Patents by Inventor Qiaoping Zhang

Qiaoping Zhang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12056888
    Abstract: A technique is directed to methods and systems for calculating building heights from mono imagery. In some implementations, a building height calculation system performs orthorectification of an image of buildings against a digital terrain model to remove effects of terrain distortion from the image. The building height calculation system can execute an edge detection algorithm on the image to identify the edges of the building in the image. The edges can provide a rooftop vector of the building. The building height calculation system can execute, using image data at input, a machine learning algorithm to determine the footprint vector of the building in the image. The building height is calculated based on a camera angle, a distance from the camera to the building, and a pixel offset from the footprint vector to the rooftop vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: INTERMAP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Ralph Mark Hope, Nathan Zachary Mercer, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Publication number: 20230082413
    Abstract: A technique is directed to methods and systems for creating ground control points (GCPs). In some implementations, a GCP system can analyze satellite data for a location, at which multiple photons were measured, and extract terrain and canopy information from the satellite data. The GCP system can create GCPs with the extracted ICESat-2 data and calculate a quality indicator, which indicates a metric of reliability, for each GCP using photon information. In some implementations, the GCP system classifies and filters the GCPs based building footprint data, water data, forest index data, and/or landform classification mask data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Qiaoping Zhang, Britton Armstrong
  • Publication number: 20230073366
    Abstract: A technique is directed to methods and systems for calculating building heights from mono imagery. In some implementations, a building height calculation system performs orthorectification of an image of buildings against a digital terrain model to remove effects of terrain distortion from the image. The building height calculation system can execute an edge detection algorithm on the image to identify the edges of the building in the image. The edges can provide a rooftop vector of the building. The building height calculation system can execute, using image data at input, a machine learning algorithm to determine the footprint vector of the building in the image. The building height is calculated based on a camera angle, a distance from the camera to the building, and a pixel offset from the footprint vector to the rooftop vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Ralph Mark Hope, Nathan Zachary Mercer, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Patent number: 10535119
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution of digital terrain models (DTM) for location-based applications and analyses. The DTM enhancement process takes the signature of the input image (e.g., via the input image and a noise surface file with similar characteristics as the sensor used to capture the input image) and applies it to the DTM without including large features such as buildings. The disclosed methods include utilize a process similar to that used for enhancing a DSM based on mapping the changing intensity from the image file to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensors and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic and can be applied on any type of image collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Intermap Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190311461
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution of digital terrain models (DTM) for location-based applications and analyses. The DTM enhancement process takes the signature of the input image (e.g., via the input image and a noise surface file with similar characteristics as the sensor used to capture the input image) and applies it to the DTM without including large features such as buildings. The disclosed methods include utilize a process similar to that used for enhancing a DSM based on mapping the changing intensity from the image file to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensors and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic and can be applied on any type of image collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Patent number: 10325349
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution of digital terrain models (DTM) for location-based applications and analyses. The DTM enhancement process takes the signature of the input image (e.g., via the input image and a noise surface file with similar characteristics as the sensor used to capture the input image) and applies it to the DTM without including large features such as buildings. The disclosed methods include utilize a process similar to that used for enhancing a DSM based on mapping the changing intensity from the image file to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensors and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic and can be applied on any type of image collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Intermap Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190122336
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution of digital terrain models (DTM) for location-based applications and analyses. The DTM enhancement process takes the signature of the input image (e.g., via the input image and a noise surface file with similar characteristics as the sensor used to capture the input image) and applies it to the DTM without including large features such as buildings. The disclosed methods include utilize a process similar to that used for enhancing a DSM based on mapping the changing intensity from the image file to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensors and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic and can be applied on any type of image collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190050960
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution or restoring details associated with high resolution images into a filtered digital surface model (DSM) for location-based applications and analyses. The disclosed methods include mapping the changing gray scale values (intensity) from the images to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensor illumination geometry, and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic. That is, the disclosed methods can be applied on any type of images collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Patent number: 10186015
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution or restoring details associated with high resolution images into a filtered digital surface model (DSM) for location-based applications and analyses. The disclosed methods include mapping the changing gray scale values (intensity) from the images to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensor illumination geometry, and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic. That is, the disclosed methods can be applied on any type of images collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Intermap Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Patent number: 10147057
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for flood hazard zone modeling. In one implementation, one or more relevant stream segments are identified from an input stream network. One or more cross profiles are defined for one or more selected points on the relevant stream segments, with the selected points located within a flood hazard area. A high resolution flood level elevation map is generated by interpolating flood level elevation from the selected points. A flood depth map is generated having a flood depth value for each of the selected points computed as a difference between the high resolution flood level elevation map and a terrain elevation. One or more flood zones are defined in the flood depth map. The flood zones have a positive flood depth for a return period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Intermap Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Qiaoping Zhang, Ji{hacek over (r)}í Vohlídal, Jan Roubalik, Yue Huang, Michael John Wollersheim, Ivan Pierre Maddox, Ladislav Garassy, Stephen Charles Griffiths
  • Patent number: 10002407
    Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing the resolution or restoring details associated with high resolution images into a filtered digital surface model (DSM) for location-based applications and analyses. The disclosed methods include mapping the changing gray scale values (intensity) from the images to changes in elevation in the DSM using a regression over a local neighborhood of pixels. Further, the disclosed methods do not rely on information about the sensor illumination geometry, and are extendable to be able to utilize any types of images. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments are sensor agnostic. That is, the disclosed methods can be applied on any type of images collected by any type of sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Intermap Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Zachary Mercer, Stephen Charles Griffiths, Michael John Wollersheim, Trevor Roy Miller, Qiaoping Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160047099
    Abstract: Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for flood hazard zone modeling. In one implementation, one or more relevant stream segments are identified from an input stream network. One or more cross profiles are defined for one or more selected points on the relevant stream segments, with the selected points located within a flood hazard area. A high resolution flood level elevation map is generated by interpolating flood level elevation from the selected points. A flood depth map is generated having a flood depth value for each of the selected points computed as a difference between the high resolution flood level elevation map and a terrain elevation. One or more flood zones are defined in the flood depth map. The flood zones have a positive flood depth for a return period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: INTERMAP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Qiaoping Zhang, Jirí Vohlídal, Jan Roubalik, Yue Huang, Michael John Wollersheim, Ivan Pierre Maddox, Ladislav Garassy, Stephen Charles Griffiths