System for Detecting Image Abnormalities

• US 20080273753A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Giuffrida, Frank, Schultz, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30181 Earth observation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection

Abstract

An image capture system for capturing images of an object, the image capture system comprising a moving platform such as an airplane, one or more image capture devices mounted to the moving platform, and a detection computer. The image capture device has a sensor for capturing an image. The detection computer executes an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured and then automatically and immediately causing a re-shoot of the image. Alternatively, the detection computer sends a signal to the flight management software executed on a computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the image. When the moving platform is an airplane, the detection computer schedules a re-shoot of the image such that the image is retaken before landing the airplane.

Claims

1. An image capture system for capturing images of an object, the image capture system comprising:

an image capture device having a sensor for capturing an image; and

a detection computer executing an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured and then automatically causing a re-shoot of the image.

2. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the detection computer automatically and immediately causes a re-shoot of the image.

3. An image capture system for capturing aerial images of the Earth, the image capture system comprising:

an airplane;

an image capture device mounted to the airplane, the image capture device having a sensor for capturing an image;

a computer system executing flight management software monitoring the position of the airplane and outputting signals to the image capture device to cause the image capture device to capture images; and

a detection computer executing an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured, the abnormality detection algorithm causing the detection computer to send a signal to the flight management software executed on the computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the image prior to landing of the airplane.

4. A method of taking aerial images, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first image of a portion of the Earth utilizing an image capture device mounted to a moving platform;

immediately detecting an abnormality in the first image; and

shortly thereafter capturing a second image overlapping the first image upon detection of the abnormality in the first image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of shortly thereafter capturing the second image is defined further as capturing the second image and scanning the second image to determine whether an abnormality is located in the second image.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of shortly thereafter capturing another image in response to an abnormality being located in the second image.

7. A method of taking aerial images, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first image of a portion of the Earth utilizing an image capture device mounted to a moving platform and based upon a schedule accessed by flight management software executed by a computer system;

immediately detecting an abnormality in the first image; and

immediately causing a sequence of re-shoots of the first image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of immediately causing a sequence of re-shoots of the first image is defined further as immediately causing a sequence of re-shoots of the first image until the next scheduled image to be taken by the image capture device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of immediately causing a sequence of re-shoots of the first image is defined further as immediately cause one or more re-shoots without detecting whether the abnormality is captured in the re-shot images.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of immediately causing a sequence of re-shoots of the first image is defined further as searching for an abnormality in the re-shot images and ending the sequence of re-shoots upon the lack of detection of an abnormality in a re-shot image.