Methods and systems for capturing the condition of a physical structure via detection of electromagnetic radiation

• US 9,262,788 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Freeman, James M., Schmidgall, Roger D., Boyer, Patrick Harold, Christopulos, Nicholas U., Maurer, Jonathan D., Tofte, Nathan L., Jordan, Jackie O. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Du, Haixia
• Application Number:
  US14/496,802
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 22/02 Investigating the presence of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/06113 Coherent sources; lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/10 Scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• 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: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/08 involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 : Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 : Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/106 : Processing image signals for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 : in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 : wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 : from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 : using optical signals for detecting or generating sound

Abstract

In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D scanner generates 3D data. A point cloud or 3D model is constructed from the 3D data. The point cloud or 3D model is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of inspecting a structure, the method comprising:

projecting onto a surface of a structure one or more electromagnetic (EM) waves in a form of a light pattern, the one or more EM waves in a visible spectrum;

deploying one or more three-dimensional (3D) scanners to scan the structure, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are 3D non-contact scanners that include an image sensing device and that detect 3D information based on deformations in the light pattern detected by receiving at the image sensing device the one or more EM waves reflecting off of at least part of the structure;

generating, by the one or more 3D scanners, a plurality of 3D data points based on the detected deformations in the light pattern, wherein each of the plurality of 3D data points corresponds to a point on the surface of the structure detected by the one or more 3D scanners during the scan of the structure and wherein each of the generated plurality of 3D data points has an associated coordinate set relating to vertical, horizontal, and depth distance measurements;

storing a point cloud at one or more memories, wherein the point cloud comprises one or more of the generated plurality of 3D data points;

automatically analyzing, by one or more processors, the point cloud to identify one or more features associated with the structure, wherein automatically analyzing the point cloud to identify one or more features associated with the structure includes;

constructing, by the one or more processors, a 3D model from the point cloud,

storing the constructed 3D model at the one or more memories, and

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the 3D model to identify the one or more identified features;

generating, by the one or more processors, an estimation of a condition of the structure based on the identified one or more features; and

storing the generated estimation at the one or more memories.

2. The method of claim 1, further including causing the one or more processors to calculate a financial cost estimate based on said estimation of the condition of the structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to an aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the aerial device including a control system for autonomous operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to an aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the aerial device including an antenna for wirelessly receiving control commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to an aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the aerial device physically tethered to a base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to a non-aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the non-aerial device including a control system for autonomous operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to a non-aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the non-aerial device including an antenna for wirelessly receiving control commands.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are physically connected to a non-aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the non-aerial device physically tethered to a base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further including spraying a chemical on at least part of the structure and detecting the presence of the chemical via the received one or more EM waves, wherein the detection of the presence of the chemical is used in generating the plurality of 3D data points.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an estimation includes:

retrieving a second model from the one or more memories; and

comparing the 3D model to the second model.

11. A property inspection system for capturing the condition of a physical structure, the property inspection system comprising:

(A) a projector for projecting onto a surface of a structure one or more electromagnetic (EM) waves in a form of a light pattern, the one or more EM waves in a visible spectrum;

(B) one or more 3D scanners for detecting one or more points on the surface of the structure and for generating 3D data points corresponding to the detected one or more points,

the one or more 3D scanners being 3D non-contact scanners that include an image sensing device and that are configured to detect the one or more points on the surface of the structure based on deformations in the light pattern detected by receiving at the image sensing device the one or more EM waves reflecting off of at least part of the structure; and

(C) one or more processors configured to execute instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

(i) associate each of the 3D data points generated by the one or more 3D scanners with a coordinate set, each coordinate set relating to vertical, horizontal, and depth distance measurements;

(ii) generate a point cloud comprising one or more of the 3D data points generated at the one or more 3D scanners;

(iii) construct, from the generated point cloud, a 3D model of at least part of the structure;

(iv) generate an estimation of a condition of the structure based on features of the structure identified in an analysis of the constructed 3D model; and

(v) store the estimation of the condition of the structure to a memory.

12. The property inspection system of claim 11, further including a chemical spraying apparatus, wherein the one or more 3D scanners are configured to detect via the received the one or more EM waves a presence of a sprayed chemical, wherein the detection of the presence of the chemical is used in generating the 3D data points.

13. The property inspection system of claim 11, further comprising:

an aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the aerial device including a control system for autonomous operation.

14. The property inspection system of claim 11, further comprising:

an aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the aerial device including an antenna for wirelessly receiving control commands.

15. The property inspection system of claim 11, further comprising:

a non-aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the non-aerial device including a control system for autonomous operation.

16. The property inspection system of claim 11, further comprising:

a non-aerial device for conveying the one or more 3D scanners, the non-aerial device including an antenna for wirelessly receiving control commands.