System and method for performing sensitive geo-spatial processing in non-sensitive operator environments

• US 9,881,163 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Giuffrida, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Chong
• Application Number:
  US13/796,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed including transmitting, by processor of a server computer, image raster content of a geo-referenced aerial image to an operator user device without the geo-referencing information of the geo-referenced aerial image; receiving, by the processor of the server computer from the operator user device, image coordinates, which may be in the form of pixel row/column, representing an object or region of interest selected within the image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial image by a data processing operator of the operator user device; and translating the image coordinates into real-world geographic coordinates. The processor may calculate measurements based on the real-world geographic coordinates and may store real-world geographic coordinates and/or measurements. The geo-referenced aerial image may be isolated such that a data processing operator may not be able to pan or zoom outside of the isolated geo-referenced aerial image.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a processor of a server computer, a request from a requester for data processing of a sensitive geographic region of interest, said region being identified by one or more geographic locations;

selecting one or more geo-referenced aerial images such that at least a portion of the sensitive geographic region of interest is depicted in the geo-referenced aerial images;

transmitting, by the processor of the server computer, image raster content of the one or more geo-referenced aerial images to an operator user device without the location represented by the geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the operator is different from the requester, and without transmitting geo-referencing information of the geo-referenced aerial image and without transmitting real-world geographic coordinates of the geo-referenced aerial image and restricting the real-world geographic coordinates from being displayed on the operator user device;

receiving, by the processor of the server computer from the operator user device, at least one image coordinate representing an object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial image, the pixel location having pixel row and pixel column coordinates; and

translating, by the processor of the server computer, the image coordinate into real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, using the geo-referencing information of the geo-referenced aerial image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the real-world geographic coordinates.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, includes storing a series of related points that form a path or a polygon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two image coordinates are received and translated into real-world coordinates, and further comprising the steps of:

calculating, by the processor of the server computer, a measurement based on the real-world geographic coordinates; and

storing the measurement on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the measurement is not transmitted to the operator user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the measurement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted aerial image has a pixel resolution so as to be fully displayable on a computer monitor without panning, the pixel resolution having a minimum resolution of 480 by 640.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the geo-referenced aerial image is a first geo-referenced aerial image and wherein upon receiving an indication from the operator user device that processing is completed for the first geo-referenced aerial image, the processor of the server computer transmits a second geo-referenced aerial image to the operator user device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one image coordinate are first image coordinates and the geo-referenced aerial image is a first geo-referenced aerial image, the method further comprising:

retrieving a second geo-referenced aerial image having image raster content and second geo-referencing information, the second geo-referencing information indicative of real-world geographic coordinates of pixels in the image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image;

determining the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest from the first geo-referenced aerial image in the second geo-referenced aerial image;

converting the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest into second image coordinates relative to the second geo-referenced aerial image based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image, the pixel location having pixel row and pixel column coordinates;

causing a marker to appear on the second geo-referenced aerial image coinciding with the second image coordinates; and

transmitting the second geo-referenced aerial image with the marker to the operator user device without transmitting the second geo-referencing information and without transmitting the real-world geographic coordinates, thus never sending the real-world geographic coordinates to the operator user device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

dividing the sensitive geographic region of interest and the selected images into two or more isolated work regions.

13. A system, comprising:

a secure server computer having a processor; and

one or more geo-referenced aerial image accessible by the processor of the server computer, the geo-referenced aerial images containing image raster content depicting an area, geo-referencing information, and real-world geographic coordinates of the geo-referenced aerial image; and

wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to;

receive a request from a requester for data processing of a sensitive geographic region of interest, said region being identified by one or more geographic locations;

select one or more geo-referenced aerial images such that at least a portion of the sensitive geographic region of interest is depicted in the geo-referenced aerial images;

transmit raster image content of the one or more geo-referenced aerial images to an operator user device without the location represented by the geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the operator is different from the requester, and without the geo-referencing information and without the real-world geographic coordinates, and restrict the real-world geographic coordinates from being displayed on the operator user device;

receive, from the operator user device, at least one image coordinate representing an object or region of interest selected within the image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial image, the pixel location having pixel row and pixel column coordinates; and

translate the image coordinate into real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to store, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to store, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator with the real-world geographic coordinates.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein storing, on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, includes storing a series of related points that form a path or a polygon.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor of the secure server computer calculates a measurement based on the real-world geographic coordinates and stores the measurement on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the measurement is not transmitted to the operator user device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the measurement.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the transmitted aerial image has a pixel resolution so as to be fully displayable on a computer monitor without panning, the pixel resolution having a minimum resolution of 480 by 640.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the geo-referenced aerial image is a first geo-referenced aerial image and wherein upon receiving an indication from the operator user device that processing is completed for the first geo-referenced aerial image, the processor of the server computer transmits an image raster content of a second geo-referenced aerial image to the operator user device.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one image coordinate are first image coordinates and the geo-referenced aerial image is a first geo-referenced aerial image, wherein upon receipt of the image coordinates and translation into real-world geographic coordinates, the processor of the server computer retrieves a second geo-referenced aerial image having geo-referencing information and converts the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest of the first geo-referenced aerial image into second image coordinates relative to the second geo-referenced aerial image, causes a marker to appear on the second geo-referenced aerial image coinciding with the second image coordinates, and transmits image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image with the marker to the operator user device without transmitting the geo-referencing information and without transmitting the real-world geographic coordinates, thus never sending real-world geographic coordinates to the operator user device.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to divide the sensitive geographic region of interest and the selected images into two or more isolated work regions.