Method and systems for updating a remote repository based on data-types

A method for supporting an interactive computer simulation system that executes an interactive computer simulation, comprising:

• providing access towards a central repository that stores a synthetic natural environment database that comprises data of a plurality of data types for a plurality of geographically-located terrain skin representations of a computer generated environment of the interactive computer simulation;
• receiving, over a network, a data request issued from an interactive computer simulation station for one or more geographical locations, the interactive computer simulation station allowing one or more users to interact in the interactive computer simulation for controlling a vehicle in the computer generated environment, wherein the interactive computer simulation station comprises a plurality of data consumers each requiring data from one or more of the plurality of data types;
• determining a set of data types considering one or more requesting data consumers from the plurality of data consumers;
• and
• updating, over the network, a subset of the synthetic natural environment database stored in a remote repository for the one or more geographical locations with data of only the set of data types, the remote repository being accessible to the interactive computer simulation station.

A system, for executing an interactive computer simulation of a simulated vehicle, comprising a remote data management system, a central repository, a remote repository and an interactive computer simulation station interconnected via a network, wherein:

• the central repository comprises a synthetic natural environment database that comprises data of a plurality of data types for a plurality of geographically-located terrain skin representations of a computer generated environment of the interactive computer simulation;
• the remote data management system of the interactive computer simulation system maintain the remote repository storing a subset of the synthetic natural environment database;
• the interactive computer simulation station:
• comprises a plurality of data consumers each requiring data from one or more of the plurality of data types;
• sends, over the network, a data request for one or more geographical locations from the synthetic natural environment database for rendering images for the interactive computer simulation;
• and
• allows one or more users to interact in the interactive computer simulation for controlling the simulated vehicle in the computer generated environment considering the rendered images;
• and
• the remote data management system of the interactive computer simulation system:
• determines a set of data types considering one or more requesting data consumers from the data request;
• and
• updates, over the network, the subset of the synthetic natural environment database stored in the remote repository for the one or more geographical locations with data of only the set of data types.