s) with terrain source data from prior
mission routes to identify the terrain source data that is most
acceptable for the flight simulation for the mission route. For
example, the search engine may select the terrain source data that
is of the highest quality and/or is the most recent. In one
embodiment, the search engine does not initially obtain the terrain
source data itself. Instead, the search engine of this embodiment
obtains information representative of the terrain source data that
is obtainable from the electronic collection(s). This information
is generally termed "metadata". The search engine then obtains only
that terrain source data from the electronic collection(s) that is
more acceptable for the flight simulation of the mission route than
the terrain source data from prior mission routes that is already
stored by the memory device. Thus, the method and apparatus of this
embodiment only collect the additional terrain source data that is
required to depict the area containing the mission route, thereby
increasing the efficiency with which the terrain source data is
collected.
[0016] The memory device preferably stores the terrain source data
that is obtained from the electronic collection(s). In one
embodiment, the memory device can therefore include a first memory
device for storing information representative of the terrain source
data and a second memory device for storing the terrain source data
itself.
[0017] The apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model
also includes an image engine for processing terrain source data
into one or more predefined formats. In this regard, the image
engine automatically generates processed terrain data having one of
the predefined formats and, typically, at least one of a corrected
elevation model, a material map, vector data and a feature
model.
[0018] The apparatus for automatically generating a terrain model
further includes a terrain engine for automatically compiling the
processed data to create a terrain model for display during flight
simulation. In this embodiment, the terrain engine includes a data
importer for receiving the processed data for the area containing
the mission route. For example, the processed data can include
imagery data, elevational data, feature data and/or mission route
data. The data importer also receives project source data defining
geospecific properties for the area containing the mission route.
For example, the project source data can include information
related to vegetation and/or cultural features. The terrain engine
also includes a terrain compiler for automatically creating the
terrain model for display during flight simulation based upon a
combination of both the processed data and the project source data.
The resulting terrain model can then be provided to a flight
simulator and, more particularly, the image generator of a flight
simulator for generating the requisite image during simulation of
the mission.
[0019] In addition to the apparatus for automatically generating
the terrain model, a corresponding method is also provided.
Similarly, corresponding methods for automatically determining the
flight simulation mission profile, for automatically collecting
terrain source data, for automatically processing the terrain
source data into one or more predefined formats and for
automatically compiling the processed data to create a terrain
model are also provided. As a result of the automatic generation of
the terrain model, the method and apparatus of the present
invention permit the terrain model to be more efficiently generated
with substantially less manual participation than conventional
techniques. Additionally, the resulting terrain model should be of
the highest quality since the terrain source data that is most
acceptable, typically by being of the highest quality and/or the
most recent, is collected and compiled to create the terrain model.
Moreover, the terrain model may also be partially based upon
project source data to further improve the realistic appearance of
the resulting terrain model.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for automatically
generating a terrain model for display during a simulated flight
along a predefined mission route according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a graphical representation of a mission route;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of the area containing
the mission route for which terrain source data is required and the
respective resolution of different regions within the area as
determined by a mission profiler according to one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the operations performed
by a method and apparatus for automatically collecting terrain
source data including a search engine according to one embodiment
of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of an image engine
according to one embodiment of the present invention for processing
the terrain source data into one or more predefined formats that
may be accepted by the terrain engine;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a terrain engine for
automatically compiling terrain source data and project source data
to create the terrain model for display during flight simulation
according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0027] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for
automatically generating the terrain model during a simulated
flight along the predefined mission route according to one
embodiment of the present invention which includes a plurality of
parallel channels.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 1, an apparatus 10 for automatically
generating a terrain model for display during a simulated flight
along a predefined mission route is depicted. Although the upcoming
flight to be simulated will be consistently referred to as a
mission, the upcoming flight need not necessarily be a military
exercise, but can be a commercial flight or a flight taken for
other reasons, such as pleasure. The mission route can be defined
in a variety of different manners. However, the mission route is
commonly provided by a mission planning system (MPS) 12.
