Augmented three dimensional point collection of vertical structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016189367-A1
Application number	US-201615060264-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Automated methods and systems of creating three dimensional LIDAR data are disclosed, including a method comprising capturing images of a geographic area with one or more image capturing devices as well as location and orientation data for each of the images corresponding to the location and orientation of the one or more image capturing devices capturing the images, the images depicting an object of interest; capturing three-dimensional LIDAR data of the geographic area with one or more LIDAR system such that the three-dimensional LIDAR data includes the object of interest; storing the three-dimensional LIDAR data on a non-transitory computer readable medium; analyzing the images with a computer system to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest; and updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An automated method of creating three dimensional LIDAR data, comprising:
capturing images of a geographic area with one or more image capturing devices as well as location and orientation data for each of the images corresponding to the location and orientation of the one or more image capturing devices capturing the images, the images depicting an object of interest; capturing three-dimensional LIDAR data of the geographic area with one or more LIDAR system such that the three-dimensional LIDAR data includes the object of interest; storing the three-dimensional LIDAR data on a non-transitory computer readable medium; analyzing the images with a computer system to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest; and updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images.

2 . The automated method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted to a platform, and wherein capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are defined further as flying the platform over the geographic area.

3 . The automated method of claim 2 , wherein the platform is unmanned.

4 . The automated method of claim 2 , wherein the platform is manned.

5 . The automated method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted to an airplane, and wherein capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are defined further as flying over the geographic area with the airplane.

6 . The automated method of claim 1 , wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein the step of analyzing the images is defined further as utilizing GIS data of a utility network to assist in locating the object of interest within one or more images.

7 . The automated method of claim 1 , wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein the step of analyzing the images is defined further as scanning the images with an edge detection algorithm to locate utility wires depicted within the images, prior to determining three dimensional location of points on the utility tower.

8 . A system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data, comprising:
one or more image capturing devices for capturing images of a geographic area, the images depicting an object of interest; one or more geo-locating devices for capturing location and orientation data for each of the images corresponding to the location and orientation of the one or more image capturing devices capturing the images; one or more LIDAR system for capturing three-dimensional LIDAR data of the geographic area such that the three-dimensional LIDAR data includes the object of interest; one or more non-transitory computer readable medium for storing the three-dimensional LIDAR data; and a computer system for analyzing the images to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest and updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images.

9 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 8 , further comprising a platform upon which the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted.

10 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 9 , wherein the platform is unmanned.

11 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 9 , wherein the platform is manned.

12 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 8 , further comprising an airplane upon which the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted such that the images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are captured by flying over the geographic area with the airplane.

13 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 8 , wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein analyzing the images is defined further as utilizing GIS data of a utility network to assist in locating the object of interest within one or more images.

14 . The system for automatically creating three dimensional LIDAR data of claim 8 , wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein analyzing the images is defined further as scanning the images with an edge detection algorithm to locate utility wires depicted within the images, prior to determining three dimensional location of points on the utility tower.

15 . A method for analyzing a utility network comprising:
capturing images of a geographic area encompassing at least a portion of a utility network with one or more image capturing devices, the images including utility wires and utility towers having cross bars as well as location and orientation data for each of the images corresponding to the location and orientation of the one or more image capturing devices capturing the image; and analyzing at least one of the images with a computer system running a utility network detection algorithm with a gabor filter to identify pixel locations within the at least one image of cross bars depicted within the images.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the gabor filter is a first gabor filter having a first longitudinal axis, the pixel locations are first pixel locations, and wherein analyzing further comprises analyzing at least one of the images with the computer system running the utility network detection algorithm with a second gabor filter having a second longitudinal axis substantially aligned with the utility wires depicted in the at least one image to identify second pixel locations within the at least one of the images of the utility wires depicted within the at least one of the images, wherein the first longitudinal axis extends within a range between 85 to 95 degrees relative to the second longitudinal axis.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of converting the first and second pixel locations to real-world three dimensional coordinates using the first and second pixel locations and the location and orientation data corresponding to the location and orientation of the one or more image capturing devices capturing the images and storing the real-world three dimensional coordinates within a three-dimensional model of the utility network.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the three-dimensional model of the utility network is a Method 1 structure model.

Assignees

• Pictometry Int Corp

Inventors

• Schultz Stephen L
• Nilosek David R
• Petterson David S
• Harrington Timothy S

Classifications

• G06T2207/30184

  Infrastructure · CPC title

• G01S17/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/4808

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G06T7/0004 Primary

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title