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

• US 10,311,238 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• 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, Chong
• Application Number:
  US15/882,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20180157847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 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 dividing a sensitive geographic region into three or more work regions; selecting geo-referenced aerial images for each particular work region such that at least a portion of the particular work region is depicted; transmitting, without information indicative of the geographic location depicted, a first of the images for a first of the work regions to an operator user device; receiving, from the device, at least one image coordinate selected within the first image by the operator, wherein the image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the first image; and transmitting, without information indicative of the geographic location depicted, a second of the images for a second of the work regions to the operator user device, wherein the first and second work regions are not geographically contiguous.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

dividing, by a processor of a server computer, a sensitive geographic region of interest of a requester into three or more work regions;

selecting, by the processor of the server computer, a first geo-referenced aerial image for a first work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the first work region is depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

selecting, by the processor of the server computer, a second geo-referenced aerial image for a second work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the second work region is depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image;

transmitting, by the processor of the server computer, image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image of the first work region to an operator user device without a location represented by the first geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device and without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the data processing operator is different from the requester;

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

transmitting, by the processor of the server computer, image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image for the second work region to the operator user device without the location represented by the second geo-referenced aerial image being selected by the data processing operator of the operator user device and without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the second work region is not geographically contiguous with the first work region.

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

determining, by the processor of the server computer, which work regions have had image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial images previously transmitted to the data processing operator.

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

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

4. The method of claim 3, 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 first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

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

6. The method of claim 3, 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.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.

8. 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;

divide a sensitive geographic region of interest of a requester into three or more work regions;

select a first geo-referenced aerial image for a first work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the first work region is depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

select a second geo-referenced aerial image for a second work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the second work region is depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image;

transmit image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image of the first work region to an operator user device without a location represented by the first geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the data processing operator is different from the requester, without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

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

transmit image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image for the second work region to the operator user device without the location represented by the second geo-referenced aerial image being selected by the data processing operator of the operator user device, without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the second work region is not geographically contiguous with the first work region.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to determine which work regions have had image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial images previously transmitted to the data processing operator.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to store the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to translate the first image coordinate into real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, using the geo-referencing information of the first geo-referenced aerial image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the real-world geographic coordinates.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein at least two first image coordinates are received and translated into real-world coordinates, and wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to calculate a measurement based on the real-world geographic coordinates and store the measurement on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.