Cut-line steering methods for forming a mosaic image of a geographical area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839484-B2
Application number	US-201916577806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2019
Priority date	Aug 5, 2008
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating a mosaic image of two or more geo-referenced source images, the geo-referenced source images having the same orientation, based on a ground confidence map created by analyzing pixels of one or more of the geo-referenced source images, the ground confidence map having values and data indicative of particular geographic locations represented by the values, at least one of the values indicative of a statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground; and using routes for steering mosaic cut lines based at least in part on the values indicative of the statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground of the ground confidence map, such that the routes have an increased statistical probability of cutting through pixels representative of the ground versus routes not based on the ground confidence map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for creating a mosaic image, comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing image processing software that when executed perform functions of:
creating a mosaic image of two or more geo-referenced source images, the geo-referenced source images having a same orientation, based on a ground confidence map created by analyzing pixels of one or more of the geo-referenced source images, the ground confidence map having values and data indicative of particular geographic locations represented by the values, at least one of the values indicative of a statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground; and using routes for steering mosaic cut lines based at least in part on the values indicative of the statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground of the ground confidence map, such that the routes have an increased statistical probability of cutting through pixels representative of the ground versus routes not based on the ground confidence map.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the geo-referenced source images is a relative orientation of a virtual camera.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the geo-referenced source images comprises an oblique downward angle and a compass direction of an optical axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ground confidence map is an image file.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ground confidence map has a plurality of pixels with each pixel corresponding to a particular geographic location.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more oblique images.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more nadir images.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more captured image.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more projected image.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mosaic image is an oblique mosaic image.

11. A method for creating a mosaic image, comprising:
creating a mosaic image of two or more geo-referenced source images, the geo-referenced source images having a same orientation, based on a ground confidence map created by analyzing pixels of one or more of the geo-referenced source images, the ground confidence map having values and data indicative of particular geographic locations represented by the values, at least one of the values indicative of a statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground; and using routes for steering mosaic cut lines based at least in part on the values indicative of the statistical probability that the particular geographic locations represented by the values represents the ground of the ground confidence map, such that the routes have an increased statistical probability of cutting through pixels representative of the ground versus routes not based on the ground confidence map.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the orientation of the geo-referenced source images is a relative orientation of a virtual camera.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the orientation of the geo-referenced source images comprises an oblique downward angle and a compass direction of an optical axis.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ground confidence map is an image file.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ground confidence map has a plurality of pixels with each pixel corresponding to a particular geographic location.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more oblique images.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more nadir images.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more captured image.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more geo-referenced source images include one or more projected image.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mosaic image is an oblique mosaic image.

Assignees

• Pictometry Int Corp

Inventors

• Giuffrida Frank
• Schultz Stephen
• Gray Robert
• Bradacs Robert

Classifications

• G06T3/4038 Primary

  Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images · CPC title

• G01C11/02

  Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures · CPC title

• G06T7/12

  Edge-based segmentation · CPC title

• G06T2207/30184

  Infrastructure · CPC title

• G06T11/60

  Creating or editing images; Combining images with text · CPC title