Superimposing graphic representations of ground locations onto ground location images after detection of failures

• US 6,987,877 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spoonhower, John P., Paz-Pujalt, Gustavo R., Parkes, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAWAN, SHEELA C
• Application Number:
  US10/020,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 382/152, 382/104, 382/165, 382/190, 382/284, 382/276, 382/293, 382/294, 382/291, 382/303, 382/307, 701/208, 701/213, 340/995.1, 422/68.1, 422/100, 378/58, 378/59, 378/62, 405/174, 405/184, 405/184.1, 703/22, 428/85, 428/88, 428/89, 738/659, 738/658, 735/92, 738/66, 244/158.R, 244/159, 244/82, 244/113, 348/144, 342/64, 342/457
• US Class Current: 382/152
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images

Abstract

A method for superimposing graphic representations of ground locations onto images of ground locations after detecting the presence of material failure(s) or failures in man-made structures in such ground locations including providing an image sensor spaced remotely from the ground and which sequentially captures a number of images of various ground locations to provide digital images of such ground locations; processing captured digital images to determine the presence of a potential material failure in a man-made structure in accordance with predetermined coordinate positions which locate the man-made structures in one or more of the captured digital images; identifying reference points in the ground locations corresponding to the same reference points in the graphic representations of the ground location; and superimposing the graphic representation with the reference points onto at least one of the captured digital images.

Claims

1. A method for superimposing graphic representations of ground locations onto images of ground locations after detecting the presence of material failure(s) or failures in man-made structures in such ground locations comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an image sensor spaced remotely from the ground and which sequentially captures a number of images of various ground locations to provide digital images of such ground locations;

(b) processing captured digital images to determine the presence of a potential material failure in a man-made structure in accordance with predetermined coordinate positions which locate the man-made structures in one or more of the captured digital images;

(c) identifying reference points in the ground locations corresponding to the same reference points in the graphic representations of the ground location; and

(d) superimposing the graphic representation with the reference points onto at least one of the captured digital images.

2. The method of claim 1 further including scaling the digital images to match or register with the graphic representation of ground location.

3. The method of claim 1 further including encoding with color or other symbol predetermined areas of interest.

4. The method of claim 1 further including displaying the layered information as a whole or in superimposable layers in either soft display or printed hardcopy.

5. The method of claim 1 further including supplying to a customer combined sets of graphic representations including that an indication that there is potential material failure detected in a predetermined coordinate position.

6. The method of claim 1 further including:

(e) sending captured processed digital images with detected potential material failures to a customer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the digital image processing includes comparing previously captured digital images with newly captured digital images to determine variations in the captured digital images at the predetermined coordinates which indicate a potential material failure in a man-made structure.

8. The method according to claim 1 further including providing an image capture device which is located in a fixed structure position above the ground location or in a moving structure such as an aircraft or satellite.

9. The method of claim 1 further including storing in memory a representation of different material failures to be detected and comparing the captured digital image with the material failures to determine the presence of a material failure, type of material failures and location of the material failures.