System and process for roof measurement using aerial imagery

• US 8,542,880 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (EagleView Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thornberry, Dale R., Thornberry, Chris T., Garringer, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzpatrick, Atiba O
• Application Number:
  US13/774,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20130170694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 345423-426, 703 1- 9, 382100-107, 715835-838, 340990-99527
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/28 for measuring areas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• 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 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures

Abstract

Processes and systems are disclosed for determining attributes of a roof structure of real-world three-dimensional building(s), including providing computer input field(s) for a user to input location data generally corresponding to the location of the building, providing visual access to a nadir image of a region including the roof structure of the building; on the nadir image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on the computer monitor around the region, the visual marker initially corresponding to the location data but which may be moved to a final location, having location coordinates, on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of the marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location.

Claims

1. A process for determining attributes of a roof structure of a real-world three-dimensional building, comprising the acts of:

providing at least one computer input field for a user to input first location data generally corresponding to the location of the building;

providing visual access to an aerial image of a region including the roof structure of the building corresponding to said first location data, the aerial image taken from a straight down overhead view with respect to the roof structure;

on the aerial image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on a computer monitor around said region, said visual marker initially corresponding to said first location data, wherein said visual marker may be moved to a final location on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure, the final location having location coordinates;

providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of said marker; and

,

providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location.

2. The process of claim 1 and wherein said first location data comprised street address data, and wherein said location coordinates of said final location are translated to latitude and longitude coordinates.

3. The process of claim 2 and wherein said image corresponding to the first location data is from a first imagery database from which said final location is selected and is internet-based imagery having a corresponding street address look up field, and wherein the aerial imagery database is a second imagery database, and further comprising the act of:

using said latitude and longitude coordinates to access imagery from the second imagery database.

4. The process of claim 3 and further comprising the act of:

generating, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery from said second imagery database.

5. The process of claim 4 and wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface.

6. The process of claim 5 and further comprising the act of:

providing a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure.

7. The process of claim 1 and further comprising the act of:

generating, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery.

8. The process of claim 1 and wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface.

9. The process of claim 1 and further comprising the act of:

providing a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure.

10. The process of claim 9 and wherein the printed report includes a latitude reference and/or a longitude reference corresponding to the location of the building roof structure.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the user is a customer.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the user is a commercial vendor.

13. The process of claim 1, further comprising providing visual access to the one or more images of the aerial imagery database corresponding to the final location data.

14. A non-transient computer memory storing computer logic, that when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to determine attributes of a roof structure of a real-world three-dimensional building by:

providing at least one computer input field for a user to input first location data generally corresponding to the location of the building;

providing visual access to an aerial image of a region including the roof structure of the building corresponding to said first location data, the aerial image taken from a straight down overhead view with respect to the roof structure;

on the aerial image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on a computer monitor around said region, said visual marker initially corresponding to said first location data, wherein said visual marker may be moved to a final location on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure, the final location having location coordinates;

providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of said marker; and

,

providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location.

15. The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said first location data comprised street address data, and wherein said location coordinates of said final location are translated to latitude and longitude coordinates.

16. The non-transient computer memory of claim 15, wherein said aerial image corresponding to the first location data is from a first imagery database from which said final location is selected and is internet-based imagery having a corresponding street address look up field, and wherein the aerial imagery database is a second imagery database, and wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to:

use said latitude and longitude coordinates to access imagery from the second imagery database.

17. The non-transient computer memory of claim 16, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to:

generate, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery from said second imagery database.

18. The non-transient computer memory of claim 17, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to:

provide a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure.

19. The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to:

generate, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery.

20. The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface.