Patent ID: 7194389

Claim:
A process employing a computer, said process changing an appearance of a boundary between adjacent first and second sections of a map, said first section constructed with data processed with a first mathematical model and said second section constructed with data processed with second mathematical model, said process employing said computer for automatically merging data from said first and second mathematical models each incorporating at least one each horizontal and vertical datums, at least one of either said horizontal or vertical datums differing between said two mathematical models, at least said vertical datums incorporated in a geoid model, comprising: importing said first and second mathematical models onto said computer for integrating into a geographic information system (GIS) on said computer accessible via said computer; automatically determining said at least one each horizontal and vertical datums employed by each said first and second mathematical models; automatically projecting each said determined datums to a common three-dimensional (3-D) datum; automatically identifying each said geoid model for each said first and second mathematical models; automatically determining at least one value of separation between corresponding data points within first and second sets of data points, said first and second sets of data points corresponding to said at least one differing datum in each said first and second mathematical models, respectively; automatically applying a correction to said first set of corresponding data points of said first mathematical model based on said determination of said at least one value of separation and retaining said second set of corresponding data points of said second mathematical model unchanged, wherein said correction adjusts for vertical offsets between said first mathematical model and said second mathematical model; and employing GIS commands on said computer, automatically fusing into a third mathematical model data on said computer, said third mathematical model representing said corrected first of said mathematical models with data representing said unchanged second of said mathematical models, wherein said third mathematical model changes the appearance of the boundary between said adjacent map sections to allow a viewer of said map to see a realistic representation of the biographical formations of interest along said boundary between said adjacent sections.