US Patent 7499049 Relative geometry system and method

A system, method, and computer program product for reducing processing time related to relative geometry calculations performed for objects in a simulated three-dimensional environment. The method converts three-dimensional location coordinates of each object of a plurality of simulated objects in the simulated three-dimensional environment to coordinates of a two-dimensional grid. Then, a two-dimensional grid area that is associated with the scan of an object is calculated. Objects with two-dimensional grid coordinates that are collocated with the calculated area of the scan are determined and relative geometry calculations for the scan of the object determined to be collocated with the calculated area of the scan is performed.