IP Library Granted Patent US 10,311,238
Granted Patent B2
US 10,311,238 · App. 15/882,394 · Granted Jun 4, 2019

System and method for performing sensitive geo-spatial processing in non-sensitive operator environments

Inventors: Stephen L. Schultz (West Henrietta, NY); Frank Giuffrida (Honeoye Falls, NY)
Assignee: Pictometry International Corp.
G06F21/60G01C11/00G06F17/30241H04L63/0407H04W12/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,311,238
App. No.
15/882,394
Granted
Jun 4, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed including dividing a sensitive geographic region into three or more work regions; selecting geo-referenced aerial images for each particular work region such that at least a portion of the particular work region is depicted; transmitting, without information indicative of the geographic location depicted, a first of the images for a first of the work regions to an operator user device; receiving, from the device, at least one image coordinate selected within the first image by the operator, wherein the image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the first image; and transmitting, without information indicative of the geographic location depicted, a second of the images for a second of the work regions to the operator user device, wherein the first and second work regions are not geographically contiguous.

Claims (34)

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

dividing, by a processor of a server computer, a sensitive geographic region of interest of a requester into three or more work regions;

selecting, by the processor of the server computer, a first geo-referenced aerial image for a first work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the first work region is depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

selecting, by the processor of the server computer, a second geo-referenced aerial image for a second work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the second work region is depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image;

transmitting, by the processor of the server computer, image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image of the first work region to an operator user device without a location represented by the first geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device and without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the data processing operator is different from the requester;

receiving, by the processor of the server computer from the operator user device, at least one first image coordinate representing an object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the first image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image, the pixel location having pixel row and pixel column coordinates; and

transmitting, by the processor of the server computer, image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image for the second work region to the operator user device without the location represented by the second geo-referenced aerial image being selected by the data processing operator of the operator user device and without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the second work region is not geographically contiguous with the first work region.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

determining, by the processor of the server computer, which work regions have had image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial images previously transmitted to the data processing operator.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

translating, by the processor of the server computer, the first image coordinate into real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, using geo-referencing information of the first geo-referenced aerial image.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of:

storing, on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the real-world geographic coordinates.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least two image coordinates are received and translated into real-world coordinates, and further comprising the steps of:

calculating, by the processor of the server computer, a measurement based on the real-world geographic coordinates; and

storing the measurement on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.

8. A system, comprising:

a secure server computer having a processor; and

one or more geo-referenced aerial image accessible by the processor of the server computer, the geo-referenced aerial images containing image raster content depicting an area, geo-referencing information, and real-world geographic coordinates of the geo-referenced aerial image; and

wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

divide a sensitive geographic region of interest of a requester into three or more work regions;

select a first geo-referenced aerial image for a first work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the first work region is depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

select a second geo-referenced aerial image for a second work region of the three or more work regions such that at least a portion of the second work region is depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image;

transmit image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image of the first work region to an operator user device without a location represented by the first geo-referenced aerial image being selected by a data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the data processing operator is different from the requester, without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the first geo-referenced aerial image;

receive, from the operator user device, at least one first image coordinate representing an object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, wherein the first image coordinate is a relative coordinate based on a unique pixel location within the image raster content of the first geo-referenced aerial image, the pixel location having pixel row and pixel column coordinates; and

transmit image raster content of the second geo-referenced aerial image for the second work region to the operator user device without the location represented by the second geo-referenced aerial image being selected by the data processing operator of the operator user device, without information indicative of geographic location of a geographic area depicted in the second geo-referenced aerial image, wherein the second work region is not geographically contiguous with the first work region.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to determine which work regions have had image raster content of the geo-referenced aerial images previously transmitted to the data processing operator.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to store the real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to translate the first image coordinate into real-world geographic coordinates representing the object or region of interest selected within the first geo-referenced aerial image by the data processing operator of the operator user device, using the geo-referencing information of the first geo-referenced aerial image.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein data indicative of attributes of the data processing operator is stored with the real-world geographic coordinates.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least two first image coordinates are received and translated into real-world coordinates, and wherein the processor of the server computer executes computer executable instructions to cause the processor to calculate a measurement based on the real-world geographic coordinates and store the measurement on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the measurement is at least one of distance, height, slope in elevation, area, and surface area of a vertical or pitched surface.

Assignments (7)
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 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Oct 16, 2019
From: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050741/0128 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2018
From: SCHULTZ, STEPHEN; GIUFFRIDA, FRANK D.
To: PICTOMETRY INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 044756/0688 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13796839 · Mar 12, 2013
Related Publication 20180157847A1 · Jun 7, 2018