IP Library Granted Patent US 10,120,884
Granted Patent B2
US 10,120,884 · App. 15/228,954 · Granted Nov 6, 2018

Choreographing automated and manual processes in support of mosaic generation

Inventor: Nathan Swanson (Erie, CO)
Assignee: DigitalGlobe, Inc.
G06F17/3028G06T3/4038H04N1/3876H04N5/23238H04N5/77G06T2207/10032H04N1/6027
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,120,884
App. No.
15/228,954
Granted
Nov 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A database for creating orthomosaics, where the database is tailored to retrieve the most recent imagery for each pixel, in an efficient manner that partitions the orthomosaic into sufficiently small chunks that can each be quickly processed.

Claims (29)

1. A system for automatically generating orthomosaic images, comprising:

an image storage repository; and

a processor operating on computer instructions to implement a plurality of separate services and a service bus to pass requests and data between at least two of the plurality of services, wherein the plurality of services include at least a mosaic generation service, a cutline service, and a tonal balancing service;

wherein the mosaic generation service communicates with the service bus to obtain images from the repository, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus cutlines from the cutline service, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus tonal balancing results from the tonal balancing service, and generates an orthomosaic image from the images, cutlines, and tonal balancing results obtained from the service bus.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the services also include an image warping service.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 , further including a user interface that allows a user to provide feedback to the system about the orthomosaic image being generated.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the image storage repository includes a plurality of images captured at different times, so that each image has a capture time associated therewith;

wherein the services further include a database that divides up the orthomosaic image to be generated into a plurality of subimages which are each processed separately, and wherein the database selects image data that has the most recent capture time when available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, and when not available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, the database selects image data that has the next most recent capture time.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 , wherein generating the orthomosaic image includes creating a map of which image to use to provide the image data for each pixel in the orthomosaic.

6. A system as defined in claim 5 , wherein the map is created in part by using a rule of using the most recent imagery where possible.

7. A system for automatically generating orthomosaic images, comprising:

an image storage repository; and

a processor operating on computer instructions to implement a plurality of separate services and a service bus to pass requests and data between at least two of the plurality of services, wherein the plurality of services include at least a mosaic generation service, a cutline service, and a tonal balancing service;

wherein the mosaic generation service communicates with the service bus to obtain images from the repository, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus cutlines from the cutline service, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus tonal balancing results from the tonal balancing service, and generates an orthomosaic image from the images, cutlines, and tonal balancing results obtained from the service bus;

wherein the image storage repository includes a plurality of images captured at different times, so that each image has a capture time associated therewith;

wherein the services further include a database that divides up the orthomosaic image to be generated into a plurality of subimages which are each processed separately, and wherein the database selects image data that has the most recent capture time when available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, and when not available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, the database selects image data that has the next most recent capture time.

8. A system as defined in claim 7 , wherein the services also include an image warping service.

9. A system as defined in claim 7 , further including a user interface that allows a user to provide feedback to the system about the orthomosaic image being generated.

10. A system as defined in claim 7 , wherein generating the orthomosaic image includes creating a map of which image to use to provide the image data for each pixel in the orthomosaic.

11. A system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the map is created in part by using a rule of using the most recent imagery where possible.

12. A system for automatically generating orthomosaic images, comprising:

an image storage repository;

a processor operating on computer instructions to implement a plurality of separate services and a service bus to pass requests and data between at least two of the plurality of services, wherein the plurality of services include at least a mosaic generation service, a cutline service, a tonal balancing service, and an image warping service;

a user interface that allows a user to provide feedback to the system about the orthomosaic image being generated;

wherein the mosaic generation service communicates with the service bus to obtain images from the repository, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus cutlines from the cutline service, communicates with the service bus to request and obtains from the service bus tonal balancing results from the tonal balancing service, and generates an orthomosaic image from the images, cutlines, and tonal balancing results obtained from the service bus;

wherein the image storage repository includes a plurality of images captured at different times, so that each image has a capture time associated therewith;

wherein the services further include a database that divides up the orthomosaic image to be generated into a plurality of subimages which are each processed separately, and wherein the database selects image data that has the most recent capture time when available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, and when not available for a given portion of the orthomosaic image, the database selects image data that has the next most recent capture time.

13. A system as defined in claim 12 , wherein generating the orthomosaic image includes creating a map of which image to use to provide the image data for each pixel in the orthomosaic.

14. A system as defined in claim 13 , wherein the map is created in part by using a rule of using the most recent imagery where possible.

Assignments (16)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2026
From: SIXTH STREET LENDING PARTNERS, ACTING IN ITS CAPACITY AS AGENT
To: AURORA INSIGHT INC.; VANTOR INC. (F/K/A MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.); VANTOR SERVICES INC. (F/K/A MAXAR MISSION SOLUTIONS INC.); LANTERIS SPACE LLC (F/K/A MAXAR SPACE LLC); SPATIAL ENERGY, LLC; LANTERIS SPACE ROBOTICS LLC (F/K/A MAXAR SPACE ROBOTICS LLC); VANTOR HOLDINGS INC. (F/K/A MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS INC.)
Reel/Frame 075021/0624 →
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT Recorded Jan 7, 2026
From: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.
To: VANTOR INC.
Reel/Frame 074270/0330 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.
To: VANTOR INC.
Reel/Frame 073461/0759 →
RELEASE (REEL 060389/FRAME 0720) Recorded May 12, 2023
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
To: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
Reel/Frame 063633/0431 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 5, 2023
From: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC. (F/K/A DIGITALGLOBE, INC.); AURORA INSIGHT INC.; MAXAR MISSION SOLUTIONS INC. ((F/K/A RADIANT MISSION SOLUTIONS INC. (F/K/A THE RADIANT GROUP, INC.)); MAXAR SPACE LLC (F/K/A SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL, LLC); SPATIAL ENERGY, LLC; MAXAR SPACE ROBOTICS LLC ((F/K/A SSL ROBOTICS LLC) (F/K/A MDA US SYSTEMS LLC)); MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS INC.
To: SIXTH STREET LENDING PARTNERS, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 063660/0138 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT - RELEASE OF REEL/FRAME 060389/0782 Recorded May 4, 2023
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
Reel/Frame 063544/0074 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT - RELEASE OF REEL/FRAME 053866/0412 Recorded May 4, 2023
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
Reel/Frame 063544/0011 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS - RELEASE OF REEL/FRAME 051258/0465 Recorded May 4, 2023
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS AGENT
To: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
Reel/Frame 063542/0300 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 15, 2023
From: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.
To: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.
Reel/Frame 062760/0832 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2022
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.; SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL, LLC; RADIANT GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 060390/0282 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 17, 2022
From: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 060389/0782 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2022
From: MAXAR INTELLIGENCE INC.; MAXAR SPACE LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 060389/0720 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 23, 2020
From: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053866/0412 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Dec 12, 2019
From: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.; RADIANT GEOSPATIAL SOLUTIONS LLC; SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL, LLC (F/K/A SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL INC.)
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, - AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051262/0824 →
AMENDED AND RESTATED U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 11, 2019
From: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051258/0465 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2016
From: SWANSON, NATHAN
To: DIGITALGLOBE, INC.
Reel/Frame 040200/0767 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62201968 · Aug 6, 2015
Related Publication 20170041550A1 · Feb 9, 2017