Harris Corporation

Stephan Walker Miller

Mark Donald Rahmes

Stephen Connetti

Morteza Akbari

J Harlan Yates

Jeffrey W Houser

Method includes calculating a mean z coordinate value for points within the point cloud. An initial set of points is selected which have z coordinate values which deviate from the mean by at least an initial value. Thereafter, a triangulated irregular network (TIN) is constructed using the initial set of points. The method continues by determining if there is a significant point that exists among the points contained within an x, y extent of each triangle. If so, the TIN is updated to include the initial set of points and any significant points determined to exist within the triangles that form the TIN. Thereafter, the method continues by repeating the determining and the updating steps until there are no additional significant points found within the triangles.

Accuracy-based significant point derivation from dense 3D point clouds for terrain modeling

A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial database for storing geospatial data points each having respective elevations associated therewith. The system may further include a processor for data thinning the geospatial data points by selecting discriminant points therefrom. The processor may select discriminant points based upon: (a) identifying a current patch having a plurality of spaced-apart current geospatial data boundary points; (b) selecting a current discriminant point within the current patch based upon sequentially stepping through the geospatial data points therein to determine respective elevation differences relative to the current geospatial boundary points and comparing the elevation differences to a threshold range; (c) identifying a plurality of new patches, each having a plurality of spaced-apart new geospatial boundary points including the current discriminant point; and (d) iteratively repeating steps (b) and (c) for each of the new patches until no further new discriminant point is selected.

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

Stephan Walker Miller