3D Geolocation to Building Floor Level Using Municipal Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing geolocation systems struggle to accurately determine three-dimensional geolocation within urban environments, particularly inside buildings above or below ground level, due to limitations in depth data calculation and accuracy from image-based methods.
Innovation Solution
A computer system and method that combines geocoded locations with local data from municipal agencies to calculate the estimated elevation of building floors, using adapted standard equations to generate the elevation of specific floors within a building, thereby enabling accurate 3D geolocation to at least a building floor level.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If image-based depth data calculation is used to determine 3D geolocation, then the system can provide geolocation services, but the accuracy and consistency of building floor level geolocation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple data sources including image-based depth data with alternative data sources such as building inventory information, municipal agency data, and standardized building equations. This merging of diverse data sources compensates for the limitations of any single source, thereby improving both the accuracy and reliability of building floor level geolocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary processing layer that uses building inventory information and municipal agency data as intermediate representations. These intermediaries serve as reliable references to correct and validate the image-based depth data, improving the overall measurement precision and consistency of geolocation results.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard building height equations are used, then calculation is simplified, but the equations do not account for variations in building construction and floor heights
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the parameters used in building height calculations based on building-specific data from inventory information and municipal agencies. Instead of using fixed standard equations, the system modifies calculation parameters such as floor height multipliers and building type coefficients to match actual building characteristics, thereby maintaining calculation simplicity while improving floor elevation accuracy.
3Device complexity
If only ground level geocoding is performed, then the system is simpler to implement, but it cannot provide 3D geolocation to specific building floors above or below ground level
Solution Approach 1:
The system extends traditional 2D ground-level geocoding by incorporating the vertical dimension through building floor level calculations. By integrating building inventory data and municipal agency information about building structures, the system adds elevation and floor level dimensions to geolocation, enabling 3D geolocation capability while managing complexity through systematic data integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system and method for performing 3D geolocation within an urban environment to at least a building floor level by combining geocoded locations with local dimensional data available from municipal agencies processed to calculate estimated elevation of building floors in a target building. The local dimensional data is building inventory information that includes the ground elevation of the target building, the number of above-ground floors in the target building and the height of the target building. The system is configured to calculate the building floor level of a particular floor in the target building from the local data. Standard equations for estimating the height of a building are adapted to generate the elevation of the particular floor within the target building relative to the ground elevation of the target building.