Patent ID: 7698100

Claim:
A tangible computer readable medium that includes a series of computer readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors performs a method for analyzing sensor data, the method comprising: a. discretizing locations for sensor data in at least two value surfaces, the at least two value surfaces residing in a value space; b. deriving at least two surface components, each of the at least two surface components resulting from the intersection of a geometric beam shape function with each of the at least two value surfaces, the geometric beam shape function describing a sensor beam, the sensor beam having an origin, a direction, and a shape; c. determining minimum-maximum index locations for each of the at least two surface components, each of the minimum-maximum index locations representing a maximum index location and a minimum index location; d. for each of the at least two surface components, determining the index locations that are not outside the surface component and are not outside the minimum-maximum index locations associated with the surface component; e. determining contained surface component index locations by identifying the index locations that are not outside: i. the minimum-maximum index locations associated with each of the at least two surface components; and ii. each of the at least two surface components; and f. generating a beam value by performing a beam function using the values at the contained surface component index points.