Navigation and inspection system

• US 7,386,394 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William E. Knight
• Original Assignee: Doubleshot, Inc.
• Inventors: Shulman, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/326,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/213, 701/211, 701/205, 701/208, 701/210, 348/118, 348/119, 348/129, 348/130, 348/135, 348/143, 340/995.17, 340/995.22, 455/414.2, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• 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 method of detecting a changed condition within a geographical space from a moving vehicle. Images of that geographic space are memorialized in conjunction with GPS coordinates together with its GPS coordinates. The same geographic space is traversed from the moving vehicle while accessing the route'"'"'s GPS coordinates. The memorialized images are played back by coordinating the GPS data on a memorialized images with that of the traversed geographic space such that the memorialized images are viewed simultaneously with the geographic space being traversed. An observer traveling within the moving vehicle can compare the memorialized images with those being traversed in order to identify changed conditions.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a changed condition within a view from a vehicle, the method comprising:

capturing a first set of image data representing the view in real-time from an image acquisition device associated with the vehicle;

determining one or more meta-tags including information relating to location and orientation of the image acquisition device;

acquiring a second set of image data based on the one or more meta-tags, wherein the second set of image date comprises picture data stored as individual images sampled from previously-acquired real-time data based on GPS date;

displaying the first set of image data in real-time and the previously-captured second set of image data, synchronized based on the one or more meta-tags; and

identifying the changed condition within the veiw based on the two sets of image data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the picture data is stored in JPEG format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more meta-tags include elevation information relating to elevation of the image acquisition device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more meta-tags include time of day information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more meta-tags includes data received from one or more of inertial sensors, inclinometers, accelerometers, digital compasses, or clocks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more meta-tags includes information representing a speed at which the image acquisition device capturing the first set of image data in real-time is moving.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of image data are displayed simultaneously on two views of one display or two single views in each of two displays in close proximity to one another.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the two views of the one display or the two displays are situated horizontally one over the other.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing a first set of image data representing the view from a image acquisition device associated with the vehicle further comprises:

capturing the first set of image data representing the view from the image acquisition device at a frame rate dependent on speed of the image acquisition device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device is one of a video or thermal camera.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a warning of the identified changed condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing a warning of the identified changed condition comprises highlighting the changed condition on a display.