Process and System for Analysing Deformations in Motor Vehicles

• US 20080267487A1
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fausto Siri
• Original Assignee: Fausto Siri
• Inventors: Siri, Fausto
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/00 Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing

Abstract

Process for identifying, analysing and estimating deformations particularly in motor vehicles and wherein the following steps are provided in the so called manual selection mode: providing a database of sample vehicle images, that is not damaged vehicles calling up a sample vehicle image corresponding to the damaged vehicle in a vehicle image memory from a database of sample vehicle images displaying said image on a monitor selecting regions corresponding to damaged or deformed regions of the damaged vehicle, on the displayed vehicle image by inputting graphic and/or alphanumeric commands by means of graphic and/or alphanumeric command input means. by inputting graphic and/or alphanumeric commands by means of graphic and/or alphanumeric command input means entering in the work program alternatively or in combination a quality and/or quantitative estimation degree of the deformation depth proportional to the deformation gravity. computing perimeter. area and/or volume and/or identifying the locution in space of the damage on vehicle by means of algorithms implemented by the work program.

Claims

1. Process for identifying, analysing, and estimating deformations particularly in motor vehicles

characterized in that

in the so called manual selection mode it provides the following steps:

providing a database of sample vehicle images, that is not damaged vehicles

calling up a sample vehicle image corresponding to the damaged vehicle in a vehicle image memory from a database of sample vehicle images

displaying said image on a monitor

selecting regions corresponding to damaged or deformed regions of the damaged vehicle on the displayed vehicle image by inputting graphic and/or alphanumeric commands by means of graphic and/or alphanumeric command input means.

by inputting graphic and/or alphanumeric commands by means of graphic and/or alphanumeric command input means entering in the work program alternatively or in combination;

a quality and/or quantitative estimation degree of the deformation depth proportional to the deformation gravity.

computing perimeter, area and/or volume and/or identifying the location in space of the damage on vehicle by means of algorithms implemented by the work program.

2. System for identifying, analysing and estimating deformations particularly in motor vehicles according to process of the preceding claim characterized in that it comprises at least a central processing unit (CPU) or central logical unit to which are associated:

at least a memory for storing a work program,

at least a work program

at least a memory for storing image data of at least a vehicle,

at least a database of two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of sample vehicles,

alphanumeric and/or graphic data or command input means,

selection means,

at least a unit for printing and/or displaying results such as a monitor.

3. System according to claim 2 characterized in that alphanumeric data or command input means are means for inputting a quality type estimation parameter of damage (that is low, medium, high type or the like).

4. System according to claim 2 or 3 characterized in that alphanumeric data or command input means are means for inputting at least a quantitative type estimation parameter (that is a measurement).

5. System according to one or more of claims 2 to 4 characterized in that said estimation parameter is proportional to deformation depth in one or more points of the deformed or damaged region and/or to surface thereof.

7. System for identifying, analysing and estimating deformations particularly in motor vehicles according process of claim 6 characterized in that it comprises all system parts as claim 2.

8. System according to claim 7 characterized in that determination of damaged region is carried out in semi-automatical way by an operator using graphic means for selecting image pixels of displayed vehicle or vehicles which pixels coinciding with damaged or deformed regions.

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that graphic means for selecting pixels and respective image data coinciding with damaged or deformed regions of vehicles in displayed images are selected by drawing a close boundary line surrounding vehicle image region coinciding with damaged region and by identifying image data of pixel subset coming inside said boundary line as pixel and image data corresponding to damaged or deformed region of vehicle.

10. Process according to claim 7, characterized in that instead of a visual comparison between damaged vehicle and sample vehicle said comparison is carried out in an automatic way.

11. Process according to claim 10, characterized in that in automatic mode a comparison is made between image data relevant to image of damaged vehicle and image data relevant to sample vehicle image, damaged and/or deformed regions being identified by image data difference between image data relevant to damaged vehicle and image data relevant to sample vehicle.

12. Process according to claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the selection of image data of sample vehicle from a database of sample vehicle images is carried out in automatic manner, the image whose image data differ at a minimum extent from image data of selected vehicle being selected as image of sample vehicle.

13. Process according to one or more of the preceding claims 10 to 12, characterized in that image data are composed by a three-dimensional array of image data, each element of said array being univocally correlated to an image pixel of a two-dimensional image according to a plane passing through said pixel and the comparison between image data of damaged vehicle and the comparison between image data of sample vehicle being constituted by comparison of image data that in the two image data arrays have the same location.

14. Process according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that area and/or volume of image region relevant to vehicle image pixel coinciding with damaged region is computed, which region is determined by selection means and/or by automatically comparing image data of damaged vehicle with image data of sample vehicle.

15. System according to one or more of the preceding claims and for carrying out the automatic process as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the work program comprises a subroutine for comparing at least two three-dimensional or two-dimensional arrays of image data which subroutine gains access to image data memory of damaged vehicle and to image data memory of sample vehicle and it executes a comparison action of image data relevant to pixels having the same position in pixel set composing the image.

16. System according to claim 15, characterized in that the work program has a routine for computing area of deformed region and/or deformation volume and/or deformation depth.

17. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said system further comprises a unit for detecting the three-dimensional image of a vehicle, which unit provides a two-dimensional or three-dimensional set of image data stored as image data of damaged vehicle.

18. System according to claim 17, characterized in that two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image of the vehicle is produced by scanning means, particularly three-dimensional scanning means.

