Pitch determination systems and methods for aerial roof estimation

• US 8,170,840 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EagleView Technologies Incorporated (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: EagleView Technologies Incorporated (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Pershing, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Craig, Dwin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERRE LOUIS, ANDRE
• Application Number:
  US12/467,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1
• US Class Current: 703/1
• 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: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/75 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures

Abstract

User interface systems and methods for roof estimation are described. Example embodiments include a roof estimation system that provides a user interface configured to facilitate roof model generation based on one or more aerial images of a building roof. In one embodiment, roof model generation includes image registration, image lean correction, roof section pitch determination, wire frame model construction, and/or roof model review. The described user interface provides user interface controls that may be manipulated by an operator to perform at least some of the functions of roof model generation. In one embodiment, the user interface provides user interface controls that facilitate the determination of pitch of one or more sections of a building roof. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating a roof estimate report, the method comprising:

displaying an aerial image of a building having a roof comprising a plurality of planar roof sections that each have a corresponding pitch;

displaying a pitch determination marker operable to indicate pitch of a planar roof section, wherein the pitch determination marker is overlaid on the aerial image of the building having the roof;

receiving, based on the displayed pitch determination marker, an indication of the pitch of one of the plurality of planar roof sections of the roof of the building; and

modifying a model of the roof based on the received indication of the pitch of the one planar roof section.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pitch determination marker is adjustable to specify pitch of a planar roof section.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting roof measurement information based on the modified model of the roof, the roof measurement information including a measure of the pitch of the one planar roof section.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the model of the roof includes associating the indicated pitch with a portion of the model of the roof that corresponds to the one planar roof section of the roof of the building.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a wireframe rendering of the modified model superimposed on the aerial image of the building.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying the wireframe rendering occurs in response to the receiving of the indicated pitch.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the pitch determination marker includes an adjustable protractor tool having a member that is adjustable to indicate an angle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the pitch determination marker includes an envelope tool having two surfaces that are adjustable to indicate an angle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the model of the roof includes modifying a three-dimensional model of the roof.

10. A computing system for generating a roof estimate report, the computing system comprising:

a memory;

a roof estimation module that is stored on the memory and that is configured, when executed, to;

display an aerial image of a building having a roof comprising a plurality of planar roof sections that each have a corresponding pitch;

display a pitch determination marker operable to indicate pitch of a planar roof section, wherein the pitch determination marker is overlaid on the aerial image of the building having the roof;

receive, based on the displayed pitch determination marker, an indication of the pitch of one of the plurality of planar roof sections of the roof of the building;

modify a model of the roof based on the received indication of the pitch of the one planar roof section; and

provide roof measurement information based on the model of the roof, the roof measurement information including a measure of the pitch of the one planar roof section.

11. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the roof estimation module is further configured to transmit a roof estimate report based on the provided roof measurement information.

12. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the pitch determination marker includes at least one of an adjustable protractor tool and an envelope tool.

13. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the roof estimation module includes an interactive roof modeling user interface.

14. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the roof estimation module is further configured to display the pitch determination marker as part of an interactive user interface.

15. The computing system of claim 10 wherein the model of the roof is a three-dimensional model of the roof.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose contents enable a computing system to generate a roof estimate report for a building having a roof, by performing a method comprising:

displaying an aerial image of a building having a roof comprising a planar roof section that has a corresponding pitch;

displaying a pitch determination marker operable to indicate pitch of the planar roof section, wherein the pitch determination marker is overlaid on the aerial image of the building having the roof;

receiving, based on the displayed pitch determination marker, an indication of the pitch of the planar roof section; and

modifying a model of the roof based on the received indication of the pitch of the planar roof section.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the pitch determination marker is adjustable to specify pitch of a planar roof section.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

generating a roof estimate report based on the modified model of the roof; and

transmitting the generated roof estimate report.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the transmitted roof estimate report includes a line drawing of the roof of the house labeled with a measure of the pitch of the planar roof section.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

determining roof measurement information based on the modified model of the roof, the roof measurement information including a measure of the pitch of the planar roof section; and

transmitting the determined roof measurement information.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein modifying the model of the roof includes modifying a model of the roof by associating the indicated pitch with a portion of the model of the roof that corresponds to planar roof section of the roof of the building.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a wireframe rendering of the modified model superimposed on the aerial image of the building.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

registering, based on operator indicated features, multiple aerial images to a reference grid corresponding to the model.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein registering multiple images includes:

displaying a marker operable to specify a point on the aerial image;

receiving, via the marker, an indication of a point on the aerial image; and

registering, based on the received indication of the point, the aerial image to the reference grid.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein registering the aerial image to the reference grid includes determining a transformation between the aerial image and the reference grid.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

correcting lean of the aerial image with respect to a vertical axis of a reference grid corresponding to the model.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26 wherein correcting misalignment of the aerial image includes:

displaying a lean correction marker operable to indicate a vertical axis of the aerial image;

receiving, via the lean correction marker, an indication of the vertical axis of the aerial image; and

registering, based on the received indication of the vertical axis, the aerial image to the reference grid.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein modifying the model of the roof includes modifying a three-dimensional model of the roof.