Patent ID: 8780105
Filing Date: 2014-07-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An electronic system configured to display a three-dimensional simulation scenario; said electronic system comprising: electronic processing means configured to generate a three-dimensional simulation scenario that includes a moving vehicle represented in a three-dimensional graphic format and movable in a three-dimensional virtual graphic space of the three-dimensional simulation scenario on the basis of displacement commands input by a user or contained in a simulation program; display means configured to display said three-dimensional simulation scenario; a virtual video camera associated with a camera point of a displacement plane, which is located within said three-dimensional simulation scenario; said camera point indicating a position of the virtual video camera on the displacement plane; said virtual video camera having a pointing axis crossing said camera point, and being designed to rotate together with the pointing axis about a pre-set axis of rotation, which crosses said camera point and is located orthogonal to the displacement plane; a pointer associated with a dragging point indicating the position of the pointer on the displacement plane; control means configured to move said pointer on the displacement plane in response to a manual action of a user, the control means being configured to position and move said pointer independently of position and/or movement of the moving vehicle within the three-dimensional virtual graphic space; processing means configured to translate said axis of rotation, keeping it parallel to itself, in said displacement plane and, at the same time, rotate said pointing axis of said virtual video camera about said axis of rotation so as to obtain a roto-translation of said virtual video camera, in response to a translation of said pointer in said displacement plane; wherein: said control means are configured to enable a user to place the pointer on the displacement plane so that the dragging point is located at an initial distance from said camera point; said processing means are further configured to: determine a straight line lying in said displacement plane and crossing said camera point and said dragging point; determine an initial angle between the pointing axis of the virtual video camera and the straight line; and during a movement of the pointer in said displacement plane, translate the axis of rotation keeping the axis of rotation parallel to itself in said displacement plane and, at the same time, rotate said pointing axis of the virtual video camera about said axis of rotation so that: the distance between said camera point and said dragging point is maintained constant at a constant value which is equal to the initial distance; and the angle between the pointing axis of the virtual video camera and a straight line is maintained at a constant value which is equal to the initial angle.