Mosaic oblique images and methods of making and using same

• US 8,452,125 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen, Giuffrida, Frank, Gray, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Newman, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/317,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20120201478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 382/113, 382/154, 382/284, 382/285, 382/294, 345/629, 345/646
• US Class Current: 382/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30176 Document
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/06 Topological mapping of higher dimensional structures onto lower dimensional surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• 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 system, including a computer system running image processing software, receives an identification of a desired area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image, creates a mathematical model of a virtual camera having a sensor higher in elevation from which the source oblique images were captured and looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map for the sensor of the desired area encompassing multiple source images, determines geographic coordinates for pixels, and selects source oblique images of the geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera. The computer system reprojects at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map to create the oblique-mosaic image.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer system running image processing software that when executed by the computer system causes the computer system to;

receive an identification of a desired geographical area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image;

create a mathematical model of a virtual camera looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map of the desired geographical area encompassing multiple source images;

assign a surface location to each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map;

select source oblique images of geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera;

create a ground elevation model of the ground and vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic pixel map using overlapping source images; and

reproject source oblique image pixels of the area to be imaged for pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map using the ground elevation model to thereby create an oblique-mosaic image of the desired area.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual camera has a perspective, and wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to project each pixel through the perspective of the virtual camera to determine a corresponding surface location for each pixel in the oblique-mosaic pixel map.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein multiple source oblique images represent a same surface location.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to compare the pixels of each source oblique image that represent the same surface location to determine which source pixel is most representative of the surface location, the more representative pixel to be included in the oblique-mosaic image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map is reprojected to match a size and shape of a represented surface location as taken from the elevation, compass direction, and oblique angle of the virtual camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to remove effects of elevation from the source oblique images prior to reprojection and then to add the effects of elevation to the oblique-mosaic image after reprojection.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein lean of vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic image is minimized.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein minimizing lean of vertical structures is defined further as matching vertical structures in multiple source oblique images and shifting pixels apparent location in at least one of the source oblique images by a relative height above a ground model.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein metadata is stored with the oblique-mosaic image.

10. A system comprising:

a computer system running image processing software that when executed by the computer system causes the computer system to;

receive an identification of a desired geographical area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image;

create a mathematical model of a virtual camera looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map of the desired geographical area encompassing multiple source oblique images;

determine geographic coordinates for pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map;

select source oblique images of the geographic coordinates captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to the oblique angle and compass direction of the virtual camera;

create a ground elevation model of the ground and vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic pixel map using overlapping source images; and

reproject, using the ground elevation model to define a ground surface and surfaces of vertical structures within the desired geographical area, at least one source oblique image pixel of the selected source oblique images of the area to be imaged from a vantage point of the virtual camera for pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map to thereby create a geo-referenced oblique-mosaic image of the desired geographical area.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the virtual camera has a perspective, and wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to project each pixel through the perspective of the virtual camera to determine a corresponding surface location for each pixel in the oblique-mosaic pixel map.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein multiple source oblique images represent a same surface location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to compare the pixels of each source oblique image that represent a same surface location to determine which source pixel is most representative of the surface location, the more representative pixel to be included in the oblique-mosaic image.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the pixel is reprojected to match a size and shape of the represented surface location as taken from the elevation, compass direction, and oblique angle of the virtual camera.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the image processing software further causes the computer system to remove effects of elevation from the source oblique images prior to reprojection and then to add the effects of elevation to the oblique-mosaic image after reprojection.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein lean of vertical structures within the oblique mosaic image is minimized.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein minimizing lean of vertical structures is defined further as matching vertical structures in multiple source oblique images and shifting pixels apparent location in at least one of the source oblique images by a relative height above a ground model.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein metadata is stored with the oblique-mosaic image.