Virtual property reporting for automatic structure detection

• US 9,753,950 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Original Assignee: Pictometry International Corporation (Eagleview Technologies, Inc. /Wa/)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephen L., Kennedy, David Arthur, Smyth, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Rostami, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US13/840,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures

Abstract

A computer system comprises a processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to: (a) receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user; (b) in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including information about the target structure; and (c) transmit a second signal over the computer network indicative of a virtual property report for the target structure including at least one image of the target structure. The virtual property report may include information about a facet of the target structure facing a street, location of a main entrance of the target structure, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure, location of vehicle access to the target structure.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising at least one processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user;

in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including information about the target structure;

determine, using aerial imagery and at least one data set indicative of street files including information indicative of at least one of location of one or more street addresses of structures and location of one or more street, information indicative of orientation of one or more facet of the target structure relative to one or more street in the street files, the determination at least in part based on determining a center of the target structure, projecting a line connecting the center of the target structure to the location of the street address of the structure, and designating a facet of the target structure positioned between the center and the street with which the line intersects as a street-facing facet of the target structure;

retrieve one or more image of the one or more facet of the target structure orientated toward the street; and

transmit a second signal over the computer network, the second signal indicative of a virtual property report for the target structure including the one or more image of the one or more facet of the target structure orientated toward the street.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the processor to determine, using the aerial imagery and the at least one data set indicative of street files, information about one or more of:

location of a main entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of vehicle access to the target structure within the one or more image, and store the information in a database and associated with the target structure.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the processor executable code for determining the information is organized to be executed by the at least one processor prior to executing the code to receive the first signal.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein prior to the step of receiving the first signal over the computer network, the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to receive a selection of one or more pixels within a displayed image of the target structure in which the one or more pixels have pixel coordinates, transform the pixel coordinates into real-world geographic coordinates, measure distances between the real-world coordinates, and store the measurements on a non-transitory computer readable medium within a database and associated with the target structure.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to associate a label identifying the measurement with a particular measurement, and store the label with the measurement within the database and associated with the target structure.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the label identifying the measurement is a particular field within the database.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the label is selected from the group including orientation and area of a driveway depicted within the displayed image, size or area of a deck depicted within the displayed image, location and height of trees adjacent to the target structure, areas of windows of the target structure, area of a vertical or pitched surface on the target structure, a height of an eave of the target structure, a height of a chimney of the target structure, a distance to a church from the target structure.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to analyze a parcel database to determine an identity of neighboring parcels either adjacent to the target structure or within a predefined radius of the target structure, and to make available to a user information related to neighboring parcels when accessing information indicative of the target structure.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to identify ownership or residency of neighboring parcels and to store a link within the database to information indicative of the owners or residents of neighboring parcels.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor executable code when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to identify social media information of owners or residents of neighboring parcels and to store information within the database indicative of the social media information of the owners or residents of the neighboring parcels.

11. A computer system comprising at least one processor capable of executing processor executable code operably coupled with a non-transitory computer medium storing processor executable code, which when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

receive a first signal over a computer network, the first signal indicative of a request for information about a target structure from a user;

in response to receiving the first signal, access a database including multiple aerial images of the target structure;

automatically identify an aerial image depicting a facet of the target structure that faces a street from the multiple aerial images by;

accessing from the data set indicative of street files a file identifying the street;

projecting a line through at least a portion of a facet of the target structure to the street; and

identifying the facet that the line is projected through as the facet of the target structure that faces the street;

retrieve the aerial image depicting the facet of the target structure that faces a street; and

transmit a second signal over the computer network, the second signal indicative of the aerial image of the target structure depicting the facet of the target structure that faces the street.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor executable code causes the processor to transmit a sequence of third signals depicting the multiple aerial images following the transmission of the second signal.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor executable code further causes the at least one processor to identify a rear facet of the target structure as a facet that is positioned at about 180°

relative to the facet of the target structure that faces the street.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processor executable code further causes the at least one processor to determine, using aerial imagery and at least one data set indicative of street files, information indicative of elements of the target structure facing the street, including information about one or more of:

a facet of the target structure facing a street, location of a main entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of a secondary entrance of the target structure relative to the street, location of vehicle access to the target structure within the aerial image depicting the facet of the target structure that faces the street.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein projecting a line through at least a portion of a facet of the target structure to the street further comprises projecting a line connecting a center of the target structure to a known location of a street address of the target structure.