Abstract: Image processing systems and methods are disclosed, including an image processing system comprising a computer running image processing software causing the computer to receive an oblique aerial image having at least a first section and a second section, wherein the first section has a first color distribution and the second section has a second color distribution; receive at least two reference images having consistent color distributions; receive geographic information about the at least two reference images and the oblique aerial image; choose at least a one reference image for each of the first and second sections based on the geographic information; and create at least one color-balancing transformation for the first and second sections.

Abstract: A computerized system for displaying and making measurements based upon captured oblique images. The system includes a computer system executing image display and analysis software causing the computer system to display at least one oblique image having corresponding geo-location position data; receive one or more signals indicative of user selection of at least two points on a man-made structure depicted within the at least one oblique image; and calculate at least one measurement between the at least two points on the man-made structure depicted within the at least one oblique image using the geo-location position data associated with the at least one oblique image. The system may calculate at least one measurement using a series of interconnected line segments between at least two points on a geographic structure depicted within the at least one oblique image using the geo-location position data associated with the at least one oblique image.

Abstract: A computer system running image processing software receives an identification of a desired geographical area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image; creates a mathematical model of a virtual camera looking down at an oblique angle, the mathematical model having an oblique-mosaic pixel map of the desired area encompassing multiple source images; assigns surface locations to pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map; creates a ground elevation model of the ground and vertical structures within the oblique-mosaic pixel map using overlapping source images of the desired geographical area, wherein the source oblique images were captured at an oblique angle and compass direction similar to that of the virtual camera; and reprojects, with the mathematical model, source oblique image pixels of the overlapping source images for pixels included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map using the ground elevation model to thereby create an oblique-mosaic image of the desired area.

Abstract: A method of automatically transforming a computerized 3D model having regions of images utilized as textures on one or more physical objects represented in the 3D model (such as building sides and roofs, walls, landscapes, mountain sides, trees and the like) to include material property information for one or more regions of the textures of the 3D model. In this method, image textures applied to the 3D model are examined by comparing, utilizing a computer, at least a portion of each image texture to entries in a palette of material entries. The material palette entry that best matches the one contained in the image texture is assigned to indicate a physical material of the physical object represented by the 3D model. Then, material property information is stored in the computerized 3D model for the image textures that are assigned a material palette entry.

Abstract: The present disclosure shows creating a first layer and a second layer, in computer memory and substantially overlapping at least a segment of line from said first layer with at least a segment of another line from said second layer. A first non-dimensional attribute is different from said second non-dimensional attribute of the two lines. A user length field enabling a client with said interactive file to override at least one of said length numeric values, where said area operator may automatically recalculate area based on said length field override is shown. Also, providing a visual marker that is moveable on said computer monitor around said aerial imagery region, which may be moved, to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure is shown.

Abstract: An image display and analysis system is disclosed. The image display and analysis system and method includes a system for reading an image having an object of interest. The image includes corresponding location data indicative of position and orientation of the image capturing device(s) used to capture the image. The system receives one or more selected points within the image on the object of interest, and calculates a measurement of the object of interest using pixel location, the position and orientation of the image capturing device(s), and a TGP vertical plane.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for early access to captured images including generating and storing within a geospatial database a plurality of placeholder records having information identifying a particular captured image and including at least one geographic image boundary field containing information indicative of a real-world geographic area depicted within the image, an image file location field, and an image status field; receive a plurality of signals from one or more processing computer, at least two of the signals having the information identifying particular captured images, and second information indicative of updates indicating a change in at least one of the image location and image processing status for the image identified by the first information; and populating at least one of the image location and the image processing status of the placeholders within the geospatial database with the information indicative of updates for identified captured images.

Abstract: A computer system is described for automatically generating a 3D model, including hardware and non-transitory computer readable medium accessible by the hardware and storing instructions that when executed by the hardware cause it to create wire-frame data of structures within a geographic area; identify a geographic location of a structure of the structures; receive multiple oblique images representing the geographic location and containing a real façade texture of the structure; locate a geographical position of a real façade texture of the structure; select one or more base oblique image from the multiple oblique images by analyzing, with selection logic, image raster content of the real façade texture depicted in the multiple oblique images, and, relate the real façade texture of the one or more base oblique image to the wire-frame data of the structure to create a three dimensional model providing a real-life representation of physical characteristics of the structure.

Abstract: An image capture system for capturing images of an object, the image capture system comprising a moving platform such as an airplane, one or more image capture devices mounted to the moving platform, and a detection computer. The image capture device has a sensor for capturing an image. The detection computer executes an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured and then automatically and immediately causing a re-shoot of the image. Alternatively, the detection computer sends a signal to the flight management software executed on a computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the image. When the moving platform is an airplane, the detection computer schedules a re-shoot of the image such that the image is retaken before landing the airplane.

Abstract: A LiDAR system and method are disclosed, comprising a housing, a light source, a receiver, and a light deflection system comprising a light deflection element, rotatable and balanced about an axis, the element having at least three sides, at least two of the three sides having reflective surfaces, wherein at least a first side of the three sides is at a first angle in relation to the axis, and at least a second side of the three sides is at a second angle in relation to the axis, with the first angle being different from the second angle, such that light is deflectable from the reflective surface of the first and second sides out of the housing, whereby upon actuation of the light source and rotation of the light deflection element, the LiDAR system forms at least a first scan path and a second scan path.

