The present invention relates to the field of communications systems, and, more particularly, to communications systems for manipulating three dimensional geospatial models and related methods.
Three dimensional (3D) geospatial models of geographical areas may be used for many applications. For example, 3D geospatial models may be used in flight simulators. Furthermore, topographical models of man-made structures, for example, cities, may be extremely helpful in applications, such as, cellular antenna placement, urban planning, disaster preparedness and analysis, and mapping.
One advantageous approach for generating 3D geospatial models is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,654,690 to Rahmes et al., which is also assigned to the present Assignee and is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This patent discloses an automated method for making a 3D geospatial model of an area including terrain and buildings thereon based upon randomly spaced data of elevation versus position. The method includes processing the randomly spaced data to generate gridded data of elevation versus position conforming to a predetermined position grid, processing the gridded data to distinguish building data from terrain data, and performing polygon extraction for the building data to make the 3D geospatial model of the area including terrain and buildings thereon.
Portable electronic devices, such as tablet computers and smartphones are becoming pervasive in the world today for the convenience they provide. It would therefore be desirable to construct such portable electronic devices capable of storing and manipulating 3D geospatial models.
Unfortunately, the storage and manipulation of these 3D geospatial models may use a large amount of computing resources. Since computing resources of portable electronic devices may be limited, a way to make a portable electronic device storing data based upon a 3D geospatial model is desirable. In addition, since the purchase of new software applications may be undesirable in some situations, a way to store this data based upon a 3D geospatial model in an existing format may also be desirable.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a communications system including a mobile electronic device able to view at least a portion of a three dimensional geospatial model stored at a data server.
This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a communications system that may include an image data server configured to store a three dimensional (3D) geospatial model, and generate a series of two dimensional (2D) images corresponding to different vantage points for a given area of the 3D geospatial model. The communications system may also include a mobile electronic device configured to cooperate with the image data server and comprising a display, and a processor coupled to the display.
The processor may be configured to present an initial image from the series of 2D images an the display corresponding to an initial vantage point. The processor may also be configured to permit selection of a next vantage point, and display a next image of the series of 2D images on the display corresponding to the next vantage point. This communications system advantageously allows the mobile electronic device to display information contained in the 3D model while not having to actually store that model. This is particularly helpful because storage and direct access of the 3D model may have consumed an undesirable amount of resources of the mobile electronic device.
In some applications, the data server may generate a sequence index for the series of 2D images, and the processor may display a next image based upon the sequence index. Indeed, the data server may generate the sequence index for the series of 2D images corresponding to different vantage points in at least one of x, y and z directions.
In some applications, the image data server may be configured to generate the series of 2D images based upon selection of the given area. The mobile electronic device may select the given area. The communications system may include a command device, and the command device may select the given area.
The image data server may be configured to store the series of 2D images in a PDF file. The image data server may be configured to store the series of 2D images in a one dimensional array. Further, the image data server may be configured to store the series of 2D images in a three dimensional array.
The mobile electronic device may further comprise a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor. The wireless transceiver may be configured to communicate with the image data server.
A method aspect is directed to a method of operating a communications system. The method may include storing a three dimensional (3D) geospatial model in an image data server, and generating a series of two dimensional (2D) images corresponding to different vantage points for a given area of the 3D geospatial model, using the image data server. The method may also include presenting an initial image from the series of 2D images corresponding to an initial vantage point, on a display of a mobile electronic device, and permitting selection of a next vantage point, using the mobile electronic device. The method may further include displaying a next image of the series of 2D images corresponding to the next vantage point, on the display of the mobile electronic device.
The present invention will now 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, and prime notation is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.
Referring initially to
The memory 14 is configured to store a three dimensional (3D) geospatial model. By way of example, geospatial data may be captured using various techniques such as stereo optical imagery, Light Detecting and Ranging (LIDAR), Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR), etc., and is then processed to form the 3D model. Generally speaking, the data will be captured from overhead (e.g., nadir) views of the geographical area of interest by airplanes, satellites, etc., as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. However, oblique images of a geographical area of interest may also be used in addition to (or instead of) the nadir images to add additional detail to a 3D geospatial model.
