Patent ID: 9299129
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: G06K,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A method for removing a shadow from an aerial or satellite photograph, the method being performed by a shadow removal apparatus implemented by a processor, which includes a photographing information collecting unit, a building information extracting unit, a shadow area estimating unit, an image restoration unit, and an image composition unit, the method comprising: collecting through the photographing information collecting unit aerial or satellite photographs taken by and received from a photographing equipment; extracting buildings at each of the collected aerial or satellite photographs, by the building information extracting unit; estimating a shadow area cast by the extracted buildings, by the shadow area estimating unit; restoring a shaded image in the aerial or satellite photograph, which corresponds to the estimated shadow area, by the image restoration unit; and composing the restored image and a residual image of the aerial or satellite photograph except the shadow area, by the image composition unit, wherein the photographing information collecting unit is further configured to acquire information including at least one of a photographing location, a flight height and a photographing time for said each of the aerial or satellite photographs, and an angle of view of the photographing equipment when the photographing equipment takes said each of the aerial or satellite photographs, and wherein the building information extracting unit is further configured to extract the buildings that are taller than or equal to a preset standard height, when it extracts buildings in said each of the collected aerial or satellite photographs, the preset standard height having a different value according to the angle of view of the photographing equipment and the photographing time.