Semi-automatic reconstruction method of 3-D building models using building outline segments

• US 7,133,551 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Central University
• Original Assignee: National Central University
• Inventors: Chen, Liang-Chien, Rau, Jiann-Yeou
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, AARON W
• Application Number:
  US10/160,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154, 382/285, 345419-427, 356 12- 14, 348 42- 60, 359462-477, 352 57- 65, 33/204, 353 7- 9, 378 41- 42, 396324-331
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/04 Interpretation of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/564 from contours

Abstract

A semi-automatic reconstruction method of 3-D building models using building outline segments is introduced. The core technology of the present invention is called the “Split-Merge-Shape” algorithm. The Split and Merge processes sequentially reconstruct the topology between any roof-edges of the buildings and then reform them as enclosed regions. The Shape process uses height information and consecutive-coplanar analysis to determine the shapes and heights of the roofs. After generating polyhedral building models, prismatic building models can also be generated by using a semi-automatic procedure. An existing digital topographic map of buildings can be directly used to reconstruct their 3-D models without any excess stereo-measurements. In addition to cost reduction, high efficiency, high quality, and minimization of manual operations, the integration of photogrammetric mapping with 3-D building modeling in one procedure is possible, which is the most cost-effective approach for 3-D mapping.

Claims

1. A method for semi-automatically reconstructing 3-D building models, comprising:

using a plurality of building outline segments to construct a plurality of closed polygonal building boundaries, wherein the neighboring building outline segments are either connected or disconnected;

creating an initial building model;

performing a pre-processing process on the building outline segments;

successively splitting the initial building model by the building outline segments to generate a plurality of the 3-D building models;

removing the 3-D building models that are connected to the initial building model;

successively analyzing shared boundaries of the two connected 3-D building models whether or not having a corresponding one of the building outline segments;

if no corresponding building outline segment exists, then merging the two building models into one single building model;

if one corresponding building outline segment exists, then keeping the two building models as the 3-D building models;

assigning a height to every one of the building'"'"'s boundaries according to a height of the corresponding one of the building outline segments; and

successively analyzing whether each of the building model'"'"'s boundaries is an independent-edge or a shared-edge, wherein the independent-edge means that it does not overlapped with the other building model'"'"'s boundaries on a 2-D horizontal plane, and the height information for the independent-edge can then be assigned and fixed from the corresponding one of the building outline segments, wherein

if only one of the independent-edges is found, it is necessary to check whether its surrounding rooftop is fixed or not;

wherein if all of its surrounding rooftop have already been fixed, then its rooftop can be inferred from the independent-edge; and

if at least two of the independent-edges exist and are sufficient to fit into a planar face, then a least-squares coplanar fitting can be applied, otherwise, a most possible solution is provided by a consecutive-coplanar analysis.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises acquiring a plurality of stereo images of the building model from different positions to perform the reconstruction of the building models, wherein the building outline segments are obtained by a stereo-measurement from roof edges of the building model.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the building outline segments includes three kinds of data, which are (i) a building layer of a digital topographic map in a form of the building outline segments, (ii) partial-occluded the building outline segments, and (iii) a 2-D building outline vector together with a number of stories and a terrain height information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein when dealing with ground objects that have a character of closed polygon, the method can integrate the digital photogrammnetric mapping wit the 3-D building model reconstruction to reduce a task of manual editing and manual modeling.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a 2-D building outline vector together with a number of stories and a terrain height information are utilized, a height of a flat-roof can be derived from the number of stories and the terrain height.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-processing comprises:

performing collinear processing, dangle removal, or dangle snapping when the building'"'"'s structure is not rectangular; and

performing orthogonal processing, collinear processing, dangle removal, or dangle snapping when the building'"'"'s structure is rectangular.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a visual inspection and post-processing, which comprises:

inspecting whether each of the 3-D building models is fit with the corresponding the building outline segments and consistent with the building in original aerial stereo-images;

if topology errors occurred due to manual measurement mistakes, an operator returning to the manual stereo-measurement stage to correct these mistakes and redo the modeling procedure;

if topology errors occurred due to stereo-measurement errors, the operator applying a suitable pre-processing procedure to automatically adjust the building outline segments and redo the modeling procedure;

if shaping errors occurred due to non-coplanarity of the roof-edges measurements, the operator choosing the best-fit rooftop provided by the consecutive-coplanar analysis; and

if a topology and a roof shape are all right, keeping the building models and forming a polyhedral building model.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a semi-automatic method for producing a prismatic building model:

according to an ownership information, interactively selecting the 3-D building models that belong to a same owner;

merging the selected 3-D building models into a single building model automatically-, and

giving a flat roof and an actual height to form the prismatic building model automatically.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a visual inspection procedure, which comprises

inspecting whether the actual height of the generated prismatic building model is correct;

if not, interactively choosing a correct one from all possible one of the roof heights provided by heights of a polyhedral building model; and

if yes, forming the prismatic building model.