[0030] In order to define a mission route, a pilot initially
provides the MPS 12 with a description of the general geographic
region within which the mission will be flown. The MPS will then
display a two-dimensional representation of a map of the geographic
region. The pilot will then plot the mission route upon the map in
a manner known to those skilled in the art. For example, the pilot
can identify specific points along the mission route by
sequentially positioning a cursor at each respective point and then
providing an indication, such as by depressing the enter key or the
like, that the current position of the cursor identifies a point
along the mission route. Based upon the location of the points
identified upon the map, the MPS can determine the latitude and
longitude of each point to facilitate construction of the mission
route. Instead of selecting points upon the map to be indicative of
points along the mission route, however, the pilot can directly
enter the latitude and longitude of points along the mission route,
if known.
[0031] Based upon the points identified by the pilot, the MPS 12
constructs the mission route as depicted in FIG. 2. In addition to
merely designating points along the route for purposes of the
construction of the mission route, the pilot can identify
characteristics associated with each of the points. For example,
the pilot can indicate if the point represents the location of an
airfield, such as the airfield from which the aircraft is taking
off and/or landing. Additionally, the pilot can indicate points
along the mission route that are targets as well as points along
the mission route at which the aircraft will turn or otherwise
change course. The MPS records the additional information
associated with respective points along the mission route.
Additionally, the MPS can display icons associated with each point
along the mission route to represent the characteristics associated
with the point. For example, the MPS can present points associated
with the starting point, targets and turns with different icons,
such as the home plate and square icons, the triangular icon and
the circular icon, respectively, in FIG. 2.
[0032] Once the pilot, in conjunction with the MPS 12, has defined
the mission route, the MPS provides the mission route to the
apparatus 10 of the present invention such that a terrain model can
be automatically generated for subsequent display during a
simulated flight along the predefined mission route. In this
regard, the MPS typically provides the apparatus with the
coordinates that define the various segments of the mission route
as well as data defining characteristics associated with the
respective points as described above. As shown in FIG. 1, the
apparatus of the present invention includes a mission profiler 14
that initially receives the data provided by the MPS that defines
the mission route. The mission profiler automatically determines
the area that contains the mission route for which terrain source
data is required. That is, the mission profiler automatically
identifies the area along the mission route as well as areas in the
vicinity of the route that may be viewed during flight simulation,
either by the pilot or by onboard sensors, and for which terrain
source data is required.
[0033] The automated mission profiler 14 includes an input 16 for
receiving data at least partially defining the mission route. In
this regard, the input receives data from the MPS 12 that defines
the mission route entered by the pilot, typically in terms of the
coordinates of points along the mission route as well as
characteristics associated with various ones of the points. The
automated mission profiler also includes a processing element 18
for automatically determining the area containing the mission route
for which imagery data is required. The processing element
automatically determines the area for which terrain source data is
required based upon a plurality of parameters. For example, the
processing element can determine the area for which terrain source
data is required based, at least in part, upon data defining the
aircraft platform and/or the simulator platform. In this regard,
the data defining the aircraft platform generally includes data
defining the ranges of the various sensors onboard the aircraft,
data defining the turning radius of the aircraft at various speeds
and other data that defines parameters that could effect the area
that the pilot will view or the onboard sensors or subsystems will
interrogate during the subsequent flight simulation. In this
regard, aircraft platforms having sensors with larger ranges will
generally require the mission profiler to define a larger area than
aircraft platforms having sensors with smaller ranges. Likewise,
aircraft platforms having a larger turning radius will generally
dictate that the mission profiler define a larger area for those
portions of the area in which the aircraft will turn than aircraft
platforms with a smaller turning radius. For each different
aircraft platform, the mission profiler is therefore typically
designed to define an area of a predetermined size, typically by
extending both starboard and port from the mission route by a
predefined distance.
[0034] The mission profiler 14 also defines the area for which
terrain source data is required based upon the different types of
points along the mission route. Therefore, for a respective
aircraft platform, the mission profiler generally defines the area
to extend a predefined distance to both the starboard and the port
sides of the aircraft from the mission route. The mission profiler
then modifies the area for which terrain source data is required
based upon the different types of points along the mission route.
For example, the area for which terrain source data is required is
generally increased in regions surrounding the points that are
indicative of a turn or a change in course of the mission route.
For example, based upon a respective aircraft platform traveling at
a predetermined speed, the mission profiler preferably increases
the area by a predetermined amount in those regions in which the
aircraft will turn. Based upon the mission route including the
plurality of different types of points along the mission route and
the aircraft platform, the mission profiler therefore refines the
area for which terrain source data is required.
