# US 2018/0322693 A1 · Point cloud data hierarchy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0322693 A1 - Document ID: US20180322693A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/039,665 - Filed: 2018-07-19 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-07 - Assignees: Willow Garage, LLC - Applicants: Willow Garage, Inc. - Inventors: Stuart Glaser; Wim Meeussen; Eitan Marder-Eppstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180322693A1 ## CPC - G06T 17/005: {Tree description, e.g. octree, quadtree} - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 16/2246: {Trees, e.g. B+trees} - G06F 16/26: Visual data mining; Browsing structured data - G06F 16/282: {Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes} - G06F 16/287: {Visualization; Browsing} - G06T 17/05: Geographic models - G06T 17/20: Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, {tesselation} - G06T 15/20: Perspective computation - G06T 2207/10028: Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds - G06T 2210/56: Particle system, point based geometry or rendering - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract One embodiment is directed to a system for presenting views of a very large point data set, comprising: a storage system comprising data representing a point cloud comprising a very large number of associated points; a controller operatively coupled to the storage cluster and configured to automatically and deterministically organize the point data into an octree hierarchy of data sectors, each of which is representative of one or more of the points at a given octree mesh resolution; and a user interface through which a user may select a viewing perspective origin and vector, which may be utilized to command the controller to assemble an image based at least in part upon the selected origin and vector, the image comprising a plurality of data sectors pulled from the octree hierarchy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for presenting views of a very large point data set, comprising: a. a storage system comprising data representing a point cloud comprising a very large number of associated points; b. a controller operatively coupled to the storage cluster and configured to automatically and deterministically organize the point data into an octree hierarchy of data sectors, each of which is representative of one or more of the points at a given octree mesh resolution; and c. a user interface through which a user may select a viewing perspective origin and vector, which may be utilized to command the controller to assemble an image based at least in part upon the selected origin and vector, the image comprising a plurality of data sectors pulled from the octree hierarchy. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the storage system comprises a storage cluster. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the storage system, controller, and user interface are interoperable using a network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein at least one portion of the network is accessible to the internet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is generated by a computing system that houses the controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is presented to the user within a web browser. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured such that the user may adjust the selected origin and vector using an input device, causing the controller to assemble a new image based at least in part upon the adjusted origin and vector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the very large number of associated points is greater than 1 billion points. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud has a uniform point pitch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud has a point pitch that is less than about one meter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the point cloud has a point pitch that is less than about 1 centimeter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud represents data that has been collected based upon distance measurement scans of objects. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the point cloud represents at least one LIDAR scan. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the octree hierarchy of data sectors is configured such that an N level sector represents a centroid of points at the N+1 level below. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein each point is weighted equally in determining the centroid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the points comprising the point cloud are not all weighted equally in determining the centroid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to store data sectors of similar octree mesh resolution in similar accessibility configurations using the storage system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to store data sectors of similar octree mesh resolution on a common storage device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to store data sectors of similar octree mesh resolution such that they have similar retrieval latencies from the storage system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to deterministically organize the point data by automatically naming each of the data sectors with a uniquely identifiable name that is retrievable by the controller.