Mosaic oblique images and methods of making and using same

• US 20110102461A1
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• 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, Gray, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,081,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/643
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30176 Document
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/06 Topological mapping of higher dimensional structures onto lower dimensional surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85

Abstract

A system, including a computer system running image processing software, receives an identification of a desired area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image. The computer system creates a mathematical model of a virtual camera having a sensor higher in elevation from which the source oblique images were captured and looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map for the sensor of the desired area encompassing multiple source images. The computer system assigns a surface location to each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map and selects source oblique images of the geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera. The computer system reprojects at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map to create the oblique-mosaic image.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer system running image processing software that when executed by the computer system causes the computer system to;

receive an identification of a desired area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image;

create a mathematical model of a virtual camera having a sensor higher in elevation from which the source oblique images were captured and looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map for the sensor of the desired area encompassing multiple source images;

assign a surface location to each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map;

select source oblique images of the geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera; and

reproject at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map in a fan-like pattern to thereby create an oblique-mosaic image of the desired geographical area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to project each pixel through the perspective of the virtual camera to determine a corresponding surface location for each pixel in the oblique-mosaic pixel map.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein multiple source oblique images represent the same surface location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to compare the pixels of each source oblique image that represent the same surface location to determine which source pixel is most representative of the surface location, the more representative pixel to be included in the oblique-mosaic image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the pixel is reprojected to match the size and shape of the represented surface location as taken from the elevation, compass direction, and oblique angle of the virtual camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to remove the effects of elevation from the source oblique images prior to reprojection and then to add the effects of elevation to the oblique-mosaic image after reprojection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the lean of vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic image is minimized.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein minimization of the lean of vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic image is defined further as creating an elevation model from the source oblique images taking into account the vertical structures, and reprojecting at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein minimizing lean of vertical structures is defined further as matching vertical structures in multiple source oblique images and shifting pixels apparent location in at least one of the source oblique images by a relative height above a ground model.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein metadata is stored with the oblique-mosaic image.

11. A system comprising:

a computer system running image processing software that when executed by the computer system causes the computer system to;

receive an identification of a desired area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image;

create a mathematical model of a virtual camera having a sensor, where the virtual camera has an elevation greater than an elevation from which the source oblique images were captured and looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map for the sensor of the desired area encompassing multiple source oblique images;

determine a geographic coordinate for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map;

select source oblique images of the geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera; and

reproject, using a mathematical elevation model to define a ground surface within the desired geographical area, at least one source oblique image pixel of the selected source oblique images of the area to be imaged from the vantage point of the sensor of the virtual camera for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map in a fan-like pattern to thereby create a geo-referenced oblique-mosaic image of the desired geographical area.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to project each pixel through the perspective of the virtual camera to determine a corresponding surface location for each pixel in the oblique-mosaic pixel map.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein multiple source oblique images represent the same surface location.

14. The system of claim 16, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to compare the pixels of each source oblique image that represent the same surface location to determine which source pixel is most representative of the surface location, the more representative pixel to be included in the oblique-mosaic image.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the pixel is reprojected to match the size and shape of the represented surface location as taken from the elevation, compass direction, and oblique angle of the virtual camera.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to remove the effects of elevation from the source oblique images prior to reprojection and then to add the effects of elevation to the oblique-mosaic image after reprojection.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the lean of vertical structures within the oblique mosaic image is minimized.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein minimization of the lean of vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic image is defined further as the creating an elevation model from the source oblique images taking into account the vertical structures, and reprojecting at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein minimizing lean of vertical structures is defined further as matching vertical structures in multiple source oblique images and shifting pixels apparent location in at least one of the source oblique images by a relative height above a ground model.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein metadata is stored with the oblique-mosaic image.