19. System according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that identification, analysis and estimation of the at least one damaged region is carried out automatically by acquiring the three-dimensional virtual image of damaged vehicle by means of said scanning unit for scanning a vehicle and the comparison of acquired image data with image library data relevant to the same not damaged vehicle (sample vehicle).

20. System according to the preceding claim characterized in that damaged vehicle images and library ones of sample vehicle or vehicles are three-dimensional or vectorial images.

21. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the automatic selection of sample vehicle and/or the automatic selection of damaged or deformed region or regions is confirmed or not confirmed by the operator by inputting an agreement or denial command for said sample vehicle selected by CPU and displayed on monitor to the operator.

22. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that when identification/selection/computation of damaged or deformed areas and/or volumes finish a size and/or area and/or volume of damaged regions of a specific vehicle type are stored in the work program.

23. Process according to one or more of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that a virtual image of sample vehicle is produced constituting by the virtual image set of individual structural parts of vehicle forming independent structural units, that is individual vehicle parts, which virtual image can be displayed as image of assembled vehicle or as exploded vehicle image and/or as transparency image of damaged vehicle wherein images of hidden parts are also displayed, each structural part of vehicle being univocally identified by an identification code.

24. Process according to claim 23, characterized in that at least an external view of vehicle is defined, preferably various external views of vehicle taken from different sides thereof and/or in perspective and at least an inner view of vehicle, preferably various inner views of vehicle similarly to external views, it being possible to graphically select one or more structural parts of vehicle for identifying thereof as damaged parts or one or more structural parts of vehicle being identified as damaged parts by automatic comparison between virtual images of the sample vehicle and virtual images of the damaged vehicle.

25. Process according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more images of damaged vehicle are acquired even from inside thereof, that is one or more images of the damaged vehicle inside.

26. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that it has a memory wherein image data of at least a portion of structural parts of sample vehicle are stored constituting apart units, that is disassemblable and assemblable to other structural parts of vehicle and a program for displaying said structural parts in their assembling state in finished sample vehicle or in their exploded state or in their transparency state.

27. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the structural part of vehicle is determined by determining the structural part wherein pixels fall coinciding with image regions identified as damaged and/or deformed regions, said structural parts being identified as damaged and/or deformed ones stored in a memory.

28. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that a database of parts constituting vehicles is provided, each part being identified by a code.

29. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that CPU by means of the work program produces and combines to each vehicle part affected by the deformation or damage a gravity degree of the deformation proportional to the deformation itself that is to the size and/or area and/or volume of the damaged part.

30. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that it provides a time and/or cost database for repairing and replacing motor vehicle parts.

31. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that for each different part identified as deformed or damaged part the system by means of CPU and the work program provides to estimate cost and operations needed to rebuild the part itself, by comparison with times and costs database of motor vehicle parts.

32. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said time and cost estimation is preferably divided in three steps:

sheet metal operation reparation, or sheet metal working, painting and part assembling/disassembling.

33. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said time and cost database of motor vehicle parts for each motor vehicle part has a minimum estimation and a maximum estimation of time and/or cost needed for repairing sheet metal operation, or sheet metal working, and/or painting and/or part assembling/disassembling.

34. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that said motor vehicle part database for each motor vehicle part has also a list of parts to be disassembled/reassembled for disassembling/reassembling each single part.

35. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that to each damaged part a time and/or cost estimation is associated preferably divided in said three steps (sheet metal reparation, or sheet metal working, painting and part assembling/disassembling), said estimation being self chosen by CPU, in the range going to said minimum estimation to said maximum estimation of needed time and/or cost in a proportional way to gravity degree of deformation or damage.

36. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the system sums costs/times needed for the three steps of each damaged vehicle part.

37. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that results are printed and/or displayed, preferably by monitor.

38. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that for each damaged part the system compares said costs/times sum needed for the reparation with cost/time needed for completely replacing said damaged part with a new one.

39. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the system chooses whether replacing said damaged or deformed part or whether repairing the same part by choosing the lowest cost/time.

40. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the system is connected with a database of motor vehicle parts in warehouse.

41. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the system compares parts to be replaced with parts in warehouse producing a report with available parts/not available parts.

42. System according to one or more of the preceding claims characterized in that the system produces an order by paper or in an electronical way for supplying the warehouse with parts taken for replacement and not available parts.

6. Process for identifying, analysing and estimating deformations particularly in motor vehicles characterized in that in the so called semi-automatic selection mode it provides the following steps:

loading image data relevant to at least a three-dimensional image of damaged vehicle in a vehicle image memory

in the image memory of damaged vehicle calling up image data of at least a three-dimensional image of a sample vehicle from a database of sample vehicle images, said sample vehicle image being the image of a vehicle type corresponding to the damaged vehicle type;

displaying image data relevant to damaged vehicle image and to the corresponding not damaged vehicle type

comparing three-dimensional image of damaged vehicle with the corresponding three-dimensional image of sample vehicle identifying by visual comparison between said two images;

damage location or deformation and detecting deformed regions;

selecting by means of delimitation or highlighting graphic tools damaged or deformed regions identified by visual examination on at least one of the two images;

storing image pixel and respective image data selected as corresponding to damaged or deformed regions as result of said comparison in the work program memory;

computing, area and/or volume of damaged or deformed region or regions and/or further morphologic parameters by means of algorithms implemented by the work program, and/or identifying the location in space of the damage on the vehicle using the computation algorithm implemented by the work program on deformed regions and/or on results of said comparison stored in the work program memory.