System, apparatus, and method for utilizing geographic information systems

• US 9,552,669 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Underground Imaging Technologies, Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Underground Imaging Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Wallbom, Mark, Young, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): McDowell, Jr., Maurice L
• Application Number:
  US13/224,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20120127161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

One or more geographic limits of a view of a digital display device are determined based on a location and orientation of the digital display device. A least a location of a subsurface object within the view is determined, and a multi-dimensional first representation of the subsurface object is rendered in the view based on the location and depth such that the first representation indicates an actual location of the subsurface object within the view.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a discrete digital display device, comprising:

determining one or more geographic limits of a view of the digital display device based on a location and orientation of the digital display device, the one or more geographic limits defining a volume less than the entirety of the view and comprising space above and below a visible horizon of the view;

determining at least a location and a depth of a subsurface object within the volume;

rendering a multi-dimensional first representation of the subsurface object in the view based on the location and depth such that the first representation indicates an actual below-ground location of the subsurface object within the view;

determining a location of a visible object that is within the volume of the view of the digital display device;

correcting a position error of the first representation of the subsurface object using the visible object location; and

displaying the visible object and the position error corrected first representation of the subsurface object in the view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional projection of the below-ground object onto a ground surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the visible object location further comprises:

determining second location and geometry data of the visible object;

rendering a three-dimensional second representation of the visible object in the view based on the second location and geometry data such that the second representation is overlaid on the visible object within the view;

detecting a correspondence between the second representation and the visible object; and

correcting the position error of the first representation based on the correspondence.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining geometry data of the subsurface object, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional representation that is rendered based on the geometry data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least location and geometry data of a non-subsurface, second object that is within the geographic location limits but is not visible within the view; and

rendering a multi-dimensional second representation of the second object in the view based on the location and geometry data of the second object such that the second representation indicates an actual location of the second object within the view.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second object comprises one or more of a property boundary, a future construction boundary, and an excavation boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least the location and the depth of the subsurface object within the volume comprises downloading geographic information describing the subsurface object from a network service.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising establishing an account with the network service, and wherein access to the geographic information is governed based on terms of the account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more geographic limits comprise a boundary volume.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured with instructions operable by a processor to cause an apparatus to perform the steps of the method of claim 1.

11. A discrete digital display device, comprising:

one or more sensors capable of determining a location and orientation of the digital display device;

memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes instructions operable by the processor to cause the apparatus to;

determine one or more geographic limits of a view of the digital display device based on the location and the orientation of the digital display device, the one or more geographic limits defining a volume less than the entirety of the view and comprising space above and below a visible horizon of the view;

determine at least location of a subsurface object within the volume;

prepare a multi-dimensional first representation of the subsurface object based on the location and depth such that the first representation is capable of being rendered in the view to indicate the actual location of the subsurface object within the view;

determine a location of a visible object that is within the volume of the view of the digital display device;

correct a position error of the first representation of the subsurface object using the visible object location; and

display the visible object and the position error corrected first representation of the subsurface object in the view.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional projection of the below-ground object onto a ground surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a display, and wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to render the multi-dimensional first representation and the visible object in the view via the display.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to:

determine second location and geometry data of the visible object;

render a three-dimensional second representation of the visible object based on the second location and geometry data such that the second representation is overlaid on the visible object within the view;

detect a correspondence between the second representation and the visible object; and

correct the position error of the first representation based on the correspondence.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to determine geometry data of the subsurface object, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional representation that is rendered based the geometry data.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to:

determine at least location and geometry data of a second object that is within the geographic location limits but is not visible within the view; and

prepare a multi-dimensional second representation of the second object based on the location and geometry data of the second object such that the second representation is capable of being rendered in the view to indicate an actual location of the second object within the view.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second object comprises one or more of a property boundary, a future construction boundary, and an excavation boundary.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus further comprises a network interface, and wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to download geographic information describing the subsurface object from a network service via the network interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to determine an account established with the network service, wherein access to the geographic information is governed based on terms of the account.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more geographic limits comprise a boundary volume.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a central server comprising;

a network interface capable of communicating with one more client devices;

memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the memory includes instructions operable by the processor to cause the apparatus to;

receive, via the network interface, data describing a location and orientation of a digital display device associated with a selected one of the client devices;

determine one or more geographic limits of a view of the digital display device based on the location and the orientation of the digital display device, the one or more geographic limits defining a volume less than the entirety of the view and comprising space above and below a visible horizon of the view;

determine at least a location of a subsurface object within the volume;

prepare a multi-dimensional, first representation of the subsurface object based on the location and depth such that the first representation is capable of being rendered in the view to indicate the actual location of the subsurface object within the view;

correct a position error of the first representation of the subsurface object using a location of a visible object that is within the volume of the view of the digital display device; and

send, via the network interface, data describing the position error corrected first representation and the visible object to the selected client device, the data comprising data for displaying the visible object and the position error corrected first representation of the subsurface object by the digital display device associated with the selected client device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to determine geometry data of the subsurface object, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional representation based the geometry data.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor further causes the apparatus to:

determine an account associated with the selected client device; and

govern access to the geographic information based on terms of the account.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more geographic limits comprise a boundary volume.

25. A method comprising:

receiving, at a central server via a network, data describing a location and orientation of a digital display device associated with a client device;

determining, at the central server, one or more geographic limits of a view of the digital display device based on the location and the orientation of the digital display device, the one or more geographic limits defining a volume less than the entirety of the view and comprising space above and below a visible horizon of the view;

determining, at the central server, at least a location of a subsurface object within the view;

preparing, at the central server, a multi-dimensional, first representation of the subsurface object based on the location and depth such that the first representation is capable of being rendered in the view to indicate the actual location of the subsurface object within the view;

correcting, at the central server, a position error of the first representation of the subsurface object using a location of a visible object that is within the volume of the view of the digital display device; and

sending, from the central server to the client device via the network, data describing the position error corrected first representation and the visible object, the data comprising data for displaying the visible object and the position error corrected first representation of the subsurface object by the digital display device associated with the client device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining geometry data of the subsurface object, wherein the multi-dimensional first representation comprises a three-dimensional representation based the geometry data.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured with instructions operable by a processor to cause an apparatus to perform the steps of the method of claim 25.