System and method for computing reachable areas
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorsPeter A. Tinker, David W. Payton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to computing reachable areas given a first point. More specifically, the present invention relates to the computation of an intersection between a first surface and a second surface for determining a set of points that are reachable from a first point. Using the present invention, a user can determine either (1) a locus of target sites that can be struck by a ballistic projectile from a given launch site, or (2) a locus of launch sites that can be used to hit a given target site. The disclosed system and method employs graphics hardware to determine an intersection between a first surface defined by trajectory paths, and a second surface defined by terrain.
Claims27
A computer implemented method for determining an area that is reachable from a first point comprising an act of causing a computer having a processor and a memory module encoded with instruction means to execute the instruction means and cause the processor to perform operations of:
- defining a first surface from a trajectory engine;
- rendering a topographical map from topographical map information utilizing a graphics engine;
- rendering the first surface utilizing a graphics engine;
- and
- eliminating shadowed images utilizing a color buffer;
- obtaining a second directional surface;
- determining a set of intersection points between the first surface and the second directional surface, wherein the set of intersection points has an order in a first dimension and a direction in a second dimension based on the directionality of the second directional surface;
- and
- determining a set of reachable points from the set of intersection points, wherein the set of reachable points has a point per order.
An apparatus for computing reachable areas comprising:
- a processor, wherein the processor comprises:
- a trajectory engine;
- and
- a graphics engine connected with the trajectory engine;
- and
- a memory module connected with the processor, wherein the memory module comprises:
- topographical map information;
- and
- a color buffer,
- wherein the processor comprises software for performing acts of:
- defining a first surface from the trajectory engine;
- rendering a topographical map from the topographical map information utilizing the graphics engine;
- rendering the first surface utilizing the graphics engine;
- and
- eliminating shadowed images utilizing the color buffer.
An apparatus for computing reachable areas comprising:
- a processor, wherein the processor comprises:
- a trajectory engine;
- and
- a memory module connected with the processor, wherein the memory module contains topographical map information,
- wherein the processor comprises software for performing acts of:
- obtaining a first surface from the topographical information and a second directional surface from the trajectory engine;
- determining a set of intersection points between the first surface and the second directional surface, wherein the set of intersection points has an order in a first dimension and a direction in a second dimension based on the directionality of the second directional surface;
- and
- determining a set of reachable points from the set of intersection points,
- wherein the set of reachable points has one point per order.
A computer program product for determining an area that is reachable from a first point, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instruction means encoded on a computer-readable medium that are executable by a computer having a processor for causing the processor to:
- define a first surface from a trajectory engine;
- render a topographical map from topographical map information utilizing a graphics engine;
- render the first surface utilizing a graphics engine;
- eliminate shadowed images utilizing a color buffer;
- obtain a second directional surface;
- determine a set of intersection points between the first surface and the second directional surface, wherein the set of intersection points has an order in a first dimension and a direction in a second dimension based on the directionality of the second directional surface;
- and
- determine a set of reachable points from the set of intersection points, wherein the set of reachable points has a point per order.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.