PHOTO GUIDE FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140067429A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audatex North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Audatex North America Incorporated (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lowell, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 11,086,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A device and method for assisting a user in photographing a vehicle for documenting a condition of the vehicle. The method includes receiving information regarding the vehicle and displaying a graphic overlay of the vehicle. A video image of the vehicle is captured with a camera and is displayed with the graphical overlay. The video image of the vehicle is aligned with the graphical overlay of the vehicle and the image of the vehicle is stored. The graphical overlay can be oriented on the screen in a manner so that the stored image of the vehicle is captured at a predetermined horizontal angle, vertical height and/or vehicle size. The photograph of the vehicle can be attached to an insurance estimate. Standardizing the horizontal angle, vertical and/or vehicle size of the photographed vehicle promotes consistency and uniformity in the estimating process.

Claims

1. A camera device that assists a user in photographing a vehicle for documenting a condition of the vehicle, comprising:

a camera that has a screen that displays a video image of the vehicle and a graphic overlay that is used to align said video image so that said video image is captured at a predetermined orientation.

3. The camera device of claim 1, wherein said graphic overlay of the vehicle is provided by a database of vehicle graphic overlays.

4. The camera device of claim 1, wherein said graphic overlay of the vehicle is created by extrapolating a 2D image outline from a 3D model of the vehicle.

5. The camera device of claim 1, wherein said graphical overlay of the vehicle is transparent.

6. The camera device of claim 1, wherein said camera includes a processor that causes the display of said video image of the vehicle and said graphical overlay of the vehicle.

7. The camera device of claim 1, wherein said graphic overlay depicts a portion of the vehicle.

2. (canceled)

8. The camera device of claim 2, further comprising a memory that stores said video image of the vehicle that is aligned with the graphical overlay.

9. A non-transitory computer program storage medium that assists a user in photographing a vehicle for documenting a condition of the vehicle, comprising:

a computer program storage medium that includes a program that causes a screen of a camera to display a video image of the vehicle and a graphic overlay that is used to align said video image so that said video image is captured at a predetermined orientation.

11. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 9, wherein said graphic overlay of the vehicle is provided by a database of vehicle graphic overlays.

12. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 9, wherein said graphic overlay of the vehicle is created by extrapolating a 2D image outline from a 3D model of the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 9, wherein said graphical overlay of the vehicle is transparent.

10. (canceled)

14. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 10, wherein said program causes a storage of said video of the vehicle that is aligned with the graphical overlay.

15. A method for assisting a user in photographing a vehicle for documenting a condition of the vehicle, comprising;

displaying a graphic overlay on a screen of a camera;

aligning a video image of the vehicle with the graphical overlay on the screen of the camera;

storing the video image of the vehicle in the camera; and

,

sending the video image from said camera to a server.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the graphic overlay of the vehicle from a database of vehicle graphic overlays.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising creating the graphic overlay of the vehicle by extrapolating a 2D image outline from a 3D model of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the graphical overlay of the vehicle is transparent.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the video image is used to create an insurance estimate.