Patents by Inventor Richard W. Ely
Richard W. Ely 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).
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Patent number: 11964762Abstract: Subject matter regards generating a 3D point cloud and registering the 3D point cloud to the surface of the Earth (sometimes called “geo-locating”). A method can include capturing, by unmanned vehicles (UVs), image data representative of respective overlapping subsections of the object, registering the overlapping subsections to each other, and geo-locating the registered overlapping subsections.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Torsten A. Staab, Steven B. Seida, Jody D. Verret, Richard W. Ely, Stephen J. Raif
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Patent number: 11568638Abstract: A method can include identifying a geolocation of an object in an image, the method comprising receiving data indicating a pixel coordinate of the image selected by a user, identifying a data point in a targetable three-dimensional (3D) data set corresponding to the selected pixel coordinate, and providing a 3D location of the identified data point.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2020Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Wyatt D. Sharp, III, Kathryn A. Welin, Jody D. Verret, Richard W. Ely, Stephen J. Raif
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Patent number: 11538135Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for multi-image ground control point (GCP) determination. A method can include extracting, from a first image including image data of a first geographical region, a first image template, the first image template including a contiguous subset of pixels from the first image and a first pixel of the first image indicated by the GCP, predicting a first pixel location of the GCP in a second image, the second image including image data of a second geographical overlapping with the first geographical region, extracting, from the second image, a second image template, the second image template including a contiguous subset of pixels from the second image and a second pixel corresponding to the pixel location, identifying a second pixel of the second image corresponding to a highest correlation score, and adding a second pixel location of the identified pixel to the GCP.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Richard W. Ely, Jody D. Verret
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Patent number: 11348310Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for building mask generation. A method can include setting a respective pixel value of an image to a first specified value if the respective pixel corresponds, according to a three-dimensional (3D) point set, to an elevation greater than a specified Z threshold, otherwise setting the respective pixel value to a second, different specified value, grouping contiguous pixels set to the first specified value into one or more groups, determining a feature of each of the one or more groups, comparing the determined feature to a threshold and retaining the group if the feature is greater than a threshold, otherwise removing the group, and providing a building mask that includes pixels of the retained group set to a value and other pixels set to a different value.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely
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Patent number: 11127145Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for image processing. A method can include generating a synthetic image based on a two-dimensional (2D) image of the geographical region, performing a coarse registration to grossly, register the synthetic image to the 2D image, and performing a fine registration following the coarse registration to improve the registration between the synthetic image and the 2D image.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20210264561Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for multi-image ground control point (GCP) determination. A method can include extracting, from a first image including image data of a first geographical region, a first image template, the first image template including a contiguous subset of pixels from the first image and a first pixel of the first image indicated by the GCP, predicting a first pixel location of the GCP in a second image, the second image including image data of a second geographical overlapping with the first geographical region, extracting, from the second image, a second image template, the second image template including a contiguous subset of pixels from the second image and a second pixel corresponding to the pixel location, identifying a second pixel of the second image corresponding to a highest correlation score, and adding a second pixel location of the identified pixel to the GCP.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2020Publication date: August 26, 2021Inventors: Richard W. Ely, Jody D. Verret
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Publication number: 20210256722Abstract: Subject matter regards generating a 3D point cloud and registering the 3D point cloud to the surface of the Earth (sometimes called “geo-locating”). A method can include capturing, by unmanned vehicles (UVs), image data representative of respective overlapping subsections of the object, registering the overlapping subsections to each other, and geo-locating the registered overlapping subsections.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: August 19, 2021Inventors: Torsten A. Staab, Steven B. Seida, Jody D. Verret, Richard W. Ely, Stephen J. Raif
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Patent number: 11087532Abstract: A system receives digital images of a geographic location, associates each digital image with ground control points in a set of reference stereo images, and associates each digital image to each other digital image via image to image tiepoints. The system updates a geometry of each image via a bundle adjustment, and uses a prioritized stacking order to establish piecewise linear seam lines between each of the images. The system finally builds a prioritized map in a mosaic space specifying the source image pixels that are used in each region of the output mosaic, and forms the mosaic image using the prioritized map.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Jody D. Verret, Ali J. Arik, Richard W. Ely, Corey J. Collard, Jerry O. Moore, Robert M. Willer, Matthew A. Schaefer, Robert T. Pierce, Stephen J. Raif, Grant B. Boroughs, James G. Hayes, Kevin M. Grange, Robert V. Opalecky, Mark J. Graebner
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Patent number: 11042998Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for synthetic image generation. A method can include projecting a three-dimensional (3D) point set of a first geographical region to an image space of an image of a second geographical region to generate synthetic image data, identifying control points (CPs) between the image and the synthetic image data, adjusting a geometry of the synthetic image data based on the identified CPs, determining metadata for the synthetic image based on metadata of the image, and associating the determined metadata with the synthetic image data to generate the synthetic image.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20210142558Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for building mask generation. A method can include setting a respective pixel value of an image to a first specified value if the respective pixel corresponds, according to a three-dimensional (3D) point set, to an elevation greater than a specified Z threshold, otherwise setting the respective pixel value to a second, different specified value, grouping contiguous pixels set to the first specified value into one or more groups, determining a feature of each of the one or more groups, comparing the determined feature to a threshold and retaining the group if the feature is greater than a threshold, otherwise removing the group, and providing a building mask that includes pixels of the retained group set to a value and other pixels set to a different value.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2019Publication date: May 13, 2021Inventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20210134055Abstract: A system receives digital images of a geographic location, associates each digital image with ground control points in a set of reference stereo images, and associates each digital image to each other digital image via image to image tiepoints. The system updates a geometry of each image via a bundle adjustment, and uses a prioritized stacking order to establish piecewise linear seam lines between each of the images. The system finally builds a prioritized map in a mosaic space specifying the source image pixels that are used in each region of the output mosaic, and forms the mosaic image using the prioritized map.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2019Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Jody D. Verret, Ali J. Arik, Richard W. Ely, Corey J. Collard, Jerry O. Moore, Robert M. Willer, Matthew A. Schaefer, Robert T. Pierce, Stephen J. Raif, Grant B. Boroughs, James G. Hayes, Kevin M. Grange, Robert V. Opalecky, Mark J. Graebner
