System for detecting image abnormalities

• US 9,262,818 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Giuffrida, Frank, Schultz, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsia, Sherrie
• Application Number:
  US13/744,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20140198211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 348142-144, 382/254, 382/109, 701/9, 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

An image capture system for capturing images of an object, the image capture system comprising a moving platform such as an airplane, one or more image capture devices mounted to the moving platform, and a detection computer. The image capture device has a sensor for capturing an image. The detection computer executes an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured and then automatically and immediately causing a re-shoot of the image. Alternatively, the detection computer sends a signal to the flight management software executed on a computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the image. When the moving platform is an airplane, the detection computer schedules a re-shoot of the image such that the image is retaken before landing the airplane.

Claims

1. An image capture system for capturing aerial images of the Earth, the image capture system comprising:

an airplane flying a planned flight path;

an image capture device mounted to the airplane, the image capture device having a sensor for capturing an image, the image having pixels;

a computer system executing flight management software monitoring the position of the airplane and outputting signals to the image capture device to cause the image capture device to capture predetermined images based upon a schedule; and

a detection computer executing an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in the pixels of a predetermined image immediately after the image is captured, the abnormality obscuring at least a portion of the image, the abnormality detection algorithm causing the detection computer to flag the image as having the abnormality and to send a signal to the flight management software executed on the computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the predetermined image prior to landing of the airplane.

2. A method of taking aerial images, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first predetermined image of a portion of the Earth utilizing an image capture device mounted to a moving platform, the platform moving in a predetermined manner, the first image having pixels;

immediately detecting an abnormality in the pixels of the first image, the abnormality obscuring at least a portion of the first image;

flagging the first image as having the abnormality;

shortly thereafter capturing a second image overlapping the first image upon detection of the abnormality in the pixels of the first image; and

combining the first and second images to form a third image devoid of the abnormality responsive to the second image having the abnormality.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of shortly thereafter capturing the second image is defined further as capturing the second image, the second image having pixels, and scanning the second image to determine whether an abnormality is located in the pixels of the second image.

4. A method of taking aerial images, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first predetermined image of a portion of the Earth utilizing an image capture device mounted to a moving platform and based upon a schedule accessed by flight management software executed by a computer system, the first image having pixels;

immediately detecting an abnormality in the pixels in the first image, the abnormality obscuring at least a portion of the first image;

flagging the first image as having the abnormality with the computer system; and

immediately causing, with the flight management software, a sequence of re-shoots of the first image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of immediately causing, with the flight management software, a sequence of re-shoots of the first image is defined further as immediately causing, with the flight management software, a sequence of re-shoots of the first image until the next scheduled image to be taken by the image capture device.