IP Library Granted Patent US 10,402,676
Granted Patent B2
US 10,402,676 · App. 15/428,860 · Granted Sep 3, 2019

Automated system and methodology for feature extraction

Inventors: Yandong Wang (Webster, NY); Frank Giuffrida (Honeoye Falls, NY)
Assignee: Pictometry International Corp.
G06K9/4604G06K9/00201G06K9/00536G06K9/00637G06K9/4652G06K9/6221G06T7/50G06T7/73G06T2207/10032G06T2207/30184
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,402,676
App. No.
15/428,860
Granted
Sep 3, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automated method performed by at least one processor running computer executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising: classifying first data points identifying at least one man-made roof structure within a point cloud and classifying second data points associated with at least one of natural structures and ground surface to form a modified point cloud; identifying at least one feature of the man-made roof structure in the modified point cloud; and generating a roof report including the at least one feature.

Claims (42)

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems that when executed cause the one or more computer systems to:

classify at least one feature within an image as a man-made structure, wherein the man-made structure is a building having a roof, wherein classification of the feature as a man-made structure includes:

analyzing data points within a point cloud indicative of a man-made structure, a natural structure, and a ground structure to automatically classify certain of the data points within the point cloud representing the man-made structure as the man-made structure;

determining first information about the man-made structure by analyzing the data points classified as the man-made structure;

correlating the data points within the point cloud classified as the man-made structure with one or more images;

spectrally analyze image raster content of at least one section of the one or more images correlated with the data points within the point cloud that are classified as the man-made structure to generate second information in which the second information is an update of the first information; and

determine an estimated roof pitch by analyzing the one or more images.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 1 , wherein the first information is a boundary of the building.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 1 , wherein the second information is a boundary of the building.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 1 , further comprising generating a roof report including one image showing the roof and the estimated roof pitch.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 1 , wherein classification of man-made structures includes determination of shape of a grouping of data points.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 5 , wherein determination of shape of the grouping of data points includes analyzing the grouping of data points to determine a variation of surface normal direction between data points.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 1 , further comprising spatially cataloguing location of data points associated with the image.

8. One or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems that when executed cause the one or more computer systems to:

classify at least one feature within an image as a man-made structure, wherein classification of the feature as a man-made structure includes:

analyzing data points within a point cloud indicative of a man-made structure, a natural structure, and a ground structure to automatically classify certain of the data points within the point cloud representing the man-made structure as the man-made structure, wherein the data points having a Z value above a first elevation are classified as at least one of the man-made structure and the natural structure;

determining first information about the man-made structure by analyzing the data points classified as the man-made structure, wherein the first information includes an outline of the man-made structure;

correlating the data points within the point cloud classified as the man-made structure with one or more images; and

spectrally analyze image raster content of at least one section of the one or more images correlated with the data points within the point cloud that are classified as the man-made structure to generate second information in which the second information is an update of the first information.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 8 , wherein the outline is a first outline, and wherein the second information is a second outline of the man-made structure based upon the first outline.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 8 , wherein the man-made structure is a building having a roof.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 10 , further comprising determining an estimated roof pitch by analyzing data points within the point cloud.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 10 , further comprising determining an estimated roof pitch by analyzing the one or more images.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 10 , further comprising generating a roof report including one image showing the roof and an estimated roof pitch.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 8 , wherein to classify at least one feature within the image as a man-made structure includes determination of shape of a grouping of data points.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 14 , wherein determination of shape of the grouping of data points includes analyzing the grouping of data points to determine a variation of surface normal direction between data points.

16. One or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system that when executed cause the one or more computer systems to:

classify at least one feature within an image as a man-made structure, wherein classification of the feature as a man-made structure includes:

analyzing data points within a point cloud indicative of a man-made structure, a natural structure, and a ground structure to automatically classify certain of the data points within the point cloud representing the man-made structure as the man-made structure;

determining first information about the man-made structure by analyzing the data points classified as the man-made structure;

correlating the data points within the point cloud classified as the man-made structure with one or more images; and

spectrally analyze image raster content of at least one section of the one or more images correlated with the data points within the point cloud that are classified as the man-made structure, including grouping of data points based on one or more similar characteristics, to generate second information in which the second information is an update of the first information.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 16 , wherein similar characteristics include similar spectral signatures.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 16 , wherein similar characteristics include similar thermal signatures.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 16 , wherein the man-made structure is a building having a roof.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 19 , further comprising determining an estimated roof pitch by analyzing data points within the point cloud.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 19 , further comprising determining an estimated roof pitch by analyzing the one or more images.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer system of claim 19 , further comprising generating a roof report including one image showing the roof and an estimated roof pitch.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 16 , wherein to classify at least one feature within the image as a man-made structure includes determination of shape of a grouping of data points.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 23 , wherein determination of shape of the grouping of data points includes analyzing the grouping of data points to determine a variation of surface normal direction between data points.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 16 , wherein the first information is a boundary of the man-made structure.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer readable medium storing the set of computer executable instructions for running on one or more computer systems of claim 16 , wherein the second information is a boundary of the man-made structure.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2025
From: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
To: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 070828/0266 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 9, 2025
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.; EAGLE VIEW TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; OMNIEARTH, INC.
Reel/Frame 070786/0022 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 28, 2025
From: EAGLE VIEW TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 070671/0078 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 17, 2018
From: WANG, YANDONG; GIUFFRIDA, FRANK
To: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 047192/0872 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046919/0065 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 14, 2018
From: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC,
Reel/Frame 046823/0755 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62411284 · Oct 21, 2016
Provisional Application 62295336 · Feb 15, 2016
Related Publication 20170236024A1 · Aug 17, 2017
Cited By (11)
US 12,205,031 US 12,229,845 US 12,243,301 US 12,272,109 US 12,293,579 US 12,333,788 US 12,518,395 US 12,555,320 US 12,579,786 US 12,694,669 US 12,700,042