I have an application that receives a number of datums that characterize 3 dimensional spatial and temporal processes. It then filters these datums and creates actions whic
This is Spatial Reasoning... a few models but 9DE-IM is now accepted by OGC and implemented in PostGIS and other programming tools.
PostGIS implements a spatial reasoning engine based on dimensionally extended 9 intersection model... 9DE-IM..
http://postgis.refractions.net/documentation/manual-svn/ch04.html#DE-9IM check sect 4.3.6.1. Theory...
So does the Java Topology Suite (and Net Topology suite for C# etc)...
http://docs.codehaus.org/display/GEOTDOC/Point+Set+Theory+and+the+DE-9IM+Matrix
In particualr check out the geometry.relate stuff.. such as
boolean isRelated = geometry.relate( geometry2, "T*T***T**" )
You can test the relationships, or filter data based on them. Works with pts, lines, polygons etc...
This might help on temporal stuff..
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.87.4643&rep=rep1&type=pdf