Geospatial Database Placeholder Records for Early Image Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional method of ingesting images into geospatial databases results in a significant delay before new imagery is accessible, as the regeneration of geospatial indices becomes time-consuming with growing database sizes, preventing early access to captured images during the processing stage, which is critical for timely property assessment by tax assessors.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that generates and stores placeholder records in the geospatial database with metadata and image file location information, allowing early access to captured images during the post-capture processing stage by retrieving images from processing drives rather than the database, reducing the need for immediate ingestion and index regeneration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If images are ingested into the geospatial database and geospatial indices are regenerated, then images become accessible for early viewing, but the processing time increases significantly with growing database sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by creating placeholder records in the geospatial database before the actual image ingestion and index regeneration is complete. These placeholder records contain metadata and file location information that enable early access to images during processing, thus reducing the access delay without requiring complete processing of all images first
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - placeholder records with image file location fields - that mediates between the incomplete processing state and the need for image access. Instead of requiring direct access to fully processed images in the database, the system uses these placeholder records as intermediaries to retrieve images from processing drives, thereby bypassing the time-consuming index regeneration step
2Loss of time
If images are made accessible during the processing stage through placeholder records, then early access is enabled, but additional system complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates simplified copies of image metadata and file location information in placeholder records, rather than copying the full image data itself. This lightweight copying approach enables early access functionality without duplicating the complex image processing pipeline, thus adding minimal system complexity while achieving the time reduction goal
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional ingestion methods are used, then image quality and accuracy are maintained through complete processing, but access delay of one to three months occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a dynamic access model where image availability is not static (all-or-nothing) but progressive. As images are processed and ready, placeholder records are updated to reflect their availability status, allowing dynamic early access to individual images or subsets of images that have completed processing, while the overall quality assurance pipeline continues for all images
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for early access to captured images including receiving a request for at least one image of a geographic area from a client application of an operator user device; querying records within a geospatial database to locate one or more records of images accessible by the geospatial database and depicting at least a portion of the geographic area; reading information within the one or more records depicting at least a portion of the geographic area to determine a status of an image within the one or more records, the status of the image indicating that the image is an in process captured image in which the image has not been fully processed; and presenting at least a portion of the image to the client application of the operator user device with a status indicator indicating the stage in processing of the geographic area.