The processor 18 generates a series of two dimensional (2D) images corresponding to different vantage points for a given area of the 3D geospatial model. For example, the given area of the 3D geospatial model may be an office building, the series of 2D images may be from different vantage points along a front of the office building, or from different vantage points on different sides of the office building.
The mobile electronic device 20 may be an electronic device such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or a portable music player, for example. The mobile electronic device 20 includes a memory 22, a wireless transceiver 26, a display 28, and an input device 30, each coupled to a processor 24. The memory 22 may include volatile and non-volatile portions, and the wireless transceiver 26 may provide both cellular and WiFi connectivity. The input device 30 may include devices such as buttons, touch sensitive pads, and trackballs, for example. In fact, in some applications, the display 28 may be a touch sensitive display, and may also serve as the input device 30.
The memory 22 is configured to store the series of 2D images received from the data server 12. The processor 24 is configured to present an initial image from the series of 2D images on the display 28, the initial image corresponding to an initial vantage point. The processor 24 then permits selection of a next vantage point via the input device 30, and displays a next image of the series of 2D images on the display 28 corresponding to the next vantage point.
This communications system 10 advantageously allows the mobile electronic device 20 to display information contained in the 3D model while not having to actually store that model. This is particularly helpful because storage and direct access of the 3D model may have consumed an undesirable amount of resources of the mobile electronic device 20.
In addition, by displaying a series of 2D images, viewing of the information contained in the 3D model can be performed similar to reading a book, a familiar paradigm, making the system intuitive and easy to use. For example, upon viewing an initial image from an initial vantage point, the next vantage point (and thus the next image) can be selected by manipulating the input device 30 as one would manipulate a book. For example, the input device 30 may include a plurality of buttons, each button representing an arrow in a given direction (e.g. left or right), and the “pages” (the series of images) may be “flipped” (vantage point and image may be changed) by selecting a button. By hitting the left or right button, the vantage point may be changed in the X-direction, for example. This similarity to turning the pages in a book enables a new user to quickly and easily sort through and use the displayed images, decreasing or eliminating the learning curve associated with using the communications system 10.
Some mobile electronic devices 20 may include input devices 30 with more direction buttons (e.g. left, right, up, down, forward, back, as well as diagonals), and/or the display 28 may be a touch sensitive display and response to gestures (e.g. left/right swipe, up/down swipe, pinch/unpinch, diagonal sweeps, etc). In this case, the processor 24 may scale the level of functionality of the communications system 10 based upon the functionality of the mobile electronic device 30. In a case where the mobile electronic device 24 has a more advanced input device 30 as discussed above, the direction buttons can be used to extend the book paradigm more easily into three dimensions. For example, as described above, by hitting the left or right button, or by performing a left or right swipe, the vantage point may be changed in the X-direction. However, by hitting the up or down button, or performing an upward or downward swipe, the vantage point may be changed in the Z-direction. By hitting the forward or back button, or by performing a pinch/unpinch, the vantage point may be changed in the Y-direction. By hitting a diagonal button, or by performing a diagonal swipe, the vantage point may be rotated about the given area. Alternatively or additionally, by hitting a diagonal button or by performing a diagonal swipe, the viewing angle from the vantage point may be changed.
A more detailed embodiment is now discussed with reference to
In addition, in this embodiment, the processor 18′ generates the series of 2D images based upon selection of the given area. Selection of the given area may be performed in a variety of ways, such as via an input device (not shown) coupled to the data server 12′, via the input device 30′ of the mobile electronic device 20′, or even by a command device 32′ (e.g. an electronic device coupled to the data server via a network).
Also in this embodiment, the processor 18′ generates a sequence index for the series of 2D images corresponding to different vantage points in the X, Y, and Z directions. The sequence index is used by the processor 24′ of the mobile electronic device 20′ in displaying the next image in the series of 2D images. That is, the processor 24′ may display the next image based upon the sequence index.
The sequence index is of particular use in embodiments where the series of 2D images is stored by the memory 22′ of the mobile electronic device 20′ in a PDF file or 1D array, for example, since a PDF file and a 1D array allow movement in one direction and not multiple directions. If the series of 2D images is stored in a PDF file, the mobile electronic device 20′ can use existing PDF viewing applications to present the initial image and the next images. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a PDF file contains a plurality of “pages,” and the page number being viewed by a PDF viewer can be incremented or decremented. The sequence index advantageously allows different 2D images of the sequence to be grouped together according to a direction of change of the vantage point thereof.
