Siding evaluation apparatus and method

• US 10,032,266 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Madey, Taryn M., Gibson, Sharon, Mast, Joshua M., Tofte, Nathan L., Turner, Chad Junior
• Primary Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US15/085,430
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0202 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0291 Housings; Spectrometer accessories; Spatial arrangement of elements, e.g. folded path arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0297 Constructional arrangements for removing other types of optical noise or for performing calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/52 using colour charts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/93 Detection standards; Calibrating baseline adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95 characterised by the material or shape of the object to be examined G01N21/89 - G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

A siding evaluation apparatus for use in identifying a characteristic of building siding is disclosed, together with methods and systems for identifying a characteristic of building siding using the siding evaluation apparatus. The siding evaluation apparatus includes a protrusion, clip, or other means for removably attaching to building siding by friction or pressure. The siding evaluation apparatus further includes a color chart holder adapted to hold a color chart for reference. The siding evaluation apparatus is attached to the siding and may be adjusted to display the color chart, which may be photographed together with a portion of the siding. Characteristics of the siding may then be determined based upon the captured photograph and a known reference area of the color chart.

Claims

1. A siding evaluation apparatus for use in identifying a characteristic of building siding, comprising:

means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to a first portion of the building siding using at least one of pressure or friction; and

a color chart holder adapted to hold a color chart in a manner such that the color chart and a second portion of the building siding are simultaneously visible when the siding evaluation apparatus is attached to the first portion of the building siding.

2. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to the first portion of the building siding includes a protrusion adapted to be removably inserted between rows of siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place.

3. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the protrusion includes a tapered portion that is tapered to be thinner at an end of the protrusion extending away from the color chart holder.

4. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the tapered portion has a thin end away from the color chart holder and a thick end nearer the color chart holder;

the thin end has a thickness less than 2 millimeters; and

the thick end has a thickness greater than 2 millimeters.

5. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to the first portion of the building siding includes a clip adapted to receive the first portion of the building siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place.

6. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the clip receives a portion of a seam of the building siding.

7. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the clip includes a gap between 0.3 and 3 millimeters into which the first portion of the building siding is received.

8. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the color chart holder includes one or more hooks to connect to one or more of the color chart or a color chart case containing the color chart.

9. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to the first portion of the building siding and the color chart holder form a single piece of one of the following:

synthetic plastic, rubber, or solid resin.

10. The siding evaluation apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable connector disposed between the means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to the first portion of the building siding and the color chart holder, which adjustable connector is adapted to rotate or slide the color chart holder in relation to the position of the means for removably attaching the siding evaluation apparatus to the first portion of the building siding.

11. A system for identifying a characteristic of building siding, comprising:

a siding evaluation apparatus adapted to removably attach to a first portion of the building siding and further adapted to hold a color chart for display in proximity to the first portion of the building siding;

a color chart;

an image capture device positioned to capture an image of the color chart; and

a computing device communicatively connected to the image capture device, including one or more processors and a module stored in a program memory of the computing device that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

receive a digital image of the color chart and a second portion of the siding from the image capture device; and

determine a characteristic of the building siding based upon the received digital image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the siding evaluation apparatus is adapted to removably attach to the first portion of the building siding by one or more of the following:

a protrusion adapted to be removably inserted between rows of siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place or a clip adapted to receive the first portion of the building siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the color chart includes one or more known reference areas; and

module further causes the computing device to adjust a color profile of the digital image based upon the one or more known reference areas of the color chart.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the color chart is removably connected to the siding evaluation apparatus.

15. A method for identifying a characteristic of building siding, comprising:

removably attaching a siding evaluation apparatus to a first portion of the building siding, wherein the siding evaluation apparatus includes a color chart holder adapted to hold a color chart and a connecting portion adapted to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place by one or more connectors;

capturing an image of the color chart and a second portion of the building siding using an image capture device;

determining, by one or more processors, a profile for the image based upon a portion of the captured image corresponding to at least a portion of the color chart; and

determining, by one or more processors, a characteristic of the building siding based upon the captured image and the determined profile.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more connectors include at least one of the following:

a protrusion adapted to be removably inserted between rows of siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place or a clip adapted to receive the first portion of the building siding to hold the siding evaluation apparatus in place.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the protrusion includes a tapered portion that is tapered to be thinner at the end of the protrusion away from the color chart holder and wherein the tapered portion has a thin end away from the color chart holder with a thickness less than 2 millimeters and a thick end nearer the color chart holder with a thickness greater than 2 millimeters.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the clip receives a portion of a seam of the building siding and wherein the clip includes a gap between 0.3 and 3 millimeters into which the portion of the seam is received.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the characteristic of the building siding includes determining at least one of the following:

a size associated with the building siding, a condition of the building siding, an age of the building siding, or damage to the building siding.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adjusting the position of the color chart holder to display the color chart substantially parallel to the second portion of the building siding by adjusting the position of an adjustable connector between the color chart holder and the connecting portion.