Methods and apparatus for generating three-dimensional image data models

• US 8,207,964 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Visual Real Estate Incorporated (California Gold Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visre Incorporated
• Inventors: Meadow, William D., Gordie, Randall A. Jr., Pavelle, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US12/036,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/426, 345/427, 345/441, 382/107, 382/154, 382/285
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• 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 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/787 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 : for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/28 : Mobile studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for generating a three dimensional output which includes a continuum of image data sprayed over three-dimensional models. The three-dimensional models can be representative of features captured by the image data wherein image data can be captured at multiple disparate points along another continuum. The user interface can also include multiple modalities of image data and statistical analysis of the image data.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating a three-dimensional model based upon two dimensional image data, the apparatus comprising:

a processor operatively attached to a data storage device and executable computer code stored upon the data storage device and executable upon demand to cause the processor to;

receive two or more images of a subject, wherein the two or more images comprise two dimensional image data captured from disparate points on a geospatial continuum and comprise portions aligned in a dimension consistent with the continuum;

generate a two dimensional composite image of the subject comprising the aligned portions of the two or more images;

create a human readable output comprising one or more three-dimensional models of the subject, the one or more three-dimensional models comprising one or more polygon based models generated from a point cloud array based upon structures included in the two dimensional composite image of the subject and sprayed with two dimensional image data of the subject captured from disparate points along the continuum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the human readable output additionally comprises user interactive controls operative to traverse the three-dimensional model.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selection of one or more three-dimensional models is presented based upon an indication of a geospatial location.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the geospatial location is indicated with a Cartesian coordinate.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the geospatial location is indicated with a latitude and longitude designation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selection of one or more three-dimensional models is presented based upon an indication of a street address.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a selection of one or more three-dimensional models is presented based upon an aerial view of a geographic area comprising polygon outline indicating a selected portion of the geographic area.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide a human readable output comprising user interactive devices operable to allow a user to traverse the three-dimensional model in one or more of three directions including:

a) an essentially up and down vertical movement;

b) an essentially side-to-side horizontal movement; and

c) a depth movement into and out of the three-dimensional model.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the image data and three-dimensional polygon based models presented to a user at a given instance are based upon a relative position selected by the user within the user interface and a response to a command issued via a user interactive device.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide at least one entry of metadata relating to a given geographic area within view.

11. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein specific image data captured of a particular geographic area is presented sprayed over three-dimensional structures generated from two-dimensional image data captured from that specific location.

12. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of cellular phone signal strength.

13. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of a wireless network data signal strength.

14. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of a global position system satellite data and a signal strength.

15. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of a radio signal strength.

16. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of a school district data encompassing a designated geospatial area.

17. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide an indication of an average yard size included in a designated geospatial area.

18. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide price range for real estate parcels included in a designated geographic area.

19. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the software is additionally operative to provide one or more of:

building features;

proximity to amenities;

political boundaries; and

zoning restrictions.

20. A method of generating a three-dimensional model of a geographic subject area, the method comprising:

capturing image data of a subject with an image capture device from disparate points along a continuum;

wherein the image data comprise two or more images comprise two dimensional image data captured from disparate points on a geospatial continuum and comprise portions aligned in a dimension consistent with the continuum;

generate a composite image of the subject comprising the aligned portions of the two or more images;

generating with a computerized system a point cloud array based upon a structure withing the composite image;

generating a three-dimensional model of an object included on the geographic area, wherein the three-dimensional model comprises one or more polygon based models generated from the point cloud array; and

spraying at least a portion of the image data captured on the three dimensional model.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the spraying of the image data captured on the three-dimensional model creates a human readable output.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising the step of creating a composite of image data comprising a portion of multiple disparate image data sets and spraying the composite image data on the subject.

23. The method of claim 22 additionally comprising the step of generating a user interactive control operative to traverse the three-dimensional model.

24. The method of claim 22 additionally comprising the steps of:

generating a selection of one or more three-dimensional models; and

presented selection of one or more three-dimensional models based upon an indication of geospatial location.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the geospatial location is indicated with a Cartesian coordinate.