Property assessment and prospecting tool

• US 9,536,148 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Real Data Guru, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Real Data Guru, Inc.
• Inventors: Gross, John Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US14/499,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30132 Masonry; Concrete
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30161 Wood; Lumber
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 Target detection

Abstract

A property assessment system includes image processing logic configured to identify building structure attributes from image data and rate their associated condition. The outputs can include property condition ratings, occupancy predictions and similar scores.

Claims

1. A method of assessing building structures with a computing system comprising:

a. providing a first reference file containing first image data for an outside portion of a first target building structure;

b. providing an electronic structure classifier programmed and trained to process said first image data and perform at least the following operations;

i. detect a plurality of different individual building elements in said first target building structure;

ii. rate a condition associated with each of said plurality of different individual building elements;

iii. assign a first rating to such first target building structure, which rating identifies one of an occupancy prediction, a purchase prospect score, or an overall exterior physical condition of such building structure;

wherein said electronic structure classifier generates a preliminary first electronic building structure record that includes an identification of said different individual building elements and an associated rating condition;

c. providing an electronic template within an interface adapted to permit a human operator to process and modify said preliminary first electronic building structure record, including;

i. a first portion of said interface which displays first image data for said first target building structure including said plurality of different individual building elements;

ii. a second portion of said interface which displays a template of building data fields accompanying said first image data, which fields are configured as human operator selectable options for capturing data parameters for said plurality of different individual building elements for said first target building structure, including;

1) an operator specified identification of a building element;

2) an operator specified building element type associated with such building element;

3) an operator specified rating for such building element;

wherein said electronic structure classifier is further adapted to perform an operation of generating a final first electronic structure building record based on data captured from a human operator reviewing said first target building structure within said electronic interface;

d. performing a verification to determine that a user is an owner of said first target building structure;

e. generating a report for said first target building structure on demand and in real-time in response to an owner request based on the results of said verification step.

2. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

compiling a set of reference images containing said individual building elements and said condition, wherein said reference images include tags for said individual building elements and said condition.

3. The method of claim 2 further including a step:

training said electronic structure classifier using said set of reference images.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said detected individual building elements, associated conditions and first rating are stored in a database of properties.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a database of building elements and attributes is compiled and consulted during step (b).

6. The method of claim 2 including a step:

processing said set of reference images to identify a set of visual features associated with said individual building elements and said condition.

7. The method of claim 6 further including a step:

processing said first image data as a set of individual blocks, wherein each block in said set is analyzed to identify one or more visual features.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a building envelope is identified and defined for said first building structure.

9. The method of claim 7 further including a step:

identifying one or more individual building elements and/or conditions in a block based on identifying said visual features.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said individual building elements and/or conditions in a block are identified based on comparing said first image data to a noise-processed version of said first image data.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein a preliminary score is provided indicating a confidence in a presence of said individual building elements and said conditions.

12. The method of claim 9 further including a step:

generating a visual output containing annotation data for said first image data identifying selected identified individual building elements and associated conditions for said first building structure.

13. The method of claim 12 further including a step:

receiving confirmation data provided by a human confirming one or more of said annotation data.

14. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

detecting and classifying other objects in said first image data correlated with occupancy of such building structure, including one or more of a vehicle, an living organism, person, or other personal property item.

15. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

detecting and classifying other objects in said first image data, including one or more of trash, debris or other item correlated with an occupancy of such building structure.

16. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

detecting and classifying an architectural type of said first building structure.

17. The method of claim 1 further including a step:

processing a query to generate a search report identifying other building structures similar to said target building structure, including structures matching said occupancy prediction, said purchase prospect score, said overall exterior physical condition of such building structure, and/or a presence of one or more of said individual structure elements.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said query is received from a mobile device, along with a first image captured by said device of said first building structure.

19. The method of claim 18 further including a step:

processing said query to identify said first building structure, based on comparing said first image to other images for said first building structure stored in said first reference file.

20. The method of claim 1 further including a step of providing an automated scheduler which processes an address file to compute electronic building structure records for a set of houses within a predetermined area.

21. The method of claim 1 further including a step of providing an automated clustering routine which processes electronic building structure records for properties within a user selectable area and determines structure clusters comprised of properties having common elements, common element types and/or common element ratings.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic template is presented on a mobile device to permit crowd sourced input for said first target building structure by persons determined to be located at a site of said structure.

23. A method of assessing building structures with a computing system comprising:

a. providing a first reference file containing first image data for an outside portion of a first target building structure;

b. providing an electronic structure classifier programmed and trained to process said first image data and perform at least the following operations;

i. detect a plurality of different individual building elements in said first target building structure;

ii. rate a condition associated with each of said plurality of different individual building elements;

iii. assign a first rating to such first target building structure, which rating identifies one of an occupancy prediction, a purchase prospect score, or an overall exterior physical condition of such building structure;

wherein said electronic structure classifier generates a preliminary first electronic building structure record that includes an identification of said different individual building elements and an associated rating condition;

c. providing an electronic template within an interface adapted to permit a human operator to process and modify said preliminary first electronic building structure record, including;

i. a first portion of said interface which displays first image data for said first target building structure including said plurality of different individual building elements;

ii. a second portion of said interface which displays a template of building data fields accompanying said first image data, which fields are configured as human operator selectable options for capturing data parameters for said plurality of different individual building elements for said first target building structure, including;

1) an operator specified identification of a building element;

2) an operator specified building element type associated with such building element;

3) an operator specified rating for such building element;

wherein said electronic structure classifier is further adapted to perform an operation of generating a final first electronic structure building record based on data captured from a human operator reviewing said first target building structure within said electronic interface;

d. performing a verification to determine that a user is an owner of said first target building structure;

wherein said verification is performed by monitoring a location of a smartphone associated with said user;

e. generating a report for said first target building structure on demand and in real-time in response to an owner request based on the results of said verification step.