[0035] The processing element 18 of the mission profiler 14 also
automatically divides the area into a plurality of regions based
upon the mission route and determines a respective resolution of
the terrain source data for each region. In this regard, the
mission profiler generally defines a predetermined baseline
resolution for the terrain source data, typically in units of
meters or submeters. For certain regions of the area, however, the
mission profiler will dictate that the terrain source data be
provided with increased resolution in order to permit the pilot to
view additional details of the region during the subsequent flight
simulation. For example, those regions that surround a target or an
airfield preferably have a greater resolution.
[0036] By way of example, a graphical depiction of the area for
which terrain source data will be provided in conjunction with the
mission route of FIG. 2 is depicted in FIG. 3. The graphical
display of FIG. 3 also indicates that the area for which terrain
source data is provided has been divided into two regions of
different resolution. In this regard, the centrally located tiles
having a lighter color have a greater resolution than the
surrounding tiles having a darker color. For point of reference,
the mission route is also plotted upon the graphical representation
of the area for which terrain source data is provided to
graphically depict relative sizes of the area for which imagery
data will be provided with respect to the mission route.
[0037] The mission profiler 14 preferably defines each region to
have a respective resolution. However, the input 16 of the mission
profiler can also receive data defining the simulated platform upon
which the terrain model constructed from the terrain source data
will subsequently be displayed. As known to those skilled in the
art, a flight simulator generally has an image generator that
receives and processes a terrain model to produce the plurality of
images displayed for the pilot during flight simulation. The image
generators of different types of flight simulators have different
processing capabilities. As such, the data provided to the mission
profiler regarding the simulator platform provides an indication of
the processing capabilities of the image generator. In instances in
which the data indicates that the image generator of the flight
simulator will be unable to effectively process a terrain model
having increased resolution, the mission profiler will generally
reduce the resolution of at least some and, more typically, all of
the regions such that the resulting terrain model can be processed
by the image generator. By somewhat reducing the resolution of at
least some of the regions, the mission profiler prevents the
generation of unnecessarily high resolution terrain models that
will go unused by the flight simulator.
[0038] As described above, the mission profiler 14 is configured to
define an area of a predetermined size relative to the mission
route and to divide the area into regions of different
predetermined resolutions, also based upon predefined criteria. The
mission profiler of one advantageous embodiment permits a
technician, a pilot or the like to adjust the predefined criteria,
however, in order to adjust the size of the area for which terrain
source data will be provided and to adjust the respective
resolutions of different regions within the area. For example, a
pilot may enlarge the area and increase the resolution of each
region within the area by a predetermined percentage in order to
make the subsequent flight simulation even more realistic.
[0039] The input 16 and the processing element 18 of the mission
profiler 14 are typically comprised of a processor or other type of
computing device for executing a computer program that provides the
functionality of the mission profiler as described above. The
computer program can be either embedded within the processing
element or may be stored by a memory device external to and
accessible by the processor or other computing device.
[0040] Once the mission profiler 14 has determined the area for
which terrain source data is required and the respective resolution
of different regions within the area, the mission profiler provides
this information to an apparatus 20 for automatically collecting
terrain source data for display during flight simulation. See FIG.
1. In this regard, the apparatus for automatically collecting
terrain source data includes an input 22 for receiving the data
provided by the mission profiler that defines the area containing
the mission route for which terrain source data is required.
Additionally, the input preferably receives the data provided by
the mission profiler that defines the respective resolution of
different regions within the area. See block 50 of FIG. 4.
[0041] The apparatus 20 for automatically collecting terrain source
data also includes a search engine 24 for automatically searching a
plurality of electronic collections 25 of terrain source data to
identify terrain source data covering the area containing the
mission route. See block 52. As known to those skilled in the art,
a variety of electronic collections of terrain source data are
maintained, both by governmental and commercial entities. Although
the search engine can search any of the electronic collections of
terrain source data, the search engine preferably searches those
collections that have been approved by the national agencies. In
one embodiment, for example, the search engine searches the
electronic collections of terrain source data maintained by JSIPS,
USIGS and MEL. In addition, the search engine of this embodiment
can search the electronic collection of terrain source data
provided by the National Weather Service, the United States
Geological Survey (USGS) and by commercial satellites, such as
IKONOS, LandSat, SPOT and the like.
