Managing large datasets obtained through a survey-data-acquisition process

• US 9,280,576 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HNTB Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: HNTB Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Trotta, Brian William, DiGiacobbe, Paul James, Rothermel, Todd Dennis, Stehle, Tommy Allen, Howerton, Timothy Faye, Siebern, Christopher Michael, Horn, Adam Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US13/801,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity

Abstract

The invention generally relates to enabling the management of survey data. One embodiment includes providing an upload description that describes characteristics of survey data to be uploaded, assigning a thread to process a group of files that store aspects of the survey data, dividing the file into data chunks, deriving from a given data chunk a corresponding data-integrity value and respectively associating the same with the given data chunk, communicating the data chunks to a remote storage device, utilizing the corresponding data-integrity values to ensure successful communication of the data chunk, and spatially storing the survey data such that it is retrievable upon a request that describes a geographic area of interest.

Claims

1. A method of managing survey data, the method comprising:

generating, at a computing device, an extract that defines a geographic area of interest, wherein the extract is a query for a portion of a point cloud, and wherein a point cloud is a set of points arranged in a three-dimensional coordinate system;

communicating the extract to a remote storage system that comprise a spatial database that stores Light Detection and Ranging (“

LiDAR”

) point cloud survey data; and

receiving a set of point cloud data describing the geographic area of interest defined by the extract.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic area of interest is a cross-section area that is specified by a width, a height, and a depth.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cross-section area is generated at a point specified on a map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic area of interest is defined by drawing a shape on a map that shows extents of a selected project.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of point cloud data is received in a data stream generated by the remote storage system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey data is generated using a combination of GPS, inertial measuring, LiDAR and digital imaging data to generate a three-dimensional spatial description of an area in the form of a point cloud.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of point cloud data is written into a data stream for transport.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of point cloud data is received in an LAS file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the set of point cloud data at the computing device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method of managing survey data, the method comprising:

generating, at a computing device, an extract that defines a geographic area of interest, wherein the extract is a query for a portion of a point cloud, and wherein a point cloud is a set of points arranged in a three-dimensional coordinate system;

communicating the extract to a remote storage system that comprise a spatial database that stores Light Detection and Ranging (“

LiDAR”

) point cloud survey data; and

receiving a set of point cloud data describing the geographic area of interest defined by the extract.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the geographic area of interest is a cross-section area that is specified by a width, a height, and a depth.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the cross-section area is generated at a point specified on a map.

13. The media of claim 10, wherein the geographic area of interest is defined by drawing a shape on a map that shows extents of a selected project.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein the set of point cloud data is received in a data stream generated by the remote storage system.

15. The media of claim 10, wherein the set of point cloud data is received in a file.

16. The media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises saving the extract for reuse.

17. The media of claim 10, wherein the survey data is generated using a combination of GPS, inertial measuring, LiDAR and digital imaging data to generate a three-dimensional spatial description of an area in the form of a point cloud.

18. The media of claim 10, wherein the set of point cloud data is filtered to exclude points that do not conform to a filter criteria.