Cognitive change detection system

• US 8,036,827 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• 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:
  US12/505,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/207, 348/231.2, 348/169, 348/148
• 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 storing geo-referenced imagery, the method comprising:

providing a system, wherein the system comprises a computer processor and a database;

receiving, by the computer processor, a first set of image data captured at a first rate and a first set of meta-tags associated with a field of view at a location along a travel route; and

storing within the database at second rate a second set of image data and a second set of meta-tags, wherein the second rate is independent of the first rate and based in part on a distance traveled along the travel route.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of image data comprises the field of view from an image acquisition device associated with a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle, a manned aircraft, a manned vehicle, or a robotically-controlled vehicle.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of image data is captured from the image acquisition device at a frame rate dependent on a velocity of the image acquisition device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the image acquisition device is one of a video or a thermal camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of image data is video data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of image data is sampled from the first set of image data and the second set of meta-tags is sampled from the first set of meta-tags.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each image within the second set of image data is associated with one or more meta-tags from the second set of meta-tags based in part on geo-location data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of image data is stored as one or more individual images.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more individual images are stored in a JPEG format.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more individual images are sampled from real-time video data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or the second set of image data is discrete raster-based imagery based on one or more of video imagery, computer-generated imagery, multi-spectral imagery, thermal imagery, magnetic imagery, radar, ladar, or sonar.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set or the second set of meta-tags includes one or more of GPS coordinates, elevation, or heading information associated with the field of view provided by an image acquisition device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set or the second set of meta-tags includes data received from one or more of inertial sensors, inclinometers, accelerometers, digital compasses, or timing devices.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set or the second set of meta-tags includes information representing a velocity of an image acquisition device capturing the image data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set or the second set of meta-tags includes time of day information.

17. A method of compressing geo-referenced imagery, the method comprising:

receiving, over an interface, a first set of image data captured at a first rate and a first set of meta-tags associated with a field of view at a location along a travel route;

assigning, using a processor, one or more meta-tags from the first set of meta-tags to each image from the first set of image data based on geo-location data; and

storing within a database at second rate a second set of image data and a second set of meta-tags sampled from the first set of image data and the first set of meta-tags, wherein the second rate is independent of the first rate and based in part on a distance traveled along the travel route.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first set of image data is captured from the image acquisition device at a frame rate dependent on a velocity of the image acquisition device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second set of image data is stored as one or more individual images.