Generating maps without shadows
US10699477B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 2018 |
| Grant date | Jun 30, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/89
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques for generating maps without shadows are discussed herein. A plurality of images can be captured by a vehicle traversing an environment representing various perspectives and/or lighting conditions in the environment. A shadow within an image can be identified by a machine learning algorithm trained to detect shadows in images and/or by projecting the image onto a three-dimensional (3D) map of the environment and identifying candidate shadow regions based on the geometry of the 3D map and the location of the light source. Shadows can be removed or minimized by utilizing blending or duplicating techniques. Color information and reflectance information can be added to the 3D map to generate a textured 3D map. A textured 3D map without shadows can be used to simulate the environment under different lighting conditions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.