System and method for automatically measuring the dimensions of and identifying the type of exterior siding

• US 8,885,916 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Maurer, Jonathan D., Christopulos, Nicholas U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hung, Yubin
• Application Number:
  US14/228,617
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 381/141, 381/286, 348/137
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20048 Transform domain processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20061 Hough transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for determining a pixel-to-length ratio between a number of pixels disposed over a predetermined length of a reference object within an image of a siding sample and the predetermined length of the reference object. A first and second distance between respective first and second pairs of points within the image corresponding to respective first and second length measurements of the siding sample are determined, as well as a first and second number of pixels disposed between the first and second pair of points, respectively. Furthermore, the method, system, and computer readable medium disclose determining the first length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the first number of pixels, determining the second length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the second number of pixels, and identifying a siding product associated with the first and second length measurements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining dimensions of siding, comprising:

determining, using one or more processors, a pixel-to-length ratio between a number of pixels disposed over a predetermined length of a reference object within an image of a siding sample and the predetermined length of the reference object;

adjusting an orientation of the image if the reference object is not aligned with the edges of the siding sample in the image;

determining, using one or more processors, a first and second distance between respective first and second pairs of points within the image corresponding to respective first and second length measurements of the siding sample;

determining, using one or more processors, a first and second number of pixels disposed between the first and second pair of points, respectively;

determining, using one or more processors, the first length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the first number of pixels;

determining, using one or more processors, the second length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the second number of pixels; and

identifying, using one or more processors, a siding product associated with the first and second length measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first measurement corresponds to a face size of the siding sample, and

wherein the second measurement corresponds to a profile measurement of the siding sample.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference object includes a chessboard pattern.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the reference object using at least one of;

a Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT);

a Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF);

or

a Hough transform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting comprises:

adjusting the orientation of the image such that the edges of the siding sample are substantially vertical or substantially horizontal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing image rectification on the image of the siding sample so the perspective of the siding sample faces forward if the reference object includes a perspective distortion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of identifying comprises:

querying a siding product reference database using the first and second measurements.

8. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium storing machine readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a pixel-to-length ratio between a number of pixels disposed over a predetermined length of a reference object within an image of a siding sample and the predetermined length of the reference object;

adjust an orientation of the image of the siding sample if the reference object is not aligned with the edges of the siding sample in the image;

determine a first and second distance between respective first and second pairs of points within the image corresponding to respective first and second length measurements of the siding sample;

determine a first and second number of pixels disposed between the first and second pair of points, respectively;

determine the first length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the first number of pixels;

determine the second length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the second number of pixels; and

identify a siding product associated with the first and second length measurements.

9. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first measurement corresponds to a face size of the siding sample, and

wherein the second measurement corresponds to a profile measurement of the siding sample.

10. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the reference object includes a chessboard pattern.

11. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

detect the reference object using at least one of;

a Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT);

a Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF); and

a Hough transform.

12. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

adjust the orientation of the image such that the edges of the siding sample are substantially vertical or substantially horizontal.

13. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

perform image rectification on the image of the siding sample so the perspective of the siding sample faces forward if the reference object includes a perspective distortion.

14. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium of claim 8, further storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

query a siding product reference database using the first and second measurements.

15. A siding identification system, comprising:

a processor configured to determine a pixel-to-length ratio between a number of pixels disposed over a predetermined length of a reference object within an image of a siding sample and the predetermined length of the reference object;

a user interface configured to allow a user to select a first and second distance between respective first and second pairs of points within the image corresponding to respective first and second length measurements of the siding sample,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

adjust an orientation of the image of the siding sample if the reference object is not aligned with the edges of the siding sample in the image;

determine a first and second number of pixels disposed between the first and second pair of points, respectively;

determine the first length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the first number of pixels; and

determine the second length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the second number of pixels; and

a communication module configured to send the first and second length measurements to another device for identification of a siding product associated with the first and second measurements.

16. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the first measurement corresponds to a face size of the siding sample, and

wherein the second measurement corresponds to a profile measurement of the siding sample.

17. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the reference object includes a chessboard pattern.

18. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to detect the reference object using at least one of:

a Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT);

a Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF); and

a Hough transform.

19. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the orientation of the image such that the edges of the siding sample are substantially vertical or substantially horizontal.

20. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform image rectification on the image of the siding sample so the perspective of the siding sample faces forward if the reference object includes a perspective distortion.

21. The siding identification system of claim 15, wherein the other device includes a siding identification engine configured to receive the first and second measurements and to identify the siding product associated with the first and second measurements.

22. The siding identification system of claim 21, wherein the siding identification engine is configured to access a siding product reference database to identify the siding product associated with the first and second measurements.

23. The siding identification system of claim 21, wherein the communication module is further configured to receive the siding product identified by the siding identification engine.