Scene documentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639941-B2
Application number	US-201514882243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A plurality of images are captured by an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform from at least two different perspectives that depict a point of interest in a scene. Coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images, orientation information is obtained via orientation sensors of the mobile data collection platform, a position fix of an antenna associated with the mobile data collection platform is determined, and a position of an entrance pupil of the image capturing device is calculated. Scale information associated with at least one of the images is captured. Scene data comprises the images, the orientation information and the entrance pupil positions. A three dimensional position of the point of interest at the scene is determined based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of scene documentation, the method comprising:
with a mobile data collection platform:
capturing, by an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform, a plurality of images from at least two different perspectives that depict a point of interest in the scene, and coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images:
obtaining orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle via orientation sensors of the mobile data collection platform;
determining a position fix of an antenna associated with the mobile data collection platform, in three dimensions, based on raw Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observables captured by the antenna; and
calculating a position of an entrance pupil of the image capturing device, in three dimensions, based on the orientation information and a known offset between the entrance pupil and the antenna, wherein each of the images is associated with one of a plurality of entrance pupil positions, wherein the determining, and the calculating are performed by one or more hardware processors that are part of the mobile data collection platform and outside of an internal GNSS chipset of the mobile data collection platform; and

capturing scale information associated with at least one of the images; and

with a server located remote from mobile data collection platform:
receiving from the mobile data collection platform, via a communication network, scene data comprising: the images, the orientation information, and the entrance pupil positions; and
determining by one or more hardware processors of the server, based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data, a three dimensional position of the point of interest at the scene.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining by the server, based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data, a second three dimensional position of an additional point of interest at the scene.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the point of interest is a first point of interest and wherein further comprising:
calculating, by the server, a vector between the first point of interest and the additional point of interest.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
annotating, by the server, information associated with the vector, the point of interest, and the additional point of interest onto at least one of the images to create an annotated image.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
outputting, by the server, the annotated image.

6. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving, by the server, an identification of the additional point of interest.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
with a depth camera array coupled with the mobile data collection platform, capturing at least one set of images; and
generating a depth-based scale factor based on the at least one set of images.

8. A system comprising:
a mobile data collection platform configured to:
capture, by an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform, a plurality of images from at least two different perspectives that depict a point of interest in an scene, and coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images:
obtain orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle via orientation sensors of the mobile data collection platform;
determine a position fix of an antenna associated with the mobile data collection platform, in three dimensions, based on raw Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observables captured by the antenna; and
calculate a position of an entrance pupil of the image capturing device, in three dimensions, based on the orientation information and a known offset between the entrance pupil and the antenna, wherein each of the images is associated with one of a plurality of entrance pupil positions, wherein one or more hardware processors that are part of the mobile data collection platform and outside of an internal GNSS chipset of the mobile data collection platform determine the position fix of the antenna, and calculate the entrance pupil position; and

capture scale information associated with at least one of the plurality of images; and

a server located remote from mobile data collection platform and configured to:
receive from the mobile data collection platform, via a communication network, scene data comprising: the images, the orientation information, and the entrance pupil positions; and
determine by one or more hardware processors of the server, based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data, a three dimensional position of the point of interest at the scene.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the server is further configured to:
determine, based on photogrammetric image processing of the scene data, a second three dimensional position of an additional point of interest at the scene.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the point of interest is a first point of interest and wherein the server is further configured to:
calculate a vector between the first point of interest and the additional point of interest.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the server is further configured to:
annotate information associated with the vector, the point of interest, and the additional point of interest onto at least one of the images to create an annotated image.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
output the annotated image.

13. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to:
receive an identification of the additional point of interest.

14. The system as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a depth camera array coupled with the mobile collection platform, wherein the depth camera array is configured to capture at least one set of images; and
wherein the server is further configured to generate a depth-based scale factor based on the at least one set of images.

15. A mobile data collection platform comprising:
an image capturing device that is an integral part of the mobile data collection platform and is configured to capture a plurality of images from at least two different perspectives that depict a point of interest in an scene,
one or more hardware processors configured to:
obtain, coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images, orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle via orientation sensors of the mobile data collection platform;
determine, coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images, a position fix of an antenna associated with the mobile data collection platform, in three dimensions, based on raw Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observables captured by the antenna; and
calculate, coincident with capture of each of the plurality of images, a position of an entrance pupil of the image capturing device, in three dimensions, based on the orientation information and a known offset between the entrance pupil and the antenna, wherein each of the images is associated with one of a plurality of entrance pupil positions,
wherein the one or more hardware processors are part of the mobile data collection platform and outside of an internal GNSS chipset of the mobile data collection platform; and
capture scale information associated with at least one of the plurality of images; and

a transceiver configured to:
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Assignees

• Trimble Navigation Ltd
• Trimble Inc

Inventors

• Rudow Richard
• Mcfadden Chad
• Wold Robert
• Kasirajan Venkateswaran
• Talbot Nicholas C
• Loomis Peter Van Wyck
• Weisenburger Shawn D
• Janky James M
• Mccusker Michael V

Classifications

• H04N23/635

  Region indicators; Field of view indicators · CPC title

• G01S19/485

  whereby the further system is an optical system or imaging system · CPC title

• H04N5/23293

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06T7/60

  Analysis of geometric attributes · CPC title

• G01S19/25

  involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS · CPC title