US 10,832,334 B2Granted

Assessing property damage using a 3D point cloud of a scanned property

AssigneeState Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

InventorsBryan Allen Plummer, Drew Cross, Nathan L. Tofte

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Abstract

A damage assessment module operating on a computer system automatically evaluates a property, estimating damage to the property by analyzing a point cloud of a property. The damage assessment module identifies individual point clusters or segments from the point cloud and detects potentially damaged areas of the property surface by identifying outlier points in the point clusters. The damage assessment module may be used to determine the financial cost of the damage and/or determine whether the property should be replaced or repaired. In addition to eliminating the need for an estimator to visit the property in person, the damage assessment module improves the consistency and accuracy associated with estimating damage to a property.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for estimating damage to a property, the method comprising:

causing one or more processors to (i) access a memory storing:
(a) a 3-Dimensional point cloud representing a property scanned by a 3D scanner and (b) a damage assessment module;
and (ii) implement the damage assessment module, wherein the damage assessment module is for:
(i) comparing a first segment of the 3D point cloud to a model point cloud, the first segment corresponding to a first object of a plurality of objects detectable at a surface of the property;
(ii) identifying based on the comparison of the first segment to the model point cloud, a set of outlier points from the first segment;
(iii) associating the identified set of outlier points with a damage status;
and
(iv) automatically generating, based at least in part on the damage status associated with the set of outlier points, a report of estimated damage to the property;
and
displaying, at a user interface device, the generated report of estimated damage to the scanned property.

7 more elements

A system for determining whether an object is damaged beyond expected wear and tear, the system comprising:

one or more 3-Dimensional scanners for scanning a first object to generate a first point cloud representing the first object, wherein the first object is a component of:
(i) a building, or (ii) a vehicle;
one or more memories for storing the first point cloud generated at the one or more 3D scanners from a scan of the building or the vehicle;
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, wherein the one or more memories include computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
(i) determine, for a particular point in the first point cloud, a nearest-neighbor distance by comparing the first point cloud to a model point cloud representing a model object,
the nearest-neighbor distance being between the particular point in the first point cloud and a nearest point in the model point cloud,
the nearest point in the model point cloud being nearest, relative to other points in the model point cloud, to the particular point in the first point cloud;
(ii) determine whether the nearest-neighbor distance for the particular point exceeds a threshold;
(iii) determine, when the nearest-neighbor distance for the particular point exceeds the threshold, that the particular point represents a point of potential damage, exceeding expected wear and tear, to the first object;
and
(iv) generate a display indicating that the first object is potentially damaged beyond expected wear and tear when it is determined that the particular point represents a point of potential damage, exceeding expected wear and tear, to the first object.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/456,016Filed 10 Mar 2017 · continuation
Priority: 15 Mar 2013
Published: US 2017/0186094 A129 Jun 2017
Granted: 10 Nov 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G06Q 40/08
Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes: insurance
G06F 30/20
Computer-aided design [CAD]: design optimisation, verification or simulation
G06Q 20/10
Payment architectures: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
G06Q 30/0278
Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising: product appraisal

Family

Application61/799,452Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2013
Application14/047,844Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Oct 2013
Application14/269,920Parent of this continuation · filed 5 May 2014
US 2017/0186094 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Jun 2017
US 9,633,146 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,756,085 B1Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0278587 A1Published application
US 10,832,334 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.