IP Library Granted Patent US 11,506,508
Granted Patent B2
US 11,506,508 · App. 16/729,414 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

System and method using deep learning machine vision to analyze localities

Inventors: Ravi Shukla (Bangalore, IN); Sumant Sahoo (Bangalore, IN); Prakash Sridharan (Bangalore, IN); Ramakanth Kanagovi (Bangalore, IN); Arun Swamy (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G01C21/3602G01C21/367G01C21/3679G06F16/288G06F16/29G06K9/6267G06N3/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,506,508
App. No.
16/729,414
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed that execute machine vision operations to categorize a locality. At least one embodiment accesses a map image of a locality, where the map image includes geographical artefacts corresponding to entities within the locality; analyzes the map image to detect the entities in the locality using the geographical artefacts; assigns entity classes to detected entities in the locality; assigns a locality score to the locality based on entity classes included in the locality; retrieves street view images for one or more of the detected entities in the locality; and analyzes street view images of the detected entities to assign one or more further classifications to the detected entities. Other embodiments include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the method.

Claims (85)

1. A computer-implemented method for using machine vision, the method comprising:

training a neural network to extract regions of segmented pixel areas of a map image, the neural network comprising a first convolutional neural network and a second convolutional network, the training comprising classifying entities from a plurality of entities based upon at least one of text and icons represented within the segmented pixel areas, the classifying entities comprising classifying entities into a first type and a second type, the first convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the first type and the second convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the second type;

accessing a map image of a locality, wherein the map image of the locality includes geographical artefacts corresponding to entities within the locality;

analyzing, using the neural network, the map image to detect entities in the locality using the geographical artefacts;

assigning entity classes to the detected entities in the locality, the assigning the entities in the locality comprising assigning detected entities in the locality to the first type or the second type;

assigning a locality score to the locality based on the entity classes included in the locality;

retrieving street view images for one or more of the detected entities in the locality; and analyzing the street view images of the detected entities to assign one or more classifications to the detected entities, certain characteristics of the street view images being used to assign the one or more classifications, the one or more classifications being used in combination with the locality score of the locality to classify an entity at the locality.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the geographical artefacts include one or more of text and/or icons associated with the entities within the locality.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the map image comprises:

providing the map image to the neural network, wherein the neural network is configured to separate portions of the map image having geographical artefacts from portions of the map image that do not have geographical artefacts;

reconstructing the map image using the portions of the map image having geographical artefacts; and

identifying entities in the reconstructed map image using geographical artefacts of the reconstructed map image.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:

accessing a database for the locality to identify the entities using textual portions of the reconstructed map image.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the locality score comprises:

clustering entities having similar entity classes within the locality into cluster types; and

assigning the locality score to the locality based on the clustered entities within the locality.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

assigning the locality scores to the locality using a percentage based analysis, wherein a percentage is assigned to a cluster type based on a number of the entities included in the cluster type to a total number of clustered entities.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

analyzing the map image includes

providing the map image to the neural network, wherein the neural network is configured to separate portions of the map image having geographical artefacts from portions of the map image that do not have geographical artefacts;

reconstructing the map image using the portions of the map image having geographical artefacts;

detecting entities in the reconstructed map using the geographical artefacts;

identifying entity classes of the detected entities;

wherein assigning the locality score includes

clustering entities with similar entity classes within the locality, wherein a cluster has a cluster type corresponding to the entity classes within the cluster; and

wherein analyzing the street view images includes

providing street views of the identified entities to an input of a further neural network, wherein the further neural network has been trained to classify the entities within a cluster based on the cluster type.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code interacting with a plurality of computer operations and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for:

training a neural network to extract regions of segmented pixel areas of a map image, the neural network comprising a first convolutional neural network and a second convolutional network, the training comprising classifying entities from a plurality of entities based upon at least one of text and icons represented within the segmented pixel areas, the classifying entities comprising classifying entities into a first type and a second type, the first convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the first type and the second convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the second type;

accessing a map image of a locality, wherein the map image of the locality includes geographical artefacts corresponding to entities within the locality;

analyzing, using the neural network, the map image to detect entities in the locality using the geographical artefacts;

