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Abstract

The present invention provides a system and process for correlating points on a spatial body to corresponding points on a database body formed from pre-aquired images of the spatial body. The system and process involve matching the spatial points with the corresponding database points using relative positional information between the spatial points and the database points. Symmetric false matches are detected and discarded by fitting the spatial points and database points to a first and second closed body, respectively, and comparing the orientation of the spatial points and the database points projected onto the closed bodies. In a preferred embodiment, the orientations of the spatial points and database points are compared by calculating, with respect to a matched spatial point, the longitudinal coordinates of the spatial points neighbouring the matched spatial point and calculating, with respect to the matched database point, the longitudinal coordinates of the database points neighbouring the matched database point, and comparing the difference in longitude between the points. If the difference in longitude of the spatial points corresponds to the difference in longitude of the database points, the match of the matched spatial point to the matched database point will be validated. Otherwise, the match will be considered a symmetric false match and discarded. Once at least three spatial points have been matched to corresponding database points, and the matches have been confirmed not to be false matches, a registration procedure is performed registering the spatial body to the database body by calculating a transformation mapping using the three matched pairs.

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First Claim