GEOSPATIAL MODELING SYSTEM FOR IMAGES AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20100118053A1
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: KARP, John, McDowall, Tom, Rahmes, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/630
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model database for storing images of a geographical area and a reference digital surface model (DSM) of the geographical area. The images each have associated with them respective first geolocation data with a first accuracy. The reference DSM may include second geolocation data with a second accuracy being greater than the first accuracy. The geospatial modeling system may further include a processor cooperating with the geospatial model database for generating an initial DSM based upon overlapping portions of the images, and aligning the initial DSM based upon the reference DSM to generate a georeferenced DSM having a third accuracy greater than the first accuracy.

Claims

1. A geospatial modeling system comprising:

a geospatial model database for storing a plurality of images of a geographical area and a reference digital surface model (DSM) of the geographical area, the plurality of images each having associated therewith respective first geolocation data with a first accuracy, the reference DSM including second geolocation data with a second accuracy being greater than the first accuracy; and

a processor cooperating with said geospatial model database for

generating an initial DSM based upon overlapping portions of the plurality of images, and

aligning the initial DSM based upon the reference DSM to generate a georeferenced DSM having a third accuracy greater than the first accuracy.

2. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein the third accuracy is greater than the second accuracy.

3. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for generating updated respective first geolocation data for each of the plurality of images based upon the georeferenced DSM.

4. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for generating the third accuracy based upon least squares calculations.

5. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for aligning based upon iterative closest point (ICP) calculations.

6. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 5 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for aligning based upon the ICP calculations using a binary search tree.

7. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database to generate the initial DSM by at least:

correlating patches from the plurality of images to form a correlation surface;

determining peaks of the correlation surface; and

determining correspondence pairs based upon respective locations of the peaks of the correlation surface.

8. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of images comprises aerial earth images.

9. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 1 wherein the reference DSM is based upon Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data.

10. A geospatial modeling system comprising:

a geospatial model database for storing a plurality of images of a geographical area and a reference digital surface model (DSM) of the geographical area, the plurality of images each having associated therewith respective first geolocation data with a first accuracy, the reference DSM including second geolocation data with a second accuracy being greater than the first accuracy; and

a processor cooperating with said geospatial model database for

generating an initial DSM based upon overlapping portions of the plurality of images,

aligning the initial DSM based upon the reference DSM to generate a georeferenced DSM having a third accuracy greater than the first and second accuracies, and

generating updated respective first geolocation data for each of the plurality of images based upon the georeferenced DSM.

11. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 10 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for generating the third accuracy based upon least squares calculations.

12. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 10 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for aligning based upon iterative closest point (ICP) calculations.

13. The geospatial modeling system according to claim 12 wherein said processor further cooperates with said geospatial model database for aligning based upon the ICP calculations using a binary search tree.

14. A computer implemented method for geospatial modeling using a plurality of images of a geographical area and a reference digital surface model (DSM) of the geographical area, the plurality of images each having associated therewith respective first geolocation data with a first accuracy, the reference DSM including second geolocation data with a second accuracy being greater than the first accuracy, the method comprising:

generating an initial DSM based upon overlapping portions of the plurality of images;

aligning the initial DSM based upon the reference DSM to generate a georeferenced DSM having a third accuracy greater than the first accuracy; and

displaying at least one image based upon the georeferenced DSM.

15. The computer implemented method according to claim 14 wherein the third accuracy is greater than the second accuracy.

16. The computer implemented method according to claim 14 further comprising generating updated respective first geolocation data for each of the plurality of images based upon the georeferenced DSM.

17. The computer implemented method according to claim 14 wherein the aligning includes generating the third accuracy based upon least squares calculations.

18. The computer implemented method according to claim 14 wherein the aligning is based upon iterative closest point (ICP) calculations.

19. The computer implemented method according to claim 18 wherein the aligning comprises aligning based upon the ICP calculations using a binary search tree.

20. The computer implemented method according to claim 14 wherein the generating of the initial DSM comprises:

correlating patches from the plurality of images to form a correlation surface;

determining peaks of the correlation surface; and

determining correspondence pairs based upon respective locations of the peaks of the correlation surface.