Patent ID: 8825373

Claim:
A system for performing loop closing, the system comprising: a computer-readable memory that stores a plurality of paths to be improved, wherein each path of the plurality of paths comprises one or more poses having therewith associated an image and a geographic location of a mobile apparatus; and one or more processors in communication with the computer-readable memory, the one or more processors being configured to: identify a plurality of candidate intersections between poses of different paths of the plurality of paths based on the geographic locations of the one or more poses of each of the plurality of paths; determine, for each particular candidate intersection of the plurality of candidate intersections, a relative pose based on the images associated with the poses of the different paths of the particular candidate intersection; partitioning the plurality of paths to obtain one or more partition cells, each partition cell including the poses of at least one particular candidate intersection of the plurality of candidate intersections and the determined relative pose for the at least one particular candidate intersection, wherein each one of the plurality of paths is assigned to at least one of the one or more partition cells; send the one or more partition cells to one or more client devices for improving the paths assigned to the one or more partition cells; and receive, in response to sending the one or more partition cells, an improved path from the client device, the improved paths being based on at least one of the determined relative poses.