System and method for determining geo-location(s) in images

• US 8,934,008 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognitech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cognitech, Inc.
• Inventors: Rudin, Leonid I., Yu, Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/683,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 348/135
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/16 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Determining GPS coordinates of some image point(s) positions in at least two images using a processor configured by program instructions. Receiving position information of some of the positions where an image capture device captured an image. Determining geometry by triangulating various registration objects in the images. Determining GPS coordinates of the image point(s) positions in at least one of the images. Saving GPS coordinates to memory. This system and method may be used to determine GPS coordinates of objects in an image.

Claims

1. A system for determining world coordinates of a point in 3D space whose projection is common to at least three images captured by one or more image capture devices from at least three separate locations, comprising:

memory for storing program instructions;

at least one processor in communication with the memory wherein the processor is configured by the program instructions to;

receive world coordinates for each of the at least three separate locations;

determine translational and rotational geometry of each of the one or more image capture devices with respect to each other based on the at least three images;

determine local geometry of the point in 3D space; and

determine world coordinates of the point in 3D space using trilateration based on the world coordinates for each of the at least three separate locations and the local geometry of the point in 3D space, and translational and rotational geometry of each of the one or more image capture devices with respect to each other.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the world coordinates for each of the at least three separate locations are determined based upon world coordinates of ground truth points.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein determining world coordinates of the point further comprises determining translational and rotational geometry of at least one of the one or more image capture devices with respect to the world coordinate system.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein determining translational and rotational geometry of at least one of the one or more image capture devices with respect to the world coordinate system comprises computing a rotation matrix for the at least one of the one or more image capture devices with respect to the world coordinate system.