Systems and methods for processing overhead imagery

• US 8,229,769 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Hopkins, John Chandler III
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSEN, ELIZABETH H
• Application Number:
  US11/762,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management

Abstract

Systems and methods to process overhead imagery received from overhead image sources are described herein. In one example, the method may include receiving an overhead image, detecting features on a property and deriving business information using the features. In another example, the system may include an overhead imagery module to positionally correlate images and an image analyzer to determine one or more features on a property. In a further example, the method may include receiving an overhead image, correlating the image with land maps, parsing individual properties, determining the property'"'"'s values and aggregating the values across the image to derive a risk.

Claims

1. A method of processing overhead imagery, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, one or more overhead images, the one or more overhead images containing a plurality of properties, each of which may carry a property insurance underwritten by an insurance company;

correlating, by the processor, the one or more overhead images with one or more land maps;

parsing, by the processor, the plurality of properties into collections of individual properties, the collections of individual properties comprising a subset of the plurality of properties, wherein each of the individual properties carry property insurance underwritten by a single insurance company;

determining, by the processor, an assessed value for each of the individual properties in the subset of the plurality of properties; and

aggregating, by the processor, the assessed values for the subset of the plurality of properties;

deriving, by the processor, a risk of catastrophic loss for the single insurance company using the processor, wherein the risk of catastrophic loss uses the aggregated assessed value;

receiving a forecast of a footprint of a weather event;

reducing, by the processor, the subset of the plurality of properties to only properties within the footprint;

deriving, by the processor, a potential risk for the single insurance company;

determining, by the processor, an amount of securities in the single insurance company owned by an investor; and

selling a portion of the amount of securities using the potential risk.

2. The method of claim, 1 wherein the forecast of the footprint of a weather event using at least one of the following:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) forecast models or proprietary forecast models.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deriving, by the processor, a risk multiplier using the aggregated assessed values; and

quoting future insurance premiums for properties in the subset of the plurality of properties using the risk multiplier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying, by the processor, a publicly available database of property values and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying, by the processor a proprietary database of property values maintained by the single insurance company and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more land maps includes at least one of the following:

topographic maps, street maps, and plat maps.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the property insurance comprises homeowner'"'"'s insurance.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for processing overhead imagery, the computer-readable instructions being executed by a computer and comprising instructions to:

receive one or more overhead images, the one or more overhead images containing a plurality of properties, each of which may carry a property insurance underwritten by an insurance company;

correlate the one or more overhead images with one or more land maps;

parse the plurality of properties into collections of individual properties, the collections of individual properties comprising a subset of the plurality of properties, wherein each of the individual properties carry property insurance underwritten by a single insurance company;

determine an assessed value for each of the individual properties in the subset of the plurality of properties; and

aggregate the assessed values for the subset of the plurality of properties;

derive a risk of catastrophic loss for the single insurance company using the aggregated assessed value;

receive a forecast of a footprint of a weather event;

reduce the subset of the plurality of properties to only properties within the footprint and deriving a potential risk for the single insurance company;

determine an amount of securities in the single insurance company owned by an investor; and

sell a portion of the amount of securities using the potential risk.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the forecast of the footprint of a weather event uses at least one of the following:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) forecast models or proprietary forecast models.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions to:

derive a risk multiplier using the aggregated assessed values; and

quote future insurance premiums for properties in the subset of the plurality of properties using the risk multiplier.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying a publicly available database of property values and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying a proprietary database of property values maintained by the single insurance company and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more land maps includes at least one of the following:

topographic maps, street maps, and plat maps.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the property insurance comprises homeowner'"'"'s insurance.

15. A system for processing overhead imagery, the system comprising:

a processor;

a database coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and storing a plurality of instructions for controlling the processor to process the overhead imagery, the plurality of instructions comprising;

instructions that cause the processor to receive one or more overhead images, the one or more overhead images containing a plurality of properties, each of which may carry a property insurance underwritten by an insurance company;

instructions that cause the processor to correlate the one or more overhead images with one or more land maps parsing the plurality of properties into collections of individual properties, the collections of individual properties comprising a subset of the plurality of properties, wherein each of the individual properties carry property insurance underwritten by a single insurance company;

instructions that cause the processor to determine an assessed value for each of the individual properties in the subset of the plurality of properties;

instructions that cause the processor to aggregate the assessed values for the subset of the plurality of properties;

instructions that cause the processor to derive a risk of catastrophic loss for the single insurance company using the aggregated assessed value;

instructions that cause the processor to receive a forecast of a footprint of a weather event;

instructions that cause the processor to reduce the subset of the plurality of properties to only properties within the footprint;

instructions that cause the processor to derive a potential risk for the single insurance company;

instructions that cause the processor to determine an amount of securities in the single insurance company owned by an investor; and

instructions that cause the processor to sell a portion of the amount of securities using the potential risk.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the forecast of the footprint of a weather event uses at least one of the following:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) forecast models or proprietary forecast models.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprise:

instructions that cause the processor to derive a risk multiplier using the aggregated assessed values; and

instructions that cause the processor to quote future insurance premiums for properties in the subset of the plurality of properties using the risk multiplier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying a publicly available database of property values and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein determining values for each of the plurality of properties includes querying a proprietary database of property values maintained by the single insurance company and using the returned result for determining the assessed values for each of the individual properties.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more land maps includes at least one of the following:

topographic maps, street maps, and plat maps.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the property insurance comprises homeowner'"'"'s insurance.