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  Method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mappingUSPTO Application #: 20080103699Title: Method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping. The system comprises a digital elevation map (DEM) and mosaic generation engine that processes images that are simultaneously captured by an electro-optical camera (RGB camera) and a LIDAR sensor. The image data collected by both the camera and the LIDAR sensor are processed to create a geometrically accurate three-dimensional view of objects viewed from an aerial platform. (end of abstract) Agent: Patent Docket Administrator Lowenstein Sandler P.C. - Roseland, NJ, US Inventors: Barbara Hanna, Bing-Bing Chai, Stephen Hsu USPTO Applicaton #: 20080103699 - Class: 702 5 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080103699. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/651,685, filed Feb. 10, 2005, which is incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]1. Field of the Invention [0004]Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an imaging system and, more particularly, the present invention relates to wide area terrain mapping. [0005]2. Description of the Related Art [0006]The geographic system industry has begun to exploit scanning LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) techniques to directly collect three-dimensional topography. Typically, a single laser beam is moved over the ground using aircraft motion and scanning mirrors. Using a measure of the time of flight for each pulse of a laser, range from the laser to the ground (or objects thereon) is estimated. Range samples are transformed to three-dimensional points in ground coordinates using high accuracy, onboard GPS/INS data and scan angles (collectively, "metadata"). The points are then connected into a three-dimensional mesh surface or re-gridded to a uniformly sampled digital elevation map (DEM) for display to a user. However, commercial scanning LIDAR instruments are relatively expensive and bulky such that aerial imagery (video imagery) must be acquired separately and then "draped" over the three-dimensional terrain that has been produced by the LIDAR technique. Such a process is costly, labor intensive, and time consuming. [0007]Therefore, there is a need in the art for a comprehensive wide area terrain mapping system that combines both LIDAR information and electro-optic information, e.g., video images, in a single platform. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008]The present invention is a method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping. The system comprises a digital elevation map (DEM) and mosaic generation engine that processes images that are simultaneously captured by an electro-optical camera (RGB camera) and a LIDAR sensor. The LIDAR sensor and camera are generally mounted on a scanner within an aerial platform. The image data collected by both the camera and the LIDAR sensor are processed to create a geometrically accurate three-dimensional view of objects viewed from the aerial platform. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009]So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. [0010]FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of an aerial platform for carrying a sensor suite in accordance with the invention; [0011]FIG. 2 depicts a scan pattern used by the present invention; [0012]FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of a sensor suite that is mounted to the aerial platform in accordance with the present invention; [0013]FIG. 4 depicts a functional block diagram of software used for processing the information collected by the sensor suite; [0014]FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of the processing used by the present invention; [0015]FIGS. 6A-6D depict a graphical representations of a process used to process image data in the present invention; and [0016]FIG. 7 depicts a block diagram of a computer system that is used to implement the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017]The present invention is a method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping using a combination of LIDAR and video technology within a single platform. [0018]FIG. 1 depicts an aerial platform 100 that carries a sensor suite 102 that performs aerial imaging of objects on the ground. The platform 100 may be a manned airplane or helicopter, or the platform 100 may be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Whatever form the platform takes, the suite 100 is used to collect range data, video imagery, and metadata comprising the location of the platform (e.g., Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates) and the orientation of the sensor suite 102 (e.g., a scan angle). This information is stored within the sensor suite 102 for subsequent processing. Of course, the information could also be transmitted to a ground station (not shown) for processing. [0019]FIG. 2 depicts a flight path 200 that is flown by the aerial platform while the sensor suite 102 is performing a scan pattern 202 that zigzags about the flight path 200. As such, a swath of terrain is imaged from the air with each pass of the platform. By flying in a serpentine path, the aerial platform can image a large area of terrain. [0020]FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of a sensor suite 102 that is carried by the platform 100 of FIG. 1. The sensor suite 102 comprises a sensor assembly 300 coupled to a computer 306. The sensor assembly 300 comprises an electro-optic sensor (e.g., a video camera 302) and a LIDAR sensor 304 that are coupled to one another by a scanner 322. The camera 302 and sensor 304 are physically aligned to have a common bore sight. The video camera 302 is, in one embodiment of the invention, an RGB camera. However, other camera may be used such as an infrared camera. In one embodiment of the invention, the LIDAR sensor 304 is a flash LIDAR focal plane array. By mounting the LIDAR sensor 304 and video camera 302 upon the same scanning platform (scanner 322), the video camera 302 and the LIDAR sensor 304 image objects on the ground at the same time. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for performing wide area terrain mapping patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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