System, apparatus and method for mapping

• US 20060136126A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 1626628 Ontario Limited
• Original Assignee: 1626628 Ontario Limited
• Inventors: Burchfield, Marcy L., Geile, Wolfhard, Coombes, Anthony C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3852 Data derived from aerial or satellite images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel apparatus and method for mapping of urban regions. An apparatus includes the remote sensing equipment that is connected to a computer processor. The remote sensing equipment gathers imaging data about an urban region. The computer processor interprets the imaging data to generate a map of the urban region comprising representations that identify a first set of indicia representing physiographic characteristics, a second set of indicia representing different types of built forms, and a third set of indicia representing patterns of human activity associated with both the physiographic characteristics and the built forms. The map can also include a fourth set of indicia representing an intensity level that at least one of the other types of indicia occurs.

Claims

1. A map of an urban region comprising:

a first set of indicia representing physiographic characteristics of said region;

a second set of indicia representing a plurality of different types of built forms, and their locations, that are located within said region; and

a third set of indicia representing patterns of human activity associated with both said physiographic characteristics and said built forms.

2. The map of claim 1 further comprising a fourth set of indicia representing an intensity level associated with at least one of said sets of indicia representing a degree to which said indicia occurs.

3. A map of an urban region comprising representations that identify at least two different precincts, each of said precincts comprising a first set of indicia representing physiographic characteristics of said region;

a second set of indicia representing at least three different types of built forms, and their locations, that are located within said region;

a third set of indicia representing patterns of human activity associated with both said physiographic characteristics and said built forms.

4. The map of claim 3 further comprising a fourth set of indicia representing an intensity level that at least one of said sets of indicia occurs and wherein said at least a portion of said sets of indicia respective to each of said precincts are different.

5. A method of generating a map comprising the steps of:

receiving remotely sensed data of an urban region that includes a plurality of built forms;

determining a type of each said built form in said remotely sensed data based on a comparison of said built forms found in said remotely sensed data with a known database of a plurality of different types of built forms; and

generating user output containing indicia identifying said determined type of each built form in said region, said user output presented in a graphical form that represents said region and including a location of each said built form according to said determined type.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said database contains data representing at least one of a detached house, a semi-detached house, a row house, a mid-rise apartment building, a high-rise apartment building, and a single detached trailer, a mid-rise office building, a high-rise office tower, a main street shop building, a strip mall, a shopping mall, a big box store, a factory, a road, a highway, an electricity transmission right of way, a railway.

17. The method according to claim 5 wherein said user output is in a graphical form that represents said region;

said graphical form including a plurality of squares bounded by a set of coordinates on a grid;

said squares representing a predominance of said determined type of built form located in each said square.

18. The method of claim 5 wherein said graphical user output further includes a plurality of precincts, each said precinct formed based on groupings of substantially identical built forms within a predefined area of said region.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said precinct is formed based on at least one additional criteria in addition to built forms.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said at least one additional criteria includes at least one of a user selection, political boundaries, physiography, and human activity.

21. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining step additionally includes determining said type of said built forms based on at least one artifact within said remotely sensed data;

said at least one artifact corresponding to at least one identifier stored in said known database;

said identifier associated with a corresponding known type of a built form.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said known type of a built form is an apartment building;

said artifact including plurality of squares within a rectangular;

said at least one identifier corresponding to said artifact being a pair elevator shafts.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one artifact including a shadow;

said at least one identifier corresponding to a first one of said artifacts being a first shadow of a first length;

said at least one additional identifier corresponding to a second one of said artifacts being a second shadow of a second length greater than said first length;

wherein said determining step includes corresponding said shadows to a respective one of said built form types.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said first shadow corresponds with a house and said second shadow corresponds with an apartment building.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said first shadow corresponds with an apartment building and said second shadow corresponds with an office tower.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said known type of a built form is a house;

said artifact is an inclined roof;

said at least one identifier corresponding to said artifact being a peak line in said roof.

27. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of, after said determining step:

receiving data representing physiographic characteristics of said urban region; and

receiving data representing patterns of human activity associated with both said physiographic characteristics and said built forms,

and wherein said user output further contains indicia identifying said physiographic characteristics and said patterns of human activity in relation to said built forms.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said built forms include residential built forms;

said patterns of human activity include residence corresponding to said residential built forms and said intensity level includes an occupancy rate respective to said residential built forms.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said patterns of human activity includes at least one of residential, administrative, retail, manufacturing, employment, office, and transportation.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said patterns of human activity is based on at least one corresponding one of said built forms.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said patterns of human activity includes residential and said corresponding one of said built forms includes at least one of a house and an apartment building.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said patterns of human activity includes administrative and said corresponding one of said built forms includes an office tower.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein said patterns of human activity includes retail and said corresponding one of said built forms includes at least one of a strip mall, a shopping mall and a big box store.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein said patterns of human activity includes manufacturing and said corresponding one of said built forms includes a factory.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein said patterns of human activity includes transportation and said corresponding one of said built forms includes at least one of a road or a highway, or a railway.

36. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of, prior to said generating step:

receiving data representing a level of intensity associated with at least one of said physiographic characteristics, said patterns of human activity and said built forms and wherein said user output further contains indicia representing said level of intensity.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said physiographic characteristics include a plurality of types of physiography;

said patterns of human activity include a plurality of types of activity; and

said built forms include a plurality of types of built forms.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein said level of intensity is expressed as a percentage, such that a total of said level of intensity for each of said types of physiography totals 100%;

and a total of said level of intensity for each of said types of activity totals 100%; and

a total of said level of intensity for each of said types of built forms totals 100%.

7. A method of generating a map comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of data of an urban region representing physiographic characteristics;

receiving a second set of data of said urban region representing built forms and their locations;

receiving a third set of data of said urban region representing patterns of human activity associated with both said physiographic characteristics and said built forms;

determining different types of entities for each said set of data; and

generating user output containing indicia respective to each set of data that corresponds to said determined entities.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said user output is in a graphical form that includes a plurality of precincts, each of said precincts formed based on areas within said region that have a predefined set of common indicia.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of associating an intensity level associated with each set of indicia.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein said first set of data and said second set of data are obtained from remotely sensed data sources.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein said third set of data is obtained from census data.

12. An apparatus for generating a map comprising the steps of:

at least one input device for receiving a first set of data of an urban region representing physiographic characteristics, a second set of data of said urban region representing built forms and their locations and a third set of data of said urban region representing patterns of human activity associated with both said physiographic characteristics and said built forms;

a microprocessor connected to said input device operable to determine different types of entities for each said set of data; and

a user output device connected to said microprocessor for presenting indicia respective to each set of data that corresponds to said entities.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said indicia is presented in a graphical form that includes a plurality of precincts, each of said precincts defined by areas within said region that have a predefined set of common indicia.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising the step of associating an intensity level associated with each set of indicia.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said first set of data and said second set of data are obtained from remotely sensed data sources.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said third set of data is obtained from census data.

39. A computer readable medium for storing programming instructions readable by and executable on a general purpose computer;

said programming instructions implementing a method of generating a map;

said programming instructions comprising the steps of;

receiving remotely sensed data of an urban region that includes a plurality of built forms;

determining a type of each said built form in said remotely sensed data based on a comparison of said built forms found in said remotely sensed data with a known database of a plurality of different types of built forms; and

generating user output containing indicia identifying said determined type of each built form in said region, said user output presented in a graphical form that represents said region and including a location of each said built form according to said determined type.