[0042] The search engine 24 searches the electronic collections 25
of terrain source data to identify terrain source data that covers
all, or at least the greatest percentage of, the area containing
the mission route. In searching the electronic collections of
terrain source data, the search engine will oftentimes identify
terrain source data maintained by different electronic collections
that depict the same portion of the area. In these instances, the
search engine reviews the terrain source data from each electronic
collection and selects the terrain source data that is of the
highest quality and is most recent. For example, the search engine
will select a digital photograph of a portion of the area taken on
a clear day in the past week instead of a digital photograph of the
same portion of the area taken on an overcast day two months ago,
assuming that the mission is intended to be performed on a clear
day. As such, the digital photograph taken on a clear day will be
more representative of the situation with which the pilot will
actually be confronted during the flight.
[0043] In addition to the search engine 24, the apparatus 20 for
automatically collecting terrain source data also includes a memory
device 26. Among other things, the memory device preferably stores
terrain source data from prior mission routes. As such, the search
engine not only searches the electronic collections 25 of terrain
source data maintained by governmental and commercial entities, but
also preferably searches the memory device for terrain source data
covering all or a portion of the area for which terrain source data
is required. In instances in which the memory device includes
terrain source data for at least a portion of the area for which
terrain source data is required, the search engine preferably also
searches the electronic collections of terrain source data
maintained by governmental and commercial entities to determine if
the terrain source data maintained by these electronic collections
is of higher quality or more recent than the terrain source data
stored by the memory device. If the electronic collections of
terrain source data maintained by governmental or commercial
entities is of higher quality than the terrain source data stored
by the associated memory device, the search engine will obtain the
terrain source data from the electronic collections and, as such,
will not use the terrain source data stored by the memory device.
If, however, the terrain source data stored by the memory device is
of equal to or better quality than the terrain source data
maintained by the electronic collections, the search engine will
not obtain the data from the electronic collections and will,
instead, utilize the terrain source data stored by the memory
device since the terrain source data stored by the memory device
can be accessed more efficiently. See blocks 56 and 58 of FIG.
4.
[0044] Typically, the search engine 24 does not initially obtain
the terrain source data. Instead, the search engine preferably
initially obtains information representative of the terrain source
data. This information that is representative of the terrain source
data is commonly termed "metadata". The metadata typically defines
the geographical region covered by the associated terrain source
data and indicates the type of terrain source data, such as a
digital photograph or the like, and the date on which the terrain
source data was obtained. In addition, the metadata may provide an
indication of the conditions under which the terrain source data
was obtained, such as cloudy, clear, rainy or the like. See block
54 of FIG. 4. Based upon the metadata, the search engine can
identify terrain source data that covers the entire area for which
terrain source data is required and can determine the terrain
source data that will provide the highest quality image of the
area.
[0045] By initially obtaining and reviewing information, such as
metadata, representative of the terrain source data, however, the
search engine 24 can more efficiently perform the search and
analysis process than if the search engine obtained the terrain
source data itself. In this regard, the metadata is typically a
much smaller quantity of data than the associated terrain source
data. As such, the metadata can be much more efficiently
transferred and analyzed than the terrain source data.
[0046] Once a search engine 24 identifies the terrain source data
maintained by one or more electronic collections 25 that is
required in order to provide the highest quality terrain source
data for the area, the terrain source data is obtained and stored
by the memory device 26. See block 60. Although the memory device
can be constructed in various manners, the memory device is
typically comprised of first and second memory devices 26a, 26b. In
this regard, the first memory device, such as a simple query
language (SQL) database, typically stores the information, such as
the metadata, representative of the terrain source data, while a
second memory device, such as a mass storage system, stores the
terrain source data itself. In order to efficiently locate the
terrain source data within the second memory device, the first
memory device can also store pointers or addresses for identifying
the terrain source data associated with the metadata.
[0047] The input 22 and the search engine 24 are typically
comprised of computer software that is supported and executed by a
dedicated server. However, the computer software that generally
comprises the input and the search engine can be supported and
executed by a processor or other computing device, if so
desired.
[0048] Once the terrain source data has been collected, the method
and apparatus 10 of the present invention automatically process the
terrain source data to refine the resulting image and to extract
various features therefrom. As a result of this processing, the
terrain source data is transformed into one or more predefined
formats that can be subsequently accepted by the terrain engine, as
described below. This automatic processing is typically performed
by an image engine with the computer software that embodies the
image engine typically being supported and executed by a processor
or other computing device.
