Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Schickler
Wolfgang Schickler 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).
-
Publication number: 20230368540Abstract: A method is provided for estimating velocity of a moving object. The method includes generating a raw velocity for the moving object from a position change between a first image generated by a first sensor and a second image generated by a second sensor of a sensor assembly and selecting a plurality of stationary background features that are captured with the moving object in one or more images. A background misregistration value is generated from apparent movement of the plurality of stationary background features and is used to correct the raw velocity.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2022Publication date: November 16, 2023Applicant: Maxar Intelligence Inc.Inventors: Brett W. Bader, Michael Aschenbeck, Charles W. Danforth, David Kettler, Wolfgang Schickler
-
Patent number: 11676256Abstract: Estimating absolute geospatial accuracy in input images without the use of surveyed control points is disclosed. For example, the absolute geospatial accuracy of a satellite images may be estimated without the use of control points (GCPs). The absolute geospatial accuracy of the input images may be estimated based on a statistical measure of relative accuracies between pairs of overlapping images. The estimation of the absolute geospatial accuracy may include determining a root mean square error of the relative accuracies between pairs of overlapping images. For example, the absolute geospatial accuracy of the input images may be estimated by determining a root mean square error of the shears of respective pairs of overlapping images. The estimated absolute geospatial accuracy may be used to curate GCPs, evaluate a digital elevation map, generate a heatmap, or determine whether the adjust the images until a target absolute geospatial accuracy is met.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Maxar Intelligence Inc.Inventors: Nathan Swanson, Steven F. Hartung, Wolfgang Schickler, Laurence C. Bleiler
-
Publication number: 20220405906Abstract: Estimating absolute geospatial accuracy in input images without the use of surveyed control points is disclosed. For example, the absolute geospatial accuracy of a satellite images may be estimated without the use of control points (GCPs). The absolute geospatial accuracy of the input images may be estimated based on a statistical measure of relative accuracies between pairs of overlapping images. The estimation of the absolute geospatial accuracy may include determining a root mean square error of the relative accuracies between pairs of overlapping images. For example, the absolute geospatial accuracy of the input images may be estimated by determining a root mean square error of the shears of respective pairs of overlapping images. The estimated absolute geospatial accuracy may be used to curate GCPs, evaluate a digital elevation map, generate a heatmap, or determine whether the adjust the images until a target absolute geospatial accuracy is met.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2021Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicant: Maxar Intelligence Inc.Inventors: Nathan Swanson, Steven F. Hartung, Wolfgang Schickler, Laurence C. Bleiler
-
Patent number: 11532070Abstract: A set of input images from satellites (or other remote sensors) can be orthorectified and stitched together to create a mosaic. If the resulting mosaic is not of suitable quality, the input images can be adjusted and the processes of orthorectifying and creating the mosaic can be repeated. However, orthorectifying and creating the mosaic uses a large amount of computational resources and takes a lot of time. Therefore, performing numerous iterations is expensive and sometimes not practical. To overcome these issues, it is proposed to generate an indication of accuracy of the resulting mosaic prior to orthorectifying and creating the mosaic by accessing a set of points in the plurality of input images, projecting the points to a model, determining residuals for the projected points, and generating the indication of accuracy of the orthorectified mosaic based on the determined residuals.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2021Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: Maxar Intelligence Inc.Inventors: Steven F. Hartung, Wolfgang Schickler, Nathan Swanson, Laurence C. Bleiler
-
Publication number: 20220245759Abstract: A set of input images from satellites (or other remote sensors) can be orthorectified and stitched together to create a mosaic. If the resulting mosaic is not of suitable quality, the input images can be adjusted and the processes of orthorectifying and creating the mosaic can be repeated. However, orthorectifying and creating the mosaic uses a large amount of computational resources and takes a lot of time. Therefore, performing numerous iterations is expensive and sometimes not practical. To overcome these issues, it is proposed to generate an indication of accuracy of the resulting mosaic prior to orthorectifying and creating the mosaic by accessing a set of points in the plurality of input images, projecting the points to a model, determining residuals for the projected points, and generating the indication of accuracy of the orthorectified mosaic based on the determined residuals.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2021Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: Maxar Intelligence Inc.Inventors: Steven F. Hartung, Wolfgang Schickler, Nathan Swanson, Laurence C. Bleiler
-
Patent number: 11017503Abstract: Techniques for atmospheric and solar correction of aerial images are described. An apparatus may comprise an atmospheric and solar component arranged for execution by a logic device and operative to correct solar and atmosphere artifacts from an aerial image. The atmospheric and solar component may comprise an image information component operative to generate an image record for each aerial image of a group of aerial images, the image record comprising statistical information and image context information for each aerial image, a filter generation component operative to generate an atmospheric filter and a solar filter from the statistical information and the image context information stored in the image records, and an image correction component operative to correct atmospheric and solar artifacts from the aerial image using the respective atmospheric filter and solar filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2017Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing , LLCInventors: Ido Omer, Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Robert Ledner, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons
-
Patent number: 9734599Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for image blending and/or facilitating image transitions. In an example, a map interface displays map information, such as of a town, through a visualization. A first image having a first level of detail and a first image type (e.g., satellite imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. While zoomed into the town, a second image having a second level of detail and a second image type (e.g., aerial imagery of the town) may be displayed through the visualization. Instead of merely transitioning the visualization from displaying the first image to displaying the second image (during zooming), which may otherwise provide a visually abrupt transition, one or more intermediate blended images, having intermediate levels of detail between the first image and the second image, may be generated and displayed during the transition between the first image and the second image.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2014Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Dingding Liu, Thomas Donald Barclay, Bimal K. Mehta, Wolfgang Schickler, Kartik Muktinutalapati, Khomkrit Kaowthumrong
-
