# US 2021/0241438 A1 · Vehicle Supply Chain Damage Tracking System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0241438 A1 - Document ID: US20210241438A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/167,054 - Filed: 2021-02-03 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Fulpruf Technology Corporation - Applicants: Fulpruf Technology Corporation - Inventors: Richard T. Megherby; Tyler Crain; Aleksander V. Tropp; Michael T. McClure; Emily S. Yale; Domenico Marco Di Donna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241438A1 ## CPC - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - B25J 9/1664: {characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning} - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G06T 7/0008: {checking presence/absence} - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06V 10/10: Image acquisition (document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60) - G06V 20/17: taken from planes or by drones - G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes - B64U 10/60: Tethered aircraft - B64U 20/87: Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals - B64U 50/19: using electrically powered motors - B64U 50/30: Supply or distribution of electrical power - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2201/202: using tethers for connecting to ground station - G05B 2219/45066: Inspection robot - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/30136: Metal - G06T 2207/30156: Vehicle coating - G06T 2207/30164: Workpiece; Machine component - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A system for capturing VIN numbers and vehicles images to track vehicle damage through vehicle supply chains which includes a mobile software application and/or robot(s) which moves autonomously around parking lots. The mobile application can direct the user to capture VIN images and/or vehicle images from certain views and collect GPS positions of the same and the robot includes various cameras and sensors to identify vehicles and take pictures of them. All of the captured images of vehicles are sent to a central server/storage where the vehicle images can be checked for damage as compared