Precise target positioning in geographical imaging

• US 9,749,597 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Azulai, Ophir, Khazanovitch, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Xiang
• Application Number:
  US12/853,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,576 Days
• Field of Search: 348144
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10021 Stereoscopic video; Stereoscopic image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for precise target positioning in geographical imaging are provided. The system includes: a sensor including a camera and a telemetry information provider; and a simulated image mechanism for simulating an image of the view from the camera generated from an orthophotograph. A display displays a geographical image of a view from the camera and simultaneously displaying the simulated image. A selection component is provided for selecting a location on the simulated image. This is done by reference to a target in the geographical image. A world coordinates calculating component accurately calculates the world coordinates for the selected location from the simulated image.

Claims

1. A method for precise target positioning in geographical imaging, comprising:

displaying, on a first display area, a geographical image of a view of a target captured by a camera positioned at a geographical location with determinable coordinates;

at the same time as displaying the geographical image, displaying on a second display area distinct of the first display area and viewable to a user together with the first display area, a simulated image of the view captured by the camera based on a real-time data feed that provides information about the position of the camera at the geographic location according to information captured by a sensor located at the geographic location, wherein an orthophotograph of the area that includes the target is used to generate the simulated image;

in response to user interaction with a pointing device, receiving a selection of a location on the simulated image by way of pointing device referencing a point on the simulated image, where the reference point on the simulated image correlates to the location of the target in the geographical image, wherein the user, based on viewing the geographic image and the simulated image together, is capable of using the pointing device to select a point on the simulated image that corresponds to location of the target as displayed in the geographic image;

calculating world coordinates for the selected location from the simulated image using a picking process to transform the coordinates of the display area of the simulated image to the world coordinates with reference to a three-dimensional model based on the orthophotograp;

wherein the picking process comprises;

throwing a pick ray from a virtual point of view of the user, through selected location on the simulated image and on into the scene;

intersecting the pick ray with bounds surrounding shape objects in the scene,

sorting the intersection hits from closest to farthest;

testing each intersection hit candidate, starting with the closest, for intersection between the pick ray and the candidate'"'"'s actual geometric shape as defined by a geometry array; and

determining a hit point on the hit object using the distance of the hit ray to the point of intersection.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target in the geographical image is not shown in the simulated image and the selection of the location of the target is made from the surrounding context of the simulated image compared to the geographical image.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, including:

generating the simulated image from an orthophotograph and a digital terrain model.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the simulated image is a three-dimensional simulation of the view from the camera.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, including:

receiving an image from the camera at a given location; and

receiving telemetry information relating to the location of the camera, wherein the simulated image is generated based on the telemetry information captured by the sensor, wherein the telemetry information is transmitted from the sensor to a simulated image application configured to render the simulated image.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the simulated image is updated with the telemetry information to provide a simulation of the view from the camera.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the telemetry information includes one or more of the group of:

location, height, field of view, pitch, roll, and yaw.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, including:

navigating the displayed simulated image using graphical user interface controls to view a location of a target.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geographical image and the simulated image are video images.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected location is a point which resides in or at one of the group of:

a point, an object, an area, a line.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the simulated image simulates the geographical image as if being captured from the same location, orientation and field of view of the camera, as obtained from the real-time data feed, wherein the real-time data feed comprises inaccurate information.

12. A computer program product for precise target positioning in geographical imaging, the computer program product comprising logic code embedded in a tangible data storage medium, wherein execution of the logic code on a computer cause the computer to:

display, on a first display area, a geographical image of a view of a target captured by a camera positioned at a geographical location with determinable coordinates;

at the same time as displaying the geographical image, displaying on a second display area distinct of the first display area and viewable to a user together with the first display area, a simulated image of the view captured by the camera based on a real-time data feed that provides information about the position of the camera at the geographic location according to information captured by a sensor located at the geographic location, wherein an orthophotograph of the area that includes the target is used to generate the simulated image;

receiving, in response to user interaction with a pointing device, a selection of a location on the simulated image by way of pointing device referencing a point on the simulated image, where the reference point on the simulated image correlates to the location of the target in the geographical image, wherein the user, based on viewing the geographic image and the simulated image together, is capable of using the pointing device to select a point on the simulated image that corresponds to location of the target as displayed in the geographic image;

calculate world coordinates for the selected location from the simulated image using a picking process to transform the coordinates of the display area of the simulated image to the world coordinates with reference to a three-dimensional model based on the orthophotograph;

wherein the picking process comprises;

throwing a pick ray from a virtual point of view of the user, through selected location on the simulated image and on into the scene;

intersecting the pick ray with bounds surrounding shape objects in the scene,

sorting the intersection hits from closest to farthest;

testing each intersection hit candidate, starting with the closest, for intersection between the pick ray and the candidate'"'"'s actual geometric shape as defined by a geometry array; and

determining a hit point on the hit object using the distance of the hit ray to the point of intersection.

13. A system for precise target positioning in geographical imaging, the system comprising:

one or more processors for processing imaging data;

a logic unit to display, on a first display area, a geographical image of a view of a target captured by a camera positioned at a geographical location with determinable coordinates;

a logic unit to display at the same time as displaying the geographical image, on a second display area distinct of the first display area and viewable to a user together with the first display area, a simulated image of the view captured by the camera based on a real-time data feed that provides information about the position of the camera at the geographic location according to information captured by a sensor located at the geographic location, wherein an orthophotograph of the area that includes the target is used to generate the simulated image;

a logic unit to receive, in response to user interaction with a pointing device, a selection of a location on the simulated image by way of pointing device referencing a point on the simulated image, where the reference point on the simulated image correlates to the location of the target in the geographical image, wherein the user, based on viewing the geographic image and the simulated image together, is capable of using the pointing device to select a point on the simulated image that corresponds to location of the target as displayed in the geographic image;

a logic unit to calculate world coordinates for the selected location from the simulated image using a picking process to transform the coordinates of the display area of the simulated image to the world coordinates with reference to a three-dimensional model based on the orthophotograph;

wherein the picking process comprises;

throwing a pick ray from a virtual point of view of the user, through selected location on the simulated image and on into the scene;

intersecting the pick ray with bounds surrounding shape objects in the scene,

sorting the intersection hits from closest to farthest;

testing each intersection hit candidate, starting with the closest, for intersection between the pick ray and the candidate'"'"'s actual geometric shape as defined by a geometry array; and

determining a hit point on the hit object using the distance of the hit ray to the point of intersection.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the simulated image mechanism generates the simulated image from an orthophotograph and a digital terrain model.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the simulated image mechanism includes a three-dimensional component which generates a three-dimensional simulation of the view from the camera.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, including:

a camera image receiver for receiving an image from the camera at a given location; and

a telemetry information receiver for receiving telemetry information relating to the location of the camera, wherein the simulated image is generated based on the telemetry information captured by the sensor, wherein the telemetry information is transmitted from the sensor to a simulated image application configured to render the simulated image.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the simulated image mechanism includes a virtual camera updated with the telemetry information to provide a simulation of the view from the real camera.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the telemetry information includes one or more of the group of:

location, height, field of view, pitch, roll, and yaw.

19. The system as claimed in claim 13, including:

graphical user interface controls for navigating the displayed simulated image to view a location for selection.

20. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the geographical image and the simulated image are video images.

21. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the selected location is a point which resides in or at one of the group of:

a point, an object, an area, or a line.