Directed image capture

• US 10,038,838 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hover Inc. (Tucows Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hover Inc. (Tucows Incorporated)
• Inventors: Castillo, William, Altman, Adam J., Pavlidis, Ioannis, Sahu, Sarthak, Upendran, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): BROOME, SAID A
• Application Number:
  US15/348,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2104 for one or a few pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

A process is provided for graphically guiding a user of a capture device (e.g., smartphone) to more accurately capture a series of images of a building. Images are captured as the picture taker moves around the building—taking a plurality (e.g., 4-16) of images from multiple angles and distances. Before capturing an image, a quality of the image may be determined to prevent low quality images from being captured or to provide instructions on how to improve the quality of the image capture. The series of captured images are uploaded to an image processing system to generate a 3D building model that is returned to the user. The returned 3D building model may incorporate scaled measurements of building architectural elements and may include a dataset of measurements for one or more architectural elements such as siding (e.g., aluminum, vinyl, wood, brick and/or paint), windows, doors or roofing.

Claims

1. A method of directed capture of building imagery, the method comprising:

displaying, on an image capture device, a selected graphical guide from a set of sequentially related graphical guides to assist with building image capture orientation, the assist including graphical alignment for positioning the image capture device for capture of one or more digital photographs to be used as building images in a multi-dimensional building model;

receiving an assessment of quality of the building image associated with the selected graphical guide;

receiving, based on the selected graphical guide and the assessment of quality, acknowledgement of the building image being captured;

repeating the displaying and receiving steps for a plurality of the selected graphical guides from the set of sequentially related graphical guides; and

saving to memory the building images captured.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the saving to memory comprises uploading the building images captured to remote storage.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a multidimensional building model from the building images captured.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is a local or remotely connected camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is any of:

a camera, a phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a video camera, a security camera, a closed-circuit television camera, a computer, a laptop, a webcam, a wearable camera device, a photosensitive sensor, an IR sensor, a laser, a remote controlled camera, or an airborne vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the building image captured includes at least a first corner and one or more sides of a building.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment of quality of the building image is provided to the image capture device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the assessment of quality of the building image is provided to the image capture device by any of:

a visual indication on the image capture device, a visual indication on an associated communication device, or audibly.

9. A method of directed capture of building imagery, the method comprising:

displaying, on a capture device, a graphical guide from a set of sequentially related graphical guides to assist with a building imagery capture sequence, the building imagery capture sequence including a plurality of digital photographs facilitating a multi-dimensional model build;

receiving an assessment of quality of at least one image associated with the building imagery capture sequence;

directing, based on the graphical guide and the assessment of quality, capture of the at least one image;

receiving acknowledgement of the at least one image capture;

receiving the at least one image capture for a plurality of selected graphical guides of the set of sequentially related graphical guides; and

saving to memory the images captured.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the saving to memory comprises uploading the images captured to remote storage.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising creating a multi-dimensional building model from the images captured.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the multi-dimensional building model is constructed during the building imagery capture sequence.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the image capture is for any of:

one or more architectural features, or one or more angles of the capture device relative to the building, or one or more distances of the capture device relative to the building.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the capture device is a local or remotely connected camera.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving an assessment of quality is provided within a display of the capture device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the assessment of quality is performed to direct the building imagery capture sequence.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the assessment of quality of an image is performed, locally or remotely, by any of:

an image processing classifier, machine learning system, deep learning system, neural processing system, or hierarchical image processing system.

18. A computing device comprises:

an interface;

a local memory; and

a processing module operably coupled to the interface and the local memory, wherein the processing module is configured to;

display one or more select graphical guides from a set of graphical guides, the one or more select graphical guides directing a building object image capture sequence, the building object image capture sequence including a plurality of digital photographs facilitating a multi-dimensional model build;

receive an assessment of quality of the building object image;

based on the received assessment, capture one or more images of at least a portion of the building object;

repeat the display, receive, and capture steps for selected graphical guides of the set of graphical guides; and

save to memory the one or more images captured.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein selected graphical guides of the set of graphical guides are omitted during the building object image capture sequence.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the at least a portion includes any of:

ground-level facades, roof level imagery or an entire building object.