[0049] While the image engine 28 can perform any of a variety of
conventional image processing techniques in order to refine the
resulting data, the image engine of one embodiment performs an
image enhancement function as shown in block 70 of FIG. 5 in order
to perform atmospheric corrections. Additionally, the image engine
can perform image registration of the enhanced image in order to
register the images to fixed points. See block 72. Furthermore, the
image engine can provide an elevation extraction function in order
to generate an elevation model. See block 74. In this regard, the
image engine or a memory device associated therewith typically
includes a relatively low resolution elevation model of at least
the geographic region surrounding the mission route. Based upon
stereo pairs of the terrain source data, such as pairs of digital
photographs that at least partially overlap, the elevation
extraction function can extract elevation information in order to
revise the low resolution elevation model to include the elevation
of features above ground level, such as trees, buildings and the
like.
[0050] Further, the image engine 28 can perform image rectification
upon the registered image in order to remove image distortion and
to make the resulting image square. See block 76 of FIG. 5.
Following image rectification, the image engine can perform an
image resolution merge in which the resulting image produced by the
image rectification function is merged with low resolution imagery,
typically provided by the second memory device 26b. See block 77.
As such, higher resolution black and white images may be combined
with lower resolution color images to create higher resolution
color images. The image engine then performs an image mosaic
function in order to merge a plurality of overlapping images and an
image tonal balance function to balance the colors therebetween,
thereby creating the resulting imagery data. See blocks 78 and
79.
[0051] Additionally, a material set 80 that defines the different
types of materials, such as concrete, trees, wood, etc., that may
be visible in the imagery data is provided. Based upon the imagery
data and the material set, the image engine can perform a material
classification function in order to generate a material map that
defines the material type of various features in the imagery data.
See block 82. The material map can then be provided to the various
simulated sensors, such as the radar and the infrared sensors,
onboard the aircraft platform such that the readings of the sensors
will properly simulate actual flight conditions. The image engine
can also extract two-dimensional features from the terrain source
data in order to generate vector data based upon not only the
terrain source data, but also the material map and low resolution
feature data, typically provided by the second memory device 26b.
See block 84. The two-dimensional feature data generally defines
the features present in the imagery data when viewed from above.
This vector data can be utilized to correct the elevation model in
order to remove features that extend above ground level to generate
a corrected elevation model representative of the elevation of the
terrain itself, and not buildings, trees and the like that extend
above ground level. See block 86. Finally, the image engine can
perform a three-dimensional culture generation based upon the
imagery data, the vector data and the output of the elevation
extraction function in order to perform a three-dimensional feature
extrusion function, thereby generating feature models. See block
88. In this regard, the three-dimensional feature extrusion
function generates three-dimensional models of various features,
such as trees, buildings, bridges and the like, that are
represented in two-dimensions in the imagery data. The
three-dimensional models can then be utilized to provide a more
realistic simulation. The image engine of this embodiment therefore
generates imagery data, a corrected elevation model, vector data, a
feature model and a material map, each of which are stored by the
memory device 26, more particularly, by the second memory device
26b.
[0052] While the individual image processing functions described
above may be separately performed by a commercial software package
entitled Imagine available from ERDAS, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga., the
foregoing image processing functions have not previously been
performed in an automated and integrated manner than minimizes, if
not eliminates, manual interaction as provided by the image engine
of the present invention. In addition, while one exemplary set of
image processing functions has been described above, the method and
apparatus 10 of the present invention can include other types of
image engines 28 for performing a different sequence or set of
image processing functions, if so desired.
[0053] The method and apparatus 10 of the present invention also
includes a terrain engine 30 for compiling the processed data
following image processing to create a terrain model for display
during a subsequent flight simulation. As shown in FIG. 6, the
terrain engine includes a data importer 32 for receiving processed
data for the area containing the mission route. As described above,
the processed data can include imagery data and one or more of a
corrected elevation model, vector data, feature models and a
material map. According to one advantageous embodiment, the data
importer also receives project source data. The project source data
has typically been previously stored in the memory device 26 and
defines geospecific properties for the area containing the mission
route. For example, the project source data can include information
related to vegetation and information related to cultural features.
