Augmented three dimensional point collection of vertical structures

• US 10,571,575 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• 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., Nilosek, David R., Petterson, David S., Harrington, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Manuchehr
• Application Number:
  US16/458,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20200033479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/04 Interpretation of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10044 Radar image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/66 of image moments or centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/422 Technical drawings; Geographical maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals

Abstract

Automated methods and systems are disclosed, including a method comprising: capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data of a geographic area with an image capturing device and a LIDAR system, the images depicting an object of interest and the three-dimensional LIDAR data including the object of interest, the image capturing device capturing the images of a vertical surface of the object of interest at one or more oblique angle, and the LIDAR system capturing the three-dimensional LIDAR data of a horizontal surface of the object of interest at a nadir angle; analyzing the images with a computer system to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest; and updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images to create a 3D point cloud having a resolution greater than a resolution of the three-dimensional LIDAR data.

Claims

1. An automated method, comprising:

capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data of a geographic area with an image capturing device and a LIDAR system, the images depicting an object of interest and the three-dimensional LIDAR data including the object of interest, the image capturing device capturing the images of a vertical surface of the object of interest at one or more oblique angle, and the LIDAR system capturing the three-dimensional LIDAR data of a horizontal surface of the object of interest at a nadir angle;

analyzing the images with a computer system to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest; and

updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images to create a 3D point cloud having a resolution greater than a resolution of the three-dimensional LIDAR data.

2. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device and the LIDAR system are mounted to a platform, and wherein capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are defined further as flying the platform over the geographic area.

3. The automated method of claim 2, wherein the platform is unmanned.

4. The automated method of claim 2, wherein the platform is manned.

5. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device and the LIDAR system are mounted to an airplane, and wherein capturing images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are defined further as flying over the geographic area with the airplane.

6. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein the step of analyzing the images is defined further as utilizing GIS data of a utility network to assist in locating the object of interest within one or more images.

7. The automated method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein the step of analyzing the images is defined further as scanning the images with an edge detection algorithm to locate utility wires depicted within the images, prior to determining three-dimensional location of points on the utility tower.

8. The automated method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining measurements of the object of interest.

9. The automated method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining measurements between the object of interest and one or more other objects captured in the 3D point cloud.

10. The automated method of claim 1, further comprising forming a model of the object of interest from the 3D point cloud.

11. A system, comprising:

an image capturing device capturing images of a geographic area, the images depicting at least a vertical surface of an object of interest at one or more oblique angle;

one or more LIDAR system capturing at a nadir angle three-dimensional LIDAR data of the geographic area such that the three-dimensional LIDAR data includes at least a horizontal surface of the object of interest; and

a computer system analyzing the images to determine three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest and updating the three-dimensional LIDAR data with the three dimensional locations of points on the object of interest determined by analyzing the images to create a 3D point cloud having a resolution greater than a resolution of the three-dimensional LIDAR data.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a platform upon which the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the platform is unmanned.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the platform is manned.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising an airplane upon which the one or more image capturing devices and the one or more LIDAR system are mounted such that the images and three-dimensional LIDAR data are captured by flying over the geographic area with the airplane.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein analyzing the images is defined further as utilizing GIS data of a utility network to assist in locating the object of interest within one or more images.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the object of interest includes a utility tower, and wherein analyzing the images is defined further as scanning the images with an edge detection algorithm to locate utility wires depicted within the images, prior to determining three dimensional location of points on the utility tower.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer system further obtains measurements of the object of interest.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer system further obtains measurements between the object of interest and one or more other objects captured in the 3D point cloud.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer system further forms a model of the object of interest from the 3D point cloud.