Patent ID: 7158152

Claim:
A method of synthesizing a cartographic image including pixels and representing a terrain overflown by an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of: computing the cartographic image at each pixel on the basis of several cues which include a first color altimetric cue obtained on the basis of a datum of absolute altitude or relative altitude with respect to the altitude of the aircraft, of a cue of presence of at least one intervisibility zone and of a cue of presence of a forest zone, a second shading cue representative of the relief of the terrain, and a third color planimetric cue, the entire set of altimetric cues having an altimetric image and the entire set of planimetric cues having a planimetric image, wherein the method comprises two types of mode, including a normal mode type in which, at each pixel, the shading cue modulates the altimetric cue but not the planimetric cue and an inverted mode type in which, at each pixel, the shading cue modulates the planimetric cue but not the altimetric cue, and wherein the cartographic image is obtained, in a normal mode type on the basis of the modulated altimetric image and of the planimetric image, in an inverted mode type on the basis of the altimetric image and of the modulated planimetric image.