Vehicle identification based on an image

• US 9,213,918 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Conradt, Jonathan Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US14/558,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20150086081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382106-107, 382/156, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/206, 382/209, 382/219, 382/224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382/286, 382/291, 382/305, 382104-105, 382/312, 455/418, 705/26.4, 705/26, 701/1, 701/29.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/02 Recognising information on displays, dials, clocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles

Abstract

A machine may be configured as a vehicle identification machine to identify a model of a vehicle based on an image that depicts a dashboard of the vehicle. As configured, the machine may receive an image of the dashboard, where the image depicts a layout of instrumentation within the dashboard. The machine may identify the layout of instrumentation by processing the image. For example, the machine may process the image by determining a position of an instrument within the layout of instrumentation, determining an outline of instrument, or both. The machine may access a data record that correlates a model of the vehicle with the identified layout of instrumentation and, based on the data record, identify the model of the vehicle. The machine may then provide a notification that references the vehicle, references the identified model of the vehicle, or references both.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a reception module configured to receive one or more features of an instrument panel of a vehicle, the instrument panel having a layout of instrumentation;

a dashboard module configured to model the layout of instrumentation by representing the layout of instrumentation as a first layout model, the first layout model having a first set of outlines and a first set of relative positions of the first set of outlines, the relative positions including an orientation of an outline of the first set of outlines, the orientation including an angular attitude and a rotational attitude of the outline;

a correlation module configured to access a second layout model that correlates a vehicle model with a second set of outlines and a second set of relative positions of the second set of outlines;

a processor configured by an identification module to determine a correspondence between the first layout model and the second layout model; and

a notification module configured to provide a notification identifying the vehicle model corresponding to the second layout model as a vehicle model for the first layout model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout of instrumentation of the instrument panel is received in an image depicting the instrument panel of a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the layout of instrumentation is represented in the first layout model by encoding the layout of instrumentation in a modeling language.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the encoding of the layout of instrumentation includes determining an outline of an instrument within the layout of instrumentation.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the encoding of the layout of instrumentation includes determining a relative position of an instrument within the layout of instrumentation.

6. A method comprising:

receiving an image depicting an instrument panel of a vehicle, the instrument panel having a layout of instrumentation;

modeling, by a processor of a machine, the layout of instrumentation as a first layout model, the first layout model having a first set of outlines and a first set of relative positions of the first set of outlines, the relative positions including an orientation of an outline of the first set of outlines, the orientation including an angular attitude and a rotational attitude of the outline;

accessing a second layout model that correlates a vehicle model with a second set of outlines and a second set of relative positions of the second set of outlines;

determining a correspondence between the first layout model and the second layout model; and

providing a notification identifying the vehicle model corresponding to the second layout model as a vehicle model for the first layout model.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the layout of instrumentation of the instrument panel is received in an image depicting the instrument panel of a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein modeling the layout of instrumentation as the first layout model includes encoding the layout of instrumentation in a modeling language.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein encoding the layout of instrumentation in the modeling language includes determining an outline of an instrument within the layout of instrumentation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the outline of the instrument is a representation of one or more visible edge of the instrument.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the outline of the instrument is a representation of one or more marking on the instrument.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein encoding the layout of instrumentation in the modeling language includes determining a relative position of an instrument within the layout of instrumentation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the relative position of the instrument is relative to one or more other instruments.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the relative position of the instrument is relative to a dashboard of the instrument panel.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more features of an instrument panel of a vehicle, the instrument panel having a layout of instrumentation;

modeling the layout of instrumentation by representing the layout of instrumentation as a first layout model, the first layout model having a first set of outlines and a first set of relative positions of the first set of outlines, the relative positions including an orientation of an outline of the first set of outlines, the orientation including an angular attitude and a rotational attitude of the outline;

accessing a second layout model that correlates a vehicle model with a second set of outlines and a second set of relative positions of the second set of outlines;

determining a correspondence between the first layout model and the second layout model; and

providing a notification identifying the vehicle model corresponding to the second layout model as a vehicle model for the first layout model.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the layout of instrumentation of the instrument panel is received in an image depicting the instrument panel of the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the layout of instrumentation is represented in the first layout model by encoding the layout of instrumentation in a modeling language.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein encoding the layout of instrumentation includes determining an outline of an instrument and a relative position of the instrument within the layout of instrumentation.