Product and method for extracting image data
First Claim
1. A method for extracting image data of area features to generate a digital geographic database, comprising the steps of:
- scanning an image of a geographic area which provides area features of non-uniform shape that are adjacent to and overlap one another, wherein like area features vary in shape and size and wherein different area features may have the same shape and size;
manipulating said image by designating select pixels within said area features to symbolization colors to generate a processable format of a plurality of pixels which correspond to the various area features;
receiving said processable format into a neural network which establishes user-guided rules based upon the designated select pixels to ascertain trends related to said plurality of pixels within said processable format, said neural network classifying said processable format of a plurality of pixels into a plurality of categories corresponding to the area features to generate a digital geographic database.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and associated method for extracting image data from a representation of a geographic area to generate a digital geographic database that can be accessed by computer programs to analyze various features contained within the database. In particular, the method includes scanning an image of a geographic area, manipulating the image into a processable format of a plurality of pixels, and submitting the format to a neural network with user-guided rules. The neural network classifies the format into a plurality of categories which comprise the geographic database, thus foregoing the need to manually identify and classify each pixel of the scanned image as having a particular feature. To enhance the processing and structure of the database, an optimizer and a combiner are employed. Accordingly, the method provides a digital geographic database for use by government agencies, urban planners and any user desiring to obtain information from a geographic representation.
30 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method for extracting image data of area features to generate a digital geographic database, comprising the steps of:
-
scanning an image of a geographic area which provides area features of non-uniform shape that are adjacent to and overlap one another, wherein like area features vary in shape and size and wherein different area features may have the same shape and size; manipulating said image by designating select pixels within said area features to symbolization colors to generate a processable format of a plurality of pixels which correspond to the various area features; receiving said processable format into a neural network which establishes user-guided rules based upon the designated select pixels to ascertain trends related to said plurality of pixels within said processable format, said neural network classifying said processable format of a plurality of pixels into a plurality of categories corresponding to the area features to generate a digital geographic database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for generating a digital geographic database comprising the steps of:
-
scanning a representation of a geographic area, which provides area features of non-uniform shape that are adjacent to and overlap one another, wherein like area features vary in shape and size and wherein different area features may have the same shape and size and wherein said representation is converted to a plurality of pixels; identifying by a user a plurality of categories in said representation attributable to corresponding predetermined features; identifying and designating by a user sample pixels associated with said predetermined features into distinct symbolization colors; training an image classifier to identify remaining pixels as having predetermined features corresponding to said identified and designated sample pixels, wherein said image classifier ascertains trends related to said identified and designated sample pixels for the purpose of converting remaining pixels in said predetermined features into the symbolization colors; and classifying said plurality of pixels according to the predetermined features to generate a digital geographic database. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computer-readable medium for extracting image data from geographic representations to generate a digital geographic database, comprising:
-
means for manipulating an image of a geographic area stored in a processable format of a plurality of pixels wherein the geographic area provides area features of non-uniform shape that are adjacent to and overlap one another, wherein like area features vary in shape and size and wherein different area features may have the same shape and size; means for converting sample pixels within said plurality of pixels associated with area features into respective symbolization colors; means for receiving said processable format into a neural network, wherein said neural network generates user-guided rules based upon conversion of said sample pixels within said processable format attributable to predetermined features and ascertains trends related to conversion of said sample pixels in said processable format; means for training said neural network utilizing the user-guided rules to classify said processable format according to the predetermined features corresponding to area features; and means for storing the classified processable format into a digital geographic database searchable by a user. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for extracting image data to generate a digital geographic database, comprising the steps of:
-
scanning an image of a geographic area; manipulating said image to generate a processable format of a plurality of pixels; receiving said processable format into a neural network user-guided rules for classifying said processable format into a plurality of categories; and optimizing the processing of said plurality of categories by processing values for pixels arranged in a predetermined pattern and assigning the same value to those pixels bordered by pixels of said predetermined pattern to generate a digital geographic database.
-
Specification