Topographic measurement using stereoscopic picture frames
First Claim
1. A topographic data processor comprising:
- means for selecting a pair of frames from a plurality of candidate picture frames of a target area captured from different high-altitude positions, said pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
means for determining a parallax between the selected frames and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
means for converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a topographic measurement system wherein at least one satellite is used to scan the earth surface and send picture frames of a target area captured at different positions to an earth station. The picture frames are combined to produce a number of pairs of frames which constitute a stereoscopic image of the target area. Each frame pair is analyzed according to a number of visual characteristics and evaluated with a set of fitness values representative of the degrees of fitness of the frame pair to topographic measurement of the target area. A total of the fitness values is obtained from each frame pair and compared with the total values of other frame pairs. A frame pair having the highest total value is selected as a best pair. A parallax between the best pair frames is determined to produce first and second sets of line-of-sight vectors for conversion to topographic data.
13 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A topographic data processor comprising:
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means for selecting a pair of frames from a plurality of candidate picture frames of a target area captured from different high-altitude positions, said pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
means for determining a parallax between the selected frames and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
means for converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A topographic data processor comprising:
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frame selecting means for selecting a pair of frames from a plurality of candidate picture frames of a target area captured from high-altitude positions, said selected pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
scheduling means for selecting at least one airborne image sensor if an appropriate frame is not available in said plurality of candidate frames, sensing picture frames from the selected image sensor, whereby said frame selecting means uses the sensed frames to select a pair of frames;
means for determining a parallax between the frames selected by the frame selecting means and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
means for converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A topographic measurement system comprising:
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at least one image sensor mounted on a vehicle flying over a target area;
means for sensing a plurality of picture frames at different positions by using said image sensor;
means for selecting a pair of frames from said plurality of frames, said pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
means for determining a parallax between the selected frames and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
means for converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A topographic measurement system comprising;
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at least one image sensor mounted on a vehicle flying over a target area;
means for sensing a plurality of picture frames at different positions by using said image sensor;
frame selecting means for selecting a pair of frames from said plurality of frames of said target area, said selected pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
scheduling means for selecting at least one image sensor if an appropriate frame is not available in said plurality of frames, sensing picture frames from the selected image sensor, whereby said frame selecting means uses the sensed frames to select a pair of frames;
means for determining a parallax between the frames selected by the frame selecting means and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
means for converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, 55, 56)
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47. A computer readable storage medium containing a program executable by a computer to perform the steps of:
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a) selecting a pair of frames from a plurality of candidate picture frames of a target area captured from different high-altitude positions, said pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
b) determining a parallax between the selected frames and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
c) converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (51, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A computer readable storage medium containing a program executable by a computer to perform the steps of:
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a) selecting a pair of frames from a plurality of candidate frames of a target area captured from high-altitude positions, said selected pair of frames constituting a stereoscopic image of said target area;
b) selecting at least one airborne image sensor if an appropriate frame is not available in said plurality of candidate frames, sensing picture frames from the selected image sensor and repeating step (a) whereby a new pair of frames is selected;
c) determining a parallax between the selected frames and producing therefrom a first plurality of line-of-sight vectors and a second plurality of line-of-sight vectors; and
d) converting said first and second pluralities of line-of-sight vectors to topographic data. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification