Methods and systems for obtaining image data of a vehicle for automatic damage assessment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12243267-B2
Application number	US-202117402312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2021
Priority date	Jun 15, 2018
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A system and computer-implemented method for facilitating a user of a mobile device obtaining image data of damage to a vehicle for damage assessment includes capturing image data of a vehicle with the mobile device. The mobile device may include an orientation model for capturing the image data. The captured image data is analyzed, and a determination is made of the orientations of the images of the captured image data. In addition, a determination is made as to whether the captured image data can be used for the damage assessment. The captured image data may then be transmitted to a damage estimator computing device for estimating an amount of damage to the vehicle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for obtaining image data of a vehicle for damage assessment, the method comprising:
providing, with a display of a mobile device, a user interface comprising instructions for a requested position of the mobile device relative to the vehicle for image capture, wherein the instructions are presented on a single screen of the user interface and wherein the instructions comprise:
image guidance comprising an image of a view of the vehicle, wherein the view is capturable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the requested position; and
textual guidance comprising text describing relative distance between the mobile device and the vehicle when the mobile device is in the requested position;

capturing image data of the vehicle with the mobile device while the mobile device is in the requested position, the mobile device having an orientation model for facilitating orienting the image data;
analyzing, by the mobile device, the captured image data using the orientation model;
determining, by the mobile device, an orientation of the captured image data using the orientation model;
generating, by the mobile device, metadata based on the determined orientation, the metadata indicating the view of the vehicle in the captured image data;
attaching, by the mobile device, the generated metadata indicating the view of the vehicle to the captured image data;
determining, by the mobile device and using the orientation model, whether the captured image data can be used for the damage assessment based at least in part on the generated metadata; and
transmitting, in response to a determination that the captured image data can be used for the damage assessment and using the mobile device, the captured image data to a damage estimator computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the damage estimator computing device, whether a level of damage to the vehicle in the image data exceeds a predetermined threshold using a damage assessment model.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising processing a damage claim based upon the determined level of damage.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein determining the level of damage to the vehicle comprises determining whether the vehicle is repairable.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein if the vehicle is determined to not be repairable, processing a damage claim indicating the vehicle is a total loss.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
based at least in part on determining that the level of damage exceeds the predetermined threshold, receiving a damage estimate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein capturing image data of a vehicle with the mobile device comprises:
analyzing data collected from an image sensor operating in a live view mode to determine a plurality of mobile device positions; and
initiating an automatic capture of at least a part of the image data of the vehicle, in response to determining that a current mobile device position corresponds to the requested position.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein capturing image data of a vehicle with the mobile device comprises capturing video data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein capturing image data of a vehicle with the mobile device comprises capturing single image data.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling an automatic capture by an image sensor of the mobile device for image capture of one or more views of the vehicle.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising displaying a live view from the display of the mobile device of the vehicle for assistance in orienting the mobile device to capture an image that is a match of a view represented on the display of the mobile device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising determining by a mobile application of the mobile device a matched view for an automatic capture by the image sensor of the mobile device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the single screen of the user interface further comprises a user interface element selectable to capture replacement image data.

14. A damage assessment computing system for obtaining image data of a vehicle for damage assessment, the system comprising:
a damage estimator computing device; and
a mobile device comprising:
a memory device for storing data;
one or more sensors; and
a processor coupled to the memory device and the one or more sensors, the processor configured to:
provide, with a display of the mobile device, a user interface comprising instructions for a requested position of the mobile device relative to the vehicle for image capture, wherein the instructions are presented on a single screen of the user interface and wherein the instructions comprise:
image guidance comprising a representative image of a view of the vehicle, wherein the view is capturable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the requested position; and
textual guidance comprising text describing relative distance between the mobile device and the vehicle when the mobile device is in the requested position;

capture image data of the vehicle while the mobile device is in the requested position by using the one or more sensors of the mobile device;
analyze the captured image data using an orientation model stored in the memory device;
determine an orientation of the captured image data using the orientation model;
generate metadata based on the determined orientation, the metadata indicating the view of the vehicle in the captured image data, the metadata comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of metadata indicating the view of a left front corner, metadata indicating a pose of a right front corner, metadata indicating the view of a left back corner, and metadata indicating the view of a right back corner;
attach the generated metadata indicating the view of the vehicle to the captured image data;
determine whether the captured image data can be used for the damage assessment using the orientation model based at least in part on the generated metadata; and
transmit, in response to a determination that the captured image data can be used for the damage assessment, the captured image data to the damage estimator computing device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said damage estimator computing device comprises a processor programmed to determine, using a damage assessment model, a level of damage to the vehicle in the image data exceeds a threshold based on the orientation of the captured image data.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor of the damage estimator computing device is further programmed to process a damage claim based upon the determined level of damage.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
analyze data collected from the one or more sensors operating in a live view mode to determine a plurality of mobile device positions; and
initiating an automatic capture at least a part of the image data of the vehicle, in response to determining that a current mobile device position corresponds to the requested position.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the captured image data comprises video data.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to extract one or more image

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Tomlinson Shane
• Andrus Jennifer Malia
• Bokshi-Drotar Marigona
• Lambert Holly
• Green Daniel J
• Bernico Michael
• Sliz Bradley A
• Yang He

Classifications

• H04N23/64

  Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G06T2207/10004

  Still image; Photographic image · CPC title

• G06T2207/20084

  Artificial neural networks [ANN] · CPC title

• G06T2207/20081

  Training; Learning · CPC title