Feature Height-Based Colored Image Generation for Urban Terrain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing visualization systems for terrain in city areas either emphasize shadows over building edges, making images appear dirty, or fail to express building heights in color, leading to unclear visual representation.
Innovation Solution
A feature height-based colored image generating apparatus that uses digital elevation and surface models to create a red relief image with brighter colors for higher aboveground openings, darker colors for higher underground openings, and color-tinted images based on feature heights, overlaying inclination and relative height gradient images to produce a clear, colored representation of city features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If shadow emphasis is used to highlight building edges in red relief maps, then building contours become more visible, but the image appears dirty and roads are obscured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the terrain analysis into multiple independent components: red relief map (elevation), inclination map (slope angle), and shadow map (shaded relief). Each component is generated separately with optimized parameters, then selectively combined. This allows building edges to be highlighted in the red relief map without forcing shadow emphasis that would dirtify the entire image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different visualization qualities to different terrain features through selective layer combination. Building edges receive enhanced contrast from the red relief map, while roads and flat areas maintain cleaner appearance by relying more on the inclination map. The final composite image assigns different visual weights to different regions based on their terrain characteristics.
2Shape
If grayscale coloring is used for ground elevation and inclination, then terrain slope is clearly expressed, but building height cannot be displayed in color
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three separate visualization layers into a single composite image: the red relief map (showing elevation and building heights in color), the inclination map (showing terrain slope in grayscale), and the shadow map (providing depth perception). This combination preserves building height information in color from the red relief map while simultaneously maintaining terrain inclination expression from the grayscale inclination map.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to terrain visualization by superimposing the color-coded red relief information onto the traditional grayscale inclination map. This creates a multi-dimensional representation where elevation (color) and slope (grayscale intensity) coexist, allowing simultaneous perception of building heights and terrain inclination without sacrificing either information type.
3Loss of information
If multiple image layers are combined to express both elevation and inclination, then comprehensive terrain information is provided, but image complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex terrain visualization task into three manageable segmentation layers: red relief map generation, inclination map generation, and shadow map generation. Each layer is processed independently with dedicated algorithms optimized for its specific purpose, reducing the complexity of any single processing step while maintaining comprehensive information in the final composite.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal composite image generation system that can handle multiple terrain representation requirements simultaneously. The same three-layer framework (red relief + inclination + shadow) serves multiple functions: expressing building heights, terrain slopes, depth perception, and overall topography, making the system versatile for various visualization needs without requiring separate processing pipelines for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a first DSM generating unit, a ground DEM storing unit, a first DEM generating unit, a 2 m ground DEM storing unit, a first DHM generating unit, a first inclination image generating unit, a first inclination image storing unit, a first red relief image generating unit, a first gradient-tinted image generating unit, a first feature height-based colored image generating unit, a first building height comparison image generating unit, and the like. Accordingly, an image does not look dirty, and an image in which a shape of a feature is outlined clearly is obtained.