METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING GEO-SPATIAL REGISTRATION USING A EUCLIDEAN REPRESENTATION

A system and method for accurately mapping between camera coordinates and geo-coordinates, called geo-spatial registration, using a Euclidean model. The system utilizes the imagery and terrain information contained in the geo-spatial database to precisely align geographically calibrated reference imagery with an input image, e.g., dynamically generated video images, and thus achieve a high accuracy identification of locations within the scene. When a sensor, such as a video camera, images a scene contained in the geo-spatial database, the system recalls a reference image pertaining to the imaged scene. This reference image is aligned very accurately with the sensor's images using a parametric transformation produced by a Euclidean model. Thereafter, other information that is associated with the reference image can easily be overlaid upon or otherwise associated with the sensor imagery.