Virtual property reporting for automatic structure detection

• US 20140280269A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Kennedy, David Arthur, Smyth, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,753,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures

Abstract

A computer system comprises a processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to: (a) receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user; (b) in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including information about the target structure; and (c) transmit a second signal over the computer network indicative of a virtual property report for the target structure including at least one image of the target structure. The virtual property report may include information about a facet of the target structure facing a street, location of a main entrance of the target structure, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure, location of vehicle access to the target structure.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising at least one processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user;

in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including information about the target structure; and

transmit a second signal over the computer network, the second signal indicative of a virtual property report for the target structure including at least one image of the target structure.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the processor to determine using aerial imagery and at least one data set indicative of street files information about one or more of:

a facet of the target structure facing a street, location of a main entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of vehicle access to the target structure within the at least one image, and store the information in the database and associated with the target structure.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor executable code for determining the information is organized to be executed by the at least one processor prior to executing the instructions to receive the first signal.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the processor to access the information indicative of the facet of the target structure facing the street, and retrieve and display an image of the facet within the virtual property report.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of receiving the first signal over the computer network, the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to receive a selection of one or more pixels within a displayed image of the target structure in which the one or more pixels have pixel coordinates, transform the pixel coordinates into real-world geographic coordinates, measure distances between the real-world coordinates, and store the measurements on a non-transitory computer readable medium within the database and associated with the target structure.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to associate a label identifying the measurement with a particular measurement, and store the label with the measurement within the database and associated with the target structure.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the label identifying the measurement is a particular field within the database.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the label is selected from the group including orientation and area of a driveway depicted within the displayed image, size or area of a deck depicted within the displayed image, location and height of trees adjacent to the target structure, areas of windows of the target structure, area of a vertical or pitched surface on the target structure, a height of an eave of the target structure, a height of a chimney of the target structure, a distance to a church from the target structure.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to analyze a parcel database to determine an identity of neighboring parcels either adjacent to the target structure or within a predefined radius of the target structure, and to make available to a user information related to neighboring parcels when accessing information indicative of the target structure.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to identify ownership or residency of neighboring parcels and to store a link within the database to information indicative of the owners or residents of neighboring parcels.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to identify social media information of owners or residents of neighboring parcels and to store information within the database indicative of the social media information of the owners or residents of the neighboring parcels.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the one or more processor to determine data indicative of one or more predetermined features of a target structure displayed in an image, the one or more predetermined features selected from:

a facet of the target structure facing a street, location of a main entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure relative to the street, orientation and area of a driveway of the target structure, location of vehicle access to the target structure, size and area of a deck of the target structure, real-world geographic location and height of a tree depicted in the image with the target structure, a geographic location of a trunk of a tree depicted in the image with the target structure, an area of a window of the target structure, an area of siding of the target structure depicted within multiple aerial images, a height of an eave of the target structure, height of a chimney of the target structure, a distance to one or more churches from the target structure, and social media information of a neighbor of the target structure.

13. A computer system comprising at least one processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user;

in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including multiple aerial images of the target structure;

automatically identify an aerial image from the multiple aerial images depicting a facet of the target structure that faces a street; and

transmit a second signal over the computer network, the signal indicative of the aerial image of the target structure depicting the facet of the target structure that faces the street.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processor executable code causes the processor to transmit a sequence of third signals depicting the multiple aerial images following the transmission of the second signal.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processor executable code causes the at least one processor to identify the facet of the target structure that faces the street by:

accessing a file identifying the street;

projecting a line through at least a portion of a facet of the target structure to the street; and

identifying the facet that the line is projected through as the facet of the target structure that faces the street.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processor executable code further causes the at least one processor to identify a rear facet of the target structure as a facet that is positioned at about 180°

relative to the facet of the target structure that faces the street.