Geo-referencing of aerial imagery using embedded image identifiers and cross-referenced data sets

• US 7,061,510 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackman, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US09/800,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/106, 382/232, 348/231.1, 345/634, 381/51, 381/54, 713/176
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7854 using shape G06F16/7837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32154 Transform domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32299 using more than one embedding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

Digital watermarking technology is used in conjunction with map data, such as is acquired by satellite and other aerial sensors, and as may be generated from databases based on such aerial data. The watermarks can be used, e.g., to track meta data, provide serialization and forensic tracing, and various other benefits. The disclosure also contemplates that incoming imagery is automatically geo-referenced and combined with previously-collected data sets so as to facilitate generation of revised composite maps.

Claims

1. In a method of compiling satellite imagery and generating a map therefrom, an improvement comprising:

watermarking image data acquired by a satellite;

storing the watermarked image data in a database;

generating a map from the database; and

watermarking the map.

2. A composite map formed from plural sets of component map data, characterized in that said plural sets of component map data each are encoded with a different watermark, each of said different watermarks encoding, or linking to, meta data associated with its respective component map data.