The information related to vegetation may indicate that the area
includes a large number of a particular type of tree having a
specific color. As such, the color of the resulting image can be
adjusted to ensure that the vegetation is properly depicted.
Similarly, the information related to cultural features can include
data that indicates that the area is chiefly covered by sand having
a particular color. As such, the color of the resulting image can
also be adjusted to ensure that the sand is properly depicted in
order to permit a more realistic image to be generated. In addition
to the data importer, the terrain engine also generally includes a
terrain compiler 34 for combining the processed data and the
project source data to create a terrain model that is stored in a
database 35. In this regard, the terrain model is preferably stored
in the format that will be acceptable to the simulation platform
that will subsequently process and display the terrain model.
[0054] In addition to providing a terrain model, the terrain engine
30 can include a radar compiler for further processing the terrain
model to generate a radar model that can utilized during a
subsequent flight simulation to provide a corresponding radar
display. The terrain engine can include any radar compiler known to
those skilled in the art including the Multimode Radar Simulator of
The Boeing Company.
[0055] The terrain engine 30 is typically comprised of a software
program, such as the Terra Vista software package provided by
Terrain Experts, Inc., that has been modified to accept and process
project source data in addition to terrain source data. The
computer software can be executed upon a variety of platforms,
including a processor or other types of computing devices.
[0056] Regardless of its implementation, the terrain engine 30 can
provide the terrain model to the flight simulator 36 in a variety
of manners. In one embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the apparatus 10
includes a compression unit 38 for compressing the terrain model,
such as by means of wavelet compression or other conventional
compression techniques, prior to being transmitted to a remote
flight simulator, via either wired or wireless communication links.
Upon receipt, a decompression unit 40 decompresses the terrain
model and the decompressed terrain model is then stored. During a
subsequent flight simulation, the terrain model can be provided to
the image generator of the flight simulator in order to generate a
realistic image of the area in which the mission route will be
flown.
[0057] In order to further increase the efficiency with which the
method and apparatus 10 of the present invention automatically
generate the terrain model, the apparatus can be configured as
depicted in FIG. 7 in order to perform a variety of the functions
in parallel. In this regard, the apparatus can include a plurality
of search engines 24 disposed in parallel for concurrently
searching a plurality of different electronic collections 25 of
terrain source data. Additionally, the apparatus can include a
plurality of parallel image engines 28 in order to concurrently
perform different image processing functions. Still further, the
apparatus can include a plurality of terrain engines 30 for
compiling or combining the terrain source data and the project
source data for a variety of different terrain models at the same
time. In addition to increasing the efficiency with which terrain
models can be generated, the embodiment of the apparatus depicted
in FIG. 7 is scalable so that additional search, image and terrain
engines can be added as the demand increases. In addition, the
search, image and terrain engines are preferably hot swappable in
order to permit continuous processing, even in instances in which
one of the engines fails.
[0058] As also depicted in FIG. 7, the method and apparatus 10 can
include a resource manager 42, also typically embodied by a
computer program that is executed by a processor or other computing
device, for allocating or scheduling the plurality of tasks to
different ones of the search, image and terrain engines. In this
regard, the resource manager typically receives the definition of
the areas for which terrain source data is required and the
respective resolutions of different regions within the areas from
the mission profiler 14. The resource manager includes a queue 44
for maintaining a prioritized list of the plurality of tasks
required to generate a terrain model for each area defined by the
mission profiler. These tasks include identifying terrain source
data covering each of the areas, processing the terrain source data
and compiling the processed data and any project source data to
generate respective terrain models. Additionally, the resource
manager includes a task pipeline 46 for assigning respective tasks
to different ones of the search, image and terrain engines in order
to perform the respective tasks in the most efficient manner as
known to those skilled in the art.
[0059] As a result of the automatic generation of the terrain
model, the method and apparatus 10 of the present invention permit
the terrain model to be more efficiently generated with
substantially less manual participation than conventional
techniques. Additionally, the resulting terrain model should be of
the highest quality since the terrain source data that is most
acceptable, typically by being of the highest quality and/or the
most recent, is collected and compiled to create the terrain model.
Moreover, the terrain model may also be partially based upon
project source data to further improve the realistic appearance of
the resulting terrain model.
[0060] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention
pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it
is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other
embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *