Method for monitoring damage to motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11062437-B2
Application number	US-201816188369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to instruct image capture of a vehicle from a plurality of predefined perspectives, the perspectives defined to result in images providing a 360 degree capture of a vehicle surface. The processor is also configured to receive a plurality of images, at least one from each perspective, of a vehicle from a mobile device camera. The processor is further configured to build a 3-D model of the vehicle surface from the images and compare the 3-D model to a stored reference model of the vehicle surface in order to recognize damage to the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor configured to:
provide instructions to a user smartphone to instruct image capture of a vehicle from a plurality of predefined perspectives, using the smartphone, the perspectives defined to result in images providing a 360 degree capture of a vehicle surface, the instructions telling the user where to stand and how to aim the smartphone to capture each of the images;
receive a plurality of images, at least one from each perspective, of a vehicle captured using the smartphone in accordance with the instructions;
build a 3-D model of the vehicle surface from the images; and
compare the 3-D model to a stored reference model of the vehicle surface in order to recognize damage to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the image capture over a predefined rental period, whenever a vehicle exit- event is detected.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined perspectives are further defined to include capture of a vehicle roof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein he processor is further configured to store the current 3-D model each time damage is recognized to generate a damage history which is also stored.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein he processor is further configured to:
detect a vehicle impact event via a vehicle sensor;
determine a vehicle surface affected by the impact event; and
instruct the image capture responsive to the impact event, where in the predefined perspectives include at least a perspective defined to capture the affected vehicle surface.

6. A system comprising:
a smartphone processor configured to:
request a vehicle surface image;
instruct a user of the smartphone as to a smartphone position predefined relative to the surface for image obtainment;
determine that the smartphone is at the position and responsively issue an alert to the user;
receive the image captured from the position via a smartphone camera;
receive damage indications, determined by comparing the received image to a reference image; and
display the image on the smartphone, including visually marking damage indications.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle surface image is an exterior surface image.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle surface image is an interior surface image.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the smartphone is at the position based on communication with vehicle sensors.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle sensor detects the smartphone at the position based on an image of a user detected by the sensors.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle sensor detects the smartphone at the position based on a short-range wireless communication signal between the vehicle and the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle sensor detects the smartphone at the position based on a signal between the vehicle and a vehicle key.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein the reference image includes a prior vehicle surface image.

14. The system of claim 6 , wherein the reference image includes a predefined stock expected surface image based on a vehicle leaving the assembly line.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Stefan Frederic

Classifications

• G06Q30/00 Primary

  Commerce · CPC title

• G06T7/0002 Primary

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G06T2200/04

  involving 3D image data · CPC title

• G06T2200/08

  involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation · CPC title