System for generating a model and estimating a cost using an autonomous inspection vehicle

• US 10,146,892 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Tofte, Nathan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien C
• Application Number:
  US15/868,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20180137216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 705 30, 705 40, 705 37, 705 38, 705 39, 705 4, 705 5, 705 2, 702151, 701 322
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Disclosed systems and methods estimate a financial cost to remedy estimated damage to a building. A controllable inspection vehicle, such as an aircraft, may capture one or more images of the building. The one or more images may be utilized to generate a model of the building, which can be analyzed to estimate the damage to the building.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image sensor;

an autonomous inspection vehicle carrying the image sensor, the autonomous inspection vehicle including one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the image sensor, the one or more computing devices configured to;

(a) autonomously cause the autonomous inspection vehicle to move to a location where a building is viewable by the image sensor;

(b) cause the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building; and

(c) transmit the one or more captured images; and

one or more servers configured to;

(a) in response to receiving the one or more captured images, generate a model of the building based on the one or more images captured via the image sensor;

(b) estimate damage to the building based on an analysis of the generated model;

(c) estimate a financial cost to remedy the damage estimated based on the analysis of the generated model; and

(d) store to a memory the estimated financial cost.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle includes a plurality of motors that the autonomous inspection vehicle utilizes to move to the location where the building is viewable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle includes a display device and wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle is configured to display the one or more captured images of the building via the display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the generated model comprises a comparison of the generated model to one or more predefined structure models.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated model is a three-dimensional model.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to autonomously cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images in response to receiving a command from a device controlled by a user.

8. The system of claim 1, further including a client device, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to (e) transmit the estimated financial cost to the client device so that the client device may display the estimated financial cost.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to cause the autonomous inspection vehicle to move in response to a command received from a radio frequency (RF) controller, such that the autonomous inspection vehicle may be caused to move either autonomously or in response to the command from the RF controller.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

generate a final assessment based on the estimated financial cost, wherein the final assessment is a data set including one or more of the following;

an owed reimbursement amount;

a list of damage;

or a repair status indicating whether at least a portion of the building is to be either repaired or replaced.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing an autonomous inspection vehicle to move to a location where a building is viewable by an image sensor carried by the autonomous inspection vehicle;

causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building;

transmitting the captured one or more images to one or more servers;

generating, at the one or more servers, a model of the building based on the one or more images captured via the image sensor;

estimating damage to the building based on an analysis of the generated model;

estimating a financial cost to remedy the damage estimated based on the analysis of the generated model; and

storing to a memory the estimated financial cost.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, via a display device of the autonomous inspection vehicle, the one or more captured images of the building via the display device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, via a display device communicatively coupled to the one or more servers, the one or more captured images of the building via the display device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the analysis of the generated model comprises a comparison of the generated model to one or more predefined structure models.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the model comprises generating a three-dimensional model.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images comprises:

a device on-board the autonomous inspection vehicle autonomously causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images comprises:

causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images in response to receiving a command from a device controlled by a user.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising one or more of:

(i) transmitting the estimated financial cost to a client device;

or (ii) transmitting a final assessment, generated based on the estimated financial cost, to the client device.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

autonomously generating, via a device on-board the autonomous inspection vehicle, a control signal to cause the autonomous inspection vehicle to move.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from a radio frequency (RF) controller, a command to cause the autonomous inspection vehicle to move;

wherein causing the autonomous inspection vehicle to move is in response to receiving the command from the RF controller.