3D Irregular Grid Compression With Original Point Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data compression methods for geospatial data, such as the Top-Down RTIN approach, fail to preserve original grid points and can lead to destabilization or irreducible mesh configurations, limiting the effectiveness of thinning and compression, especially in applications requiring user-specified loss of fidelity.
Innovation Solution
The Bottom-Up approach, which starts with a full grid and iteratively eliminates triangles using a unique RTIN structure, determines valid removable vertices and edge orientations, retaining data in shallow areas while trimming flat regions, allowing for controlled compression of 3D geophysical data with user-specified error thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the Top-Down RTIN approach is used to compress geospatial data, then data size is reduced, but original grid points are not preserved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional Top-Down approach by implementing a Bottom-Up approach. Instead of starting with a full grid and adding detail, the method starts with a coarse RTIN structure and iteratively adds triangles to preserve fidelity. This inversion allows the algorithm to maintain original grid points while achieving compression, as points are only added when necessary to meet fidelity thresholds rather than being present from the start.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-identifying and preserving original grid points before the compression process begins. The algorithm establishes a foundation of mandatory retained points that constrain subsequent triangulation operations, ensuring that original data locations are maintained throughout the compression process while still achieving size reduction through selective triangle addition.
2Quantity of substance
If aggressive thinning is applied to reduce data size, then compression ratio improves, but RTIN structure becomes destabilized or irreducible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through iterative fidelity evaluation. After each triangle addition, the algorithm evaluates whether the local fidelity threshold is met and adjusts subsequent triangulation decisions accordingly. This feedback loop prevents over-compression that would destabilize the RTIN structure while allowing aggressive thinning where fidelity permits, maintaining structural integrity throughout the compression process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the triangulation process adaptive and iterative rather than static. The algorithm dynamically adjusts the level of detail added in different regions based on local terrain characteristics and fidelity requirements. This dynamic approach allows the RTIN structure to remain stable and reducible by systematically evaluating and removing unnecessary triangles while preserving essential structural elements.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform compression is applied across the entire grid, then processing is simplified, but important features in shallow areas may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing spatially varying fidelity thresholds and triangle addition criteria. Different regions of the grid are treated differently based on local characteristics such as terrain variability, depth zones, and feature importance. This allows the algorithm to maintain high precision in critical shallow areas while applying more aggressive compression in less critical regions, optimizing both feature preservation and compression efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for compression of 3 dimensional (3D) geophysical (e.g., air temp, water temp, wind, current, humidity, salinity, etc.) datasets that contain regions of NaNs (IEEE standard representation for Not a Number) that represent land, i.e. geographic positions that do not have valid data. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow constraint of the error magnitude by a user specified threshold, where compression and error are inherent tradeoffs.