Location determination in a GPS-denied environment with user annotation

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method of determining a geographic location from a comparison of an image of an environment with elevation data, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining data indicative of regions of the earth from a plurality of data sources,
• wherein the data indicative of the regions of the earth comprises the elevation data;
• creating grid points in the data indicative of the regions of the earth;
• creating radial lines or wedges projecting outward from the grid points at equally or unequally spaced intervals;
• generating skyline models from the elevation data along each radial line or wedge;
• receiving the image of the environment at the geographic location from a camera of a mobile device;
• receiving an annotation from the user via the mobile device,
• wherein the annotation is indicative of a skyline in the image;
• analyzing, by at least one processor on the mobile device, the image and the annotation to determine height information of features in the image;
• wherein the height information is indicative of the skyline in the image;
• and
• comparing, by the at least one processor on the mobile device, the height information with the skyline models to determine a most likely location of the environment in the image,
• wherein the skyline models are stored locally on a storage medium of the mobile device.

A system for determining a geographic location from a comparison of an image of an environment with user annotations and elevation data, comprising:

• a data store storing data indicative of a region of the earth;
• a processor;
• a mobile device comprising a camera;
• and
• at least one non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method of determining the geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:
• obtaining the data indicative of the regions of the earth from a plurality of data sources,
• wherein the data indicative of the regions of the earth comprises elevation data;
• creating grid points in the data indicative of the regions of the earth;
• creating radial lines or wedges projecting outward from the grid points at equally or unequally spaced intervals;
• generating skyline models from the elevation data along each radial line or wedge;
• receiving the image of the environment at the geographic location from the camera of the mobile device;
• receiving an annotation from the user via the mobile device,
• wherein the annotation is indicative of a skyline in the image;
• creating regions of a reduced number of pixels based at least in part on the annotation;
• performing edge detection analysis on the regions to detect the skyline in the image;
• determining height information of the skyline in the image;
• wherein the height information is indicative of the skyline in the image;
• and
• comparing the height information with the skyline models to determine a most likely location of the environment in the image.