3D Flight Imagery With Selective Rendering for Urban Air Mobility

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the visual representation of buildings based on their relevance to the aircraft's flight path. Buildings are rendered with varying levels of detail and visual prominence - those near the flight path or affecting flight are displayed with full three-dimensional detail, while distant or irrelevant buildings are simplified or obscured. This selective rendering maintains situational awareness without creating display clutter.

The navigation display is segmented into multiple depth layers or zones relative to the aircraft's position. The system divides the three-dimensional airspace into regions of high, medium, and low relevance, rendering buildings in each zone with appropriate visual characteristics. This segmentation allows relevant height information to be prominent while less relevant details are subdued or omitted.

The system performs partial rendering by selectively updating and rendering only those portions of the three-dimensional airspace that are relevant to the aircraft's current flight phase and position. Instead of constantly rendering all buildings in the entire airspace, the system identifies and renders only the subset of buildings that affect flight decisions, significantly reducing computational resource requirements while maintaining adequate situational awareness.

The rendering system dynamically adjusts the level of detail and rendering frequency based on the aircraft's flight phase, altitude, and proximity to buildings. During critical phases such as approach or emergency maneuvers, more detailed rendering is performed. During cruising or less critical phases, rendering is reduced or simplified. This dynamic adaptation optimizes resource usage according to actual operational needs.