US 8,019,736 B1 · Systems and methods for combining a plurality of terrain databases into one terrain database

Abstract

A present novel and non-trivial system and methods for exacting terrain elevation data contained in a plurality of terrain elevation databases or data sets, combining the terrain elevation data contained in each terrain elevation data set to produce a single, combined terrain database of a common resolution. A system is disclosed that could provide a processor with terrain elevation data from a plurality of terrain elevations data sets having differing resolution and accuracy parameters, a per-point error metric data from a plurality of error metric data sets, and a common resolution parameter. A method is disclosed which for combining terrain elevation data sets having difference resolutions into a single, combined terrain elevation data set having a common resolution utilizing a per-point error metric data from a plurality of error metric data sets. A second method is disclosed for combining a plurality of terrain elevation data sets having different resolutions into terrain elevation data of a single, combined terrain elevation data set having a common resolution by transforming the plurality of terrain elevation data sets into a plurality of terrain frequency data sets and filtering the terrain frequency data sets utilizing a Kalman filter.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A system of combining a plurality of terrain data sets into one terrain data set, the system comprising:

a plurality of terrain data sets, wherein each terrain data set is stored in a digital file having a file format and is comprised of digital terrain elevation data having an elevation data resolution, where such elevation data resolution is a resolution other than the elevation data resolution of the digital terrain elevation data of at least one other terrain data set within the plurality and is associated with a digital elevation model;
a common resolution parameter representative of one elevation data resolution;
and
a processor, wherein such processor
receives the plurality of terrain data sets and the common resolution parameter, conforms each terrain data set in which the elevation data resolution of the digital terrain elevation data is a resolution other than the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter, such that the elevation data resolution of the digital terrain elevation data of each terrain elevation set will equal the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter, and
combines the digital terrain elevation data of each terrain data set to form one combined terrain data set, whereby such combined terrain data set is stored in a digital file having one file format and is comprised of digital terrain elevation data having the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter.

3 more elements

A method of combining a plurality of terrain databases into one terrain database, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of terrain data sets, wherein each terrain data set is stored in a digital file having a file format and is comprised of digital terrain elevation data having an elevation data resolution, where such elevation data resolution is a resolution other than the elevation data resolution of the digital terrain elevation data of at least one other terrain data set within the plurality and is associated with a digital elevation model;
receiving a common resolution parameter representative of one elevation data resolution;
conforming each terrain data set in which the elevation data resolution is a resolution other than the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter, such that the elevation data resolution of each terrain elevation set will equal the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter;
receiving a plurality of elevation data error metric sets, wherein each elevation data metric set corresponds to one of the plurality of terrain data sets;
applying each of the plurality of elevation data error metric sets as a weight to its corresponding terrain data set;
combining the plurality of weighted, terrain data sets to form one combined terrain data set, whereby such combined terrain data set is stored in a digital file having one file format and is comprised of digital terrain elevation data having the one elevation data resolution of the common resolution parameter;
and
normalizing the combined terrain data set.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for combining a plurality of terrain databases into one terrain database

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for combining a plurality of terrain databases into one terrain database

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15