Flight training and synthetic visualization system and method

A method of sensing and computing mobile object data associated with an mobile object travel path, and simultaneously displaying a mobile object travel path, altitude wall and terrain model for a trip, which method comprises the steps of:

• generating signals representative of a 3-D, GNSS-based travel path of said mobile object with said position detector;
• providing a computer including a microprocessor on the mobile object and connected to the IMS and the position detector;
• providing a digital terrain model of a portion of the Earth's surface including at least a portion of the travel path;
• computing a 3-D display of said travel path including:
• said terrain model;
• a primary mobile object image model superimposed on and simulating movement relative to the terrain model;
• and a data ribbon representing the travel path superimposed on the terrain model;
• computing with said altitude readings and said navigational and flight information a 3-D vertical altitude wall extending downwardly from said travel path data ribbon to a ground level on said terrain model;
• providing a display device and connecting said display device to said microprocessor;
• displaying with said display device said 3-D display with said primary mobile object image model on top of said altitude wall and said mobile object altitudes over said terrain model;
• generating a secondary ghost image model of the mobile object;
• computing an ideal travel path corresponding to locations of said secondary ghost image mobile object model;
• superimposing on said 3-D display said secondary ghost image model in relation to said primary mobile object image model;
• displaying with said display device discrepancies between said ideal travel path and the actual travel path by simultaneously and dynamically displaying the positions of said primary and secondary mobile object image models relative to each other and the altitude wall;
• collecting navigational and geospatial information during a trip with said computer;
• providing a secondary computer;
• connecting said secondary computer to said mobile object computer;
• and
• post-processing said navigational and geospatial information and displaying said 3-D recreation with said secondary computer after a trip is completed.

A system for simulating a mobile object trip, which system comprises:

• an inertial measurement sensor (IMS) installed on the mobile object and adapted for sensing orientation of the mobile object and generating orientation signals;
• a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position detector installed on the mobile object and adapted for generating signals representative of a 3-D, GNSS-based travel path of said mobile object;
• a computer including a microprocessor installed on the mobile object and connected to the IMS and the position detector;
• said microprocessor being connected to and receiving input signals comprising navigational and flight information from said IMS and said GNSS position detector;
• said computer being adapted for receiving a digital terrain model of a portion of the Earth's surface including at least a portion of the travel path;
• said computer being adapted for computing a 3-D display of said travel path including:
• said terrain model;
• a model of the mobile object superimposed on and simulating movement relative to the terrain model;
• and a data ribbon representing the travel path superimposed on the terrain model;
• said computer being adapted for computing altitude readings from said navigational and trip information at predetermined intervals along the travel path;
• said computer being adapted for computing with said altitude readings and said navigational and geospatial information a 3-D vertical altitude wall extending downwardly from said travel path data ribbon to a ground level on said terrain model;
• said altitude wall being subdivided graphically into a checkerboard configuration comprising multiple rectangular segments each representing a pre-defined horizontal and vertical distance corresponding to altitude and distance of travel along said travel path respectively;
• and
• a display device connected to said microprocessor and adapted for displaying said 3-D display with said mobile object model on top of said altitude wall and said mobile object altitudes over said terrain model.

A method of representing a completed trip of a mobile object, which method comprises the steps of:

• acquiring digital location information defining a travel path of the mobile object through a 3-D space;
• computing a digital terrain model for an area of the Earth's surface including at least a portion of the travel path;
• generating a 3-D display of said 3-D recreation including:
• said terrain model;
• a representation of the mobile object superimposed on the terrain model;
• and a visual representation of the travel path superimposed on the terrain model;
• computing altitude readings from said digital location information at pre-defined intervals along the travel path;
• using said altitude readings and said digital location information to compute a 3-D display comprising a vertical synthetic altitude wall extending downwardly from said visual representation of the travel path to a ground level on said terrain model;
• subdividing said altitude wall graphically into a vertically-oriented checkerboard configuration comprising multiple rectangular segments separated by multiple, horizontally-spaced vertical striations each representing a pre-defined horizontal distance and multiple, vertically-stacked horizontal striations each representing a pre-defined vertical distance, said pre-defined vertical and horizontal distances corresponding to altitude and distance of travel along said travel path respectively;
• dynamically displaying in 3-D on said display device said altitude wall including said vertical and horizontal striations below said travel path data ribbon;
• dynamically displaying in 3-D on said display device with said graphics software engine the progress along said travel path of the mobile object on top of said altitude wall and over said terrain model;
• and
• dynamically displaying mobile object altitudes at respective rectangular segments along said travel path.