Abstract: Processes and systems are disclosed for determining attributes of a roof structure of real-world three-dimensional building(s), including providing computer input field(s) for a user to input location data generally corresponding to the location of the building, providing visual access to a nadir image of a region including the roof structure of the building; on the nadir image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on the computer monitor around the region, the visual marker initially corresponding to the location data but which may be moved to a final location, having location coordinates, on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of the marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location.

Abstract: A set of instructions stored on one or more computer readable medium for running on one or more computer systems is described herein. The set of instructions generally may include instructions for identifying a geographic location of a roof, instructions for determining contact information of one or more contractors within a region of interest of the geographic location of the roof, instructions for determining a footprint of the roof, instructions for determining predominant pitch of the roof, and/or instructions for determining an estimated roofing area based on the predominant pitch and the footprint of the roof.

Abstract: A computerized system for displaying and making measurements based upon captured oblique images. The system includes an image-capturing device capturing oblique aerial images at image-capturing events and issuing image-data signals corresponding to captured images; at least one geo-locating device issuing a corresponding at least one geo-locating signal indicative at least in part of a geo-location of said image-capturing device during each image capturing event; a computer system receiving and storing said image-data signals and said at least one geo-locating signal; and the computer system executing image and data acquiring software reading the image-data signals and the at least one geo-locating signal, and associating each of the image-data signal with a corresponding at least one geo-locating signal for each image-capturing event.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a ground confidence map of a geographic area, comprising the steps of creating a ground confidence map of a geographic area, the ground confidence map having a plurality of pixels with each pixel corresponding to a particular geographic location; assigning the pixels in the ground confidence map with pixel values indicative of composite ground confidence scores by calculating composite ground confidence scores for the pixel values of common geographic regions within the overlapping portions of the source images within a kernel corresponding to the particular geographic location of the pixels; and storing pixel values indicative of a statistical probability that the geographical location represented by the particular pixels represent the ground.

Abstract: A set of instructions stored on at least one computer readable medium for running on a computer system. The set of instructions includes instructions for identifying line segments of a roof that is preferably displayed within a geo-referenced image, instructions for determining three-dimensional information of the line segments including position, orientation and length of the line segments preferably utilizing the geo-referenced image, and instructions for classifying, automatically, at least one of the line segments as one of a plurality of predefined roof elements utilizing at least one of the relative position and orientation of the line segments.

Abstract: A computer system is described for automatically generating a three-dimensional model of a structure, including hardware and one or more non-transitory computer readable medium accessible by the hardware and storing instructions that when executed by the hardware cause it to locate multiple oblique images containing a real façade texture of a structure having a geographical position from one or more database of oblique images; select a base oblique image from the multiple oblique images by analyzing, with selection logic, image raster content of the real façade texture depicted in the multiple oblique images, the selection logic using a factorial analysis of the image raster content, wherein the factorial analysis is a weighted determination based on at least two factors; and, relate the real façade texture of the base oblique image to the three dimensional model to provide a real-life representation of physical characteristics of the structure within the three-dimensional model.

Abstract: Image processing systems and methods are disclosed, including an image processing system comprising a computer running image processing software causing the computer to divide a captured oblique image into a plurality of oblique image sections, the oblique image sections determined at least in part on a path length distance between the location of a point in the scene in the captured oblique image and the location of the camera when the oblique image was captured; and apply a varying amount of color correction to the sections based in part on the determined path length, thereby reducing variation in the captured oblique image caused by specular reflection and atmosphere depicted in the sections prior to color balancing.

Abstract: Using remote image acquisition, image processing, and computational systems and methods, it has become possible to obtain actual building dimensions that can be used to generate construction estimates for repairing or maintaining buildings. For example, actual roof dimensions can be used to provide a computer-based estimate of materials and/or materials overage needed. Instead of simply applying a generic overage percentage based on roof shape, a computer-based approach can take into account cut lines as a percentage of total roof area. The resulting computer-generated estimate is shown to be more accurate, less expensive, and faster than using a human on-site estimator.

Abstract: A method for creating image products includes the following steps. Image data and positional data corresponding to the image data are captured and processed to create geo-referenced images. Edge detection procedures are performed on the geo-referenced images to identify edges and produce geo-referenced, edge-detected images. The geo-referenced, edge-detected images are saved in a database. A user interface to view and interact with the geo-referenced image is also provided such that the user can consistently select the same Points of Interest between multiple interactions and multiple users.

Abstract: An image capture system for capturing images of an object, the image capture system comprising a moving platform such as an airplane, one or more image capture devices mounted to the moving platform, and a detection computer. The image capture device has a sensor for capturing an image. The detection computer executes an abnormality detection algorithm for detecting an abnormality in an image immediately after the image is captured and then automatically and immediately causing a re-shoot of the image. Alternatively, the detection computer sends a signal to the flight management software executed on a computer system to automatically schedule a re-shoot of the image. When the moving platform is an airplane, the detection computer schedules a re-shoot of the image such that the image is retaken before landing the airplane.