Patent ID: 8032265

Claim:
A method for enhancing the visibility and ensuring the accuracy of terrain information on a visual display, comprising the steps of: storing a set of terrain data in a database; determining at least one of a current position, heading and speed of an aircraft; loading a patch of terrain data from the database, said patch of terrain data corresponding to a first region, said first region being based on at least one of a current position, heading and speed of said aircraft; identifying a priority region within the first region; retrieving a set of spatial position data corresponding to the priority region, wherein the spatial position data comprises real-time terrain information derived from one or more sensors onboard the aircraft; retrieving a second set of terrain data corresponding to the priority region, the second set of terrain data comprising a subset of the patch of terrain data; comparing an accuracy value for said second set of terrain data with an accuracy value for said set of spatial position data; and in response to determining the set of spatial position data is more accurate than the second set of terrain data: augmenting said patch of terrain data with said set of spatial position data, wherein augmenting said patch of terrain data with said set of spatial position data results in an augmented patch of terrain data; and rendering a three-dimensional perspective view on the visual display, the three-dimensional perspective view being based on the augmented patch of terrain data.