Publication number: 20170161878Abstract: Techniques for atmospheric and solar correction of aerial images are described. An apparatus may comprise an atmospheric and solar component arranged for execution by a logic device and operative to correct solar and atmosphere artifacts from an aerial image. The atmospheric and solar component may comprise an image information component operative to generate an image record for each aerial image of a group of aerial images, the image record comprising statistical information and image context information for each aerial image, a filter generation component operative to generate an atmospheric filter and a solar filter from the statistical information and the image context information stored in the image records, and an image correction component operative to correct atmospheric and solar artifacts from the aerial image using the respective atmospheric filter and solar filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2017Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Ido Omer, Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Robert Ledner, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons
-
Patent number: 9576349Abstract: Techniques for atmospheric and solar correction of aerial images are described. An apparatus may comprise an atmospheric and solar component arranged for execution by a logic device and operative to correct solar and atmosphere artifacts from an aerial image. The atmospheric and solar component may comprise an image information component operative to generate an image record for each aerial image of a group of aerial images, the image record comprising statistical information and image context information for each aerial image, a filter generation component operative to generate an atmospheric filter and a solar filter from the statistical information and the image context information stored in the image records, and an image correction component operative to correct atmospheric and solar artifacts from the aerial image using the respective atmospheric filter and solar filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2010Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLCInventors: Ido Omer, Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Robert Ledner, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons
-
Patent number: 8737736Abstract: A method for tone mapping a high dynamic range image of a large terrestrial area into a lower dynamic range image uses a globally aware, locally adaptive approach whereby local tonal balancing parameter values are derived from known tone mapping parameters for a local 3×3 matrix of image tiles and used in turn to derive a local sigmoid transfer function for pixels in the tile in the middle of the matrix. A global sigmoid transfer function is derived based on values of the tone mapping parameters applicable to the entire image. A lower dynamic range image pixel will have a local tone mapped value and a globally tone mapped value, which are combined by giving each a weighted value to provide a final low dynamitic range pixel value.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons, Ido Omer, Rob Ledner
-
Publication number: 20140119639Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for classifying a water-body. For example, initial water-body segmentation may be used to segment imagery into water-body features or non-water-body features to create an initial water-body map. The initial water-body map may be refined based upon confidence scores assigned to pixels within the imagery. In one example, a confidence score may correspond to a confidence that a stereo matching technique produced a correct elevation for a pixel. A relatively low confidence score may indicate that the pixel corresponds to water (e.g., due to a lack of features/texture on water), while a relatively high confidence score may indicate that the pixel does not correspond to water (e.g., due to presence of features/texture, such as roads, building corners, etc.). In this way, confidence scores may, for example, be used to refine the initial water-body map to create a final water-body map.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2012Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Chintan Anil Shah, Anthony John Thorpe, Wolfgang Schickler
-
Patent number: 8665316Abstract: A large format digital camera has a primary camera system configured for collecting panchromatic image data and two or more secondary camera systems configured for collecting color image data. Each of the secondary camera systems has an optical system that has a longer focal length than the optical system of the primary camera system. The resolution of each of the secondary camera systems is also greater than the resolution of the primary camera system. The footprint of images produced by the primary camera system is larger in size than the footprint of images produced by the secondary camera systems. Images produced by the primary camera system offer information for performing image-based georeferencing by means of photogrammetric triangulation. Images produced by the secondary camera systems offer a high-resolution narrow angle color image suitable for use in ortho image production.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Wolfgang Schickler
-
Publication number: 20120170842Abstract: A method for tone mapping a high dynamic range image of a large terrestrial area into a lower dynamic range image uses: globally aware, locally adaptive approach whereby local tonal balancing parameter values are derived from known tone mapping parameters for a local 3×3 matrix of image tiles and used in turn to derive a local sigmoid transfer function for pixels in the tile in the middle of the matrix. A global sigmoid transfer function is derived based on values of the tone mapping parameters applicable to the entire image. A lower dynamic range image pixel will have a local tone mapped value and a globally tone mapped value, which are combined by giving each a weighted value to provide a final low dynamitic range pixel value.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2010Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons, Ido Omer, Rob Ledner
-
Publication number: 20120154584Abstract: Techniques for atmospheric and solar correction of aerial images are described. An apparatus may comprise an atmospheric and solar component arranged for execution by a logic device and operative to correct solar and atmosphere artifacts from an aerial image. The atmospheric and solar component may comprise an image information component operative to generate an image record for each aerial image of a group of aerial images, the image record comprising statistical information and image context information for each aerial image, a filter generation component operative to generate an atmospheric filter and a solar filter from the statistical information and the image context information stored in the image records, and an image correction component operative to correct atmospheric and solar artifacts from the aerial image using the respective atmospheric filter and solar filter. Other embodiments are described and claimed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2010Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Ido Omer, Yuxiang Liu, Wolfgang Schickler, Robert Ledner, Leon Rosenshein, David Simons
-
Publication number: 20110122223Abstract: A large format digital camera has a primary camera system configured for collecting panchromatic image data and two or more secondary camera systems configured for collecting color image data. Each of the secondary camera systems has an optical system that has a longer focal length than the optical system of the primary camera system. The resolution of each of the secondary camera systems is also greater than the resolution of the primary camera system. The footprint of images produced by the primary camera system is larger in size than the footprint of images produced by the secondary camera systems. Images produced by the primary camera system offer information for performing image-based georeferencing by means of photogrammetric triangulation. Images produced by the secondary camera systems offer a high-resolution narrow angle color image suitable for use in ortho image production.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2009Publication date: May 26, 2011Inventors: Michael Gruber, Martin Josef Ponticelli, Wolfgang Schickler