Typical PDF viewers allow the grouping of pages by chapter in a sequence index of a PDF file, and the increment or decrement of pages by chapter rather than page number. Therefore, the sequence of 2D images can be grouped into chapters, with each chapter representing movement of the vantage point along a different direction. This advantageously allows quick viewing of a 2D image from a desired vantage point, and quick viewing of subsequent 2D images with different vantage points along a given direction.
The sequence index may be displayed on the display 28′ of the mobile electronic device 20′ so that a user may select a given chapter. The chapters may be listed as text, such as “Interior, Exterior Front View, Exterior Top View,” or may be displayed graphically. In some applications, the chapters may be displayed graphically as a gridded overhead map, where each grid unit (e.g. square, rectangle, hex tile, etc) of the map corresponds to a page of the PDF file. This allows easy selection of an area of interest to view. In addition, depending upon the functionality of the mobile electronic device 20′, a zoom function may be activated, and a given grid unit may be zoomed into to thereby display a further grid showing finer details of the area of interest, such that the vantage point may be easily selected.
An example is now described with reference to
Advancing to page 3 of the PDF file advances to a next chapter. As shown in
Advancing to page 5 of the PDF file advances to a next chapter. As shown in
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the vantage points can change in multiple directions at once, so that the series of 2D images may include a series of images rotating about the given area.
The sequence index can be useful in the above example in allowing a user to quickly flip from an overhead view to a front view of the given geographical area, for example. In addition, the orientation of the displayed 2D image can be altered on the display 28′, so that the mobile electronic device 20′ can be rotated such that the direction of flipping the pages of the PDF matches the direction of movement. For example, the input device 30′ may include left and right keys when the mobile electronic device 20′ is held in a landscape orientation. The orientation of the 2D image displayed on the display 28′ may be such that selection of the left or right key results in the vantage point moving to the left or right (e.g. in the X-direction). Then, the electronic device 20′ may be rotated to a portrait orientation, and the PDF file may be advanced to a chapter where the vantage point moves vertically (e.g. in the Y-direction). Now, the left and right keys of the input device 30′ will look like and function as up and down arrows, and selection of the up key or the down key will result in the vantage point moving up or down.
Although the example geographic area in
In some applications, the processor 24′ may accept annotations or modifications to the series of 2D images via the input device 30′, and may in turn pass these annotations or modifications to the data server 12′. The data server 12′ may then update the 3D geospatial model based upon the annotations or modifications receives from the mobile electronic device 20′. Additionally or alternatively, the data server 12′ may receive updates to the 3D geospatial model from any source, and may then update the series of 2D images stored on the mobile electronic device 20′ based upon the updates to the 3D geospatial model.
Further, the mobile electronic device 20′ may also include a GPS receiver (not shown), and the processor 24′ may allow display of either a subset of the 2D images, or the entire set of the series of 2D images, based upon the GPS receiver. In such an embodiment, the GPS receiver may indicate that the mobile electronic device 20′ is in a secure area, and the processor 24′ may then allow display of the entire series of 2D images. Alternatively, the GPS receiver may indicate that the mobile electronic device 20′ is in a non-secure area, and the processor 24′ may then allow display of a subset of the series of 2D images.
In embodiments where the series of 2D images is stored in a 3D array, organization of the sequence index into chapters may not be needed, and, indeed, the sequence index itself may not be needed. Rather, the processor 24′ may simply display the next image of the series of 2D images based upon a selected next vantage point. The selection of the next vantage point may be performed by selecting a direction (X, Y, Z, or combinations thereof) in which the vantage point should be changed, and then the processor 24′ advances the 3D in a corresponding direction.
One such embodiment is illustrated with further reference to
In
Flipping the page upward, such as by using an up button or upward swipe, results in the vantage point being moved in the Z-direction again, so that the next image, as shown in
Flipping the page in a diagonal direction towards the upper right by using a diagonal button or swipe, results in the vantage point being rotated about the building 34′ to the left, as shown in
A method of operating a communications system is now described with reference to the flowchart 40 of
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.