assigning entity classes to the detected entities in the locality, the assigning the entities in the locality comprising assigning detected entities in the locality to the first type or the second type;

assigning a locality score to the locality based on the entity classes included in the locality;

retrieving street view images for one or more of the detected entities in the locality; and

analyzing the street view images of the detected entities to assign one or more classifications to the detected entities, certain characteristics of the street view images being used to assign the one or more classifications, the one or more classifications being used in combination with the locality score of the locality to classify an entity at the locality.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the geographical artefacts include one or more of text and/or icons associated with the entities within the locality.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the map image comprises:

providing the map image to the neural network, wherein the neural network is configured to separate portions of the map image having geographical artefacts from portions of the map image that do not have geographical artefacts;

reconstructing the map image using the portions of the map image having geographical artefacts; and

identifying entities in the reconstructed map image using geographical artefacts of the reconstructed map image.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

accessing a database for the locality to identify the entities using textual portions of the reconstructed map image.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein assigning the locality score comprises:

clustering entities having similar entity classes within the locality into cluster types; and

assigning the locality score to the locality based on the clustered entities within the locality.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

assigning the locality scores to the locality using a percentage based analysis, wherein a percentage is assigned to a cluster based on a number of the entities included in the cluster to a total number of clustered entities.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

analyzing the map image includes

providing the map image to the neural network, wherein the neural network is configured to separate portions of the map image having geographical artefacts from portions of the map image that do not have geographical artefacts;

reconstructing the map image using the portions of the map image having geographical artefacts;

detecting entities in the reconstructed map using the geographical artefacts;

identifying entity classes of the detected entities;

wherein assigning the locality score includes

clustering entities with similar entity classes within the locality, wherein a cluster has a cluster type corresponding to the entity classes within the cluster; and

wherein analyzing the street view images includes

providing street views of the identified entities to an input of a further neural network, wherein the further neural network has been trained to classify entities within a cluster based on the cluster type.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

training a neural network to extract regions of segmented pixel areas of a map image, the neural network comprising a first convolutional neural network and a second convolutional network, the training comprising classifying entities from a plurality of entities based upon at least one of text and icons represented within the segmented pixel areas, the classifying entities comprising classifying entities into a first type and a second type, the first convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the first type and the second convolutional neural network being trained using entities of the second type;

accessing a map image of a locality, wherein the map image of the locality includes geographical artefacts corresponding to entities within the locality;

analyzing, using the neural network, the map image to detect entities in the locality using the geographical artefacts;

assigning entity classes to the detected entities in the locality, the assigning the entities in the locality comprising assigning detected entities in the locality to the first type or the second type;

assigning a locality score to the locality based on the entity classes included in the locality;

retrieving street view images for one or more of the detected entities in the locality; and

analyzing the street view images of the detected entities to assign one or more classifications to the detected entities, certain characteristics of the street view images being used to assign the one or more classifications, the one or more classifications being used in combination with the locality score of the locality to classify an entity at the locality.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the geographical artefacts include one or more of text and/or icons associated with the entities within the locality.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein analyzing the map image comprises:

providing the map image to the neural network, wherein the neural network is configured to separate portions of the map image having geographical artefacts from portions of the map image that do not have geographical artefacts;

reconstructing the map image using the portions of the map image having geographical artefacts; and

identifying entities in the reconstructed map image using geographical artefacts of the reconstructed map image.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

accessing a database for the locality to identify the entities using textual portions of the reconstructed map image.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein assigning the locality score comprises:

clustering entities having similar entity classes within the locality into cluster types; and

assigning the locality score to the locality based on the clustered entities within the locality.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising:

assigning the locality scores to the locality using a percentage based analysis, wherein a percentage is assigned to a cluster based on a number of the entities included in the cluster in relation to a total number of clustered entities.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052216/0758) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AF REEL 052243 FRAME 0773 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0152 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 26, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052243/0773 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Mar 24, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052216/0758 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2019
From: SHUKLA, RAVI; SAHOO, SUMANT; SRIDHARAN, PRAKASH; KANAGOVI, RAMAKANTH; SWAMY, ARUN
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 051382/0586 →