US Patent 10061486 Area monitoring system implementing a virtual environment

An area monitoring system includes a camera to monitor a region of interest and provide real-time video data corresponding to real-time video images of the region of interest. A memory stores data associated with a rendered virtual environment associated with a geographic region that includes the region of interest. An image processor combines the real-time video data and the data associated with the virtual environment to generate image data. A user interface enables a user to navigate the virtual environment via inputs and displays the image data based on a location perspective corresponding to a viewing perspective of the user at a given virtual location within the virtual environment. The image processor superimposes the video images of the region of interest onto the virtual environment in the image data at a location and an orientation associated with the location perspective of the user within the virtual environment.