Generating a model and estimating a cost using an autonomous inspection vehicle

• US 9,898,558 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2017
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Tofte, Nathan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien
• Application Number:
  US15/492,798
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2, 705 3, 705 4, 705 39, 705 40, 705 37, 705 38, 705 35, 705305, 705400, 705 11, 701 322, 702151, 382100, 382141, 345419, 703 1, 703 6, 348 46, 700 98, 700 99, 356 401
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• 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 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Disclosed systems and methods estimate a financial cost to remedy estimated damage to a building. A controllable inspection vehicle, such as an aircraft, may capture one or more images of the building. The one or more images may be utilized to generate a model of the building, which can be analyzed to estimate the damage to the building.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image sensor;

an autonomous inspection vehicle carrying the image sensor, the autonomous inspection vehicle including one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the image sensor, the one or more computing devices configured to;

(a) autonomously cause the autonomous inspection vehicle to move to a location where a building is viewable by the image sensor;

(b) cause the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building;

(c) generate a model of the building based on the one or more images captured via the image sensor;

(d) estimate damage to the building based on an analysis of the generated model;

(e) estimate a financial cost to remedy the damage estimated based on the analysis of the generated model; and

(f) store to a memory the estimated financial cost.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle includes a plurality of motors that the autonomous inspection vehicle utilizes to move to the location where the building is viewable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle includes a display device and wherein the autonomous inspection vehicle is configured to display the one or more captured images of the building via the display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the generated model comprises a comparison of the generated model to one or more predefined structure models.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated model is a three-dimensional model.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to autonomously cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images in response to receiving a command from a device controlled by a user.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing an autonomous inspection vehicle to autonomously move to a location where a building is viewable by an image sensor carried by the autonomous inspection vehicle;

causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building;

generating a model of the building based on the one or more images captured via the image sensor;

estimating damage to the building based on an analysis of the generated model;

estimating a financial cost to remedy the damage estimated based on the analysis of the generated model; and

storing to a memory the estimated financial cost.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, via a display device of the autonomous inspection vehicle, the one or more captured images of the building via the display device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the analysis of the generated model comprises a comparison of the generated model to one or more predefined structure models.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the model comprises generating a three-dimensional model.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images comprises:

a device on-board the autonomous inspection vehicle autonomously causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images comprises:

causing the image sensor to capture the one or more images in response to receiving a command from a device controlled by a user.

14. A system comprising:

an autonomous inspection vehicle including an image sensor;

a means for moving the autonomous inspection vehicle to a location where a building is viewable by the image sensor;

a means for causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building;

a means for generating a model of the building based on the one or more images captured via the image sensor;

a means for estimating damage to the building based on an analysis of the generated model;

a means for estimating a financial cost to remedy the damage estimated based on the analysis of the generated model; and

a means for storing to a memory the estimated financial cost.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for moving the autonomous inspection vehicle to the one or more locations comprises:

a plurality of motors.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein further comprising:

a means for displaying the one or more captured images of the building.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the analysis of the generated model comprises:

a comparison of the generated model to one or more predefined structure models.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for generating the model comprises:

a means for generating a three-dimensional model.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building is:

an device on-board the autonomous inspection vehicle that is configured to autonomously cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images of the building.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for causing the image sensor to capture one or more images of the building is:

a device on-board the autonomous inspection vehicle that is configured to cause the image sensor to capture the one or more images of the building in response to wirelessly receiving a command from a device controlled by a user.