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Patent number: 10970815Abstract: A method can include registering a first image of a region to a three-dimensional (3D) point set of the region to generate a registered first image, registering a second image of the region to the 3D point set to generate a registered second image, identifying, based on the 3D point set, geometric tie points of the registered first image and the registered second image, projecting, using an affine transformation determined based on the identified geometric tie points, pixels of the registered first image to an image space of the registered second image to generate a registered and transformed first image, and displaying the registered and transformed first image and the registered second image simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20210097280Abstract: A method can include identifying a geolocation of an object in an image, the method comprising receiving data indicating a pixel coordinate of the image selected by a user, identifying a data point in a targetable three-dimensional (3D) data set corresponding to the selected pixel coordinate, and providing a 3D location of the identified data point.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2020Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Wyatt D. Sharp, III, Kathryn A. Welin, Jody D. Verret, Richard W. Ely, Stephen J. Raif
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Patent number: 10943392Abstract: A method can include receiving, first and second digital elevation models (DEMs) including first elevation data of a geographic location and second elevation data of the geographic location, respectively, identifying differences between the first elevation data and the second elevation data that are greater than a first threshold, determining, for a point in the second elevation data identified to correspond to a difference greater than the first threshold, a slope of the geographic location around and including the point, and altering, in response to determining the difference is greater than a second threshold determined based on the determined slope, elevation data of the second DEM corresponding to the point.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2019Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20200193701Abstract: A method can include receiving, first and second digital elevation models (DEMs) including first elevation data of a geographic location and second elevation data of the geographic location, respectively, identifying differences between the first elevation data and the second elevation data that are greater than a first threshold, determining, for a point in the second elevation data identified to correspond to a difference greater than the first threshold, a slope of the geographic location around and including the point, and altering, in response to determining the difference is greater than a second threshold determined based on the determined slope, elevation data of the second DEM corresponding to the point.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2019Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventor: Richard W. Ely
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Patent number: 10553020Abstract: A method can include determining, based on elevation data of a geographic region corresponding to a location at which an image was captured and a solar elevation angle at a time the image was captured, whether each pixel of the image is a shadow or a non-shadow to create a shadow mask of the image, generating an eroded shadow mask that includes the shadow mask with a specified number of pixels from a perimeter of each shadow in the shadow mask changed to respective values corresponding to non-shadows, generating a dilated shadow mask that includes the specified number of pixels in the shadow mask changed to values corresponding to shadows, and refining the shadow mask using the eroded shadow mask and the dilated shadow mask to create a refined shadow mask.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2018Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Ratheon CompanyInventors: Allen Hainline, Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20200020116Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for synthetic image generation. A method can include projecting a three-dimensional (3D) point set of a first geographical region to an image space of an image of a second geographical region to generate synthetic image data, identifying control points (CPs) between the image and the synthetic image data, adjusting a geometry of the synthetic image data based on the identified CPs, determining metadata for the synthetic image based on metadata of the image, and associating the determined metadata with the synthetic image data to generate the synthetic image.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20200020115Abstract: Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for image processing. A method can include generating a synthetic image based on a two-dimensional (2D) image of the geographical region, performing a coarse registration to grossly, register the synthetic image to the 2D image, and performing a fine registration following the coarse registration to improve the registration between the synthetic image and the 2D image.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventor: Richard W. Ely
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Publication number: 20200020072Abstract: A method can include registering a first image of a region to a three-dimensional (3D) point set of the region to generate a registered first image, registering a second image of the region to the 3D point set to generate a registered second image, identifying, based on the 3D point set, geometric tie points of the registered first image and the registered second image, projecting, using an affine transformation determined based on the identified geometric tie points, pixels of the registered first image to an image space of the registered second image to generate a registered and transformed first image, and displaying the registered and transformed first image and the registered second image simultaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventor: Richard W. Ely
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Patent number: 9767572Abstract: Generally discussed herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for moving object detection. In one or more embodiments, a method can include computing a central value for each color of each pixel in a series of frames from a static imaging device to create a static reference frame, computing a difference between pixel values of a first frame captured after the series of frames by the static imaging device and a central value of a corresponding pixel value in the static reference frame, comparing the computed differences to a difference threshold, aggregating contiguous pixels corresponding to differences greater than the difference threshold into contiguous segments of pixels, and determining if the contiguous segments correspond to a moving object by registering the contiguous segments to pixels of a frame preceding the first frame.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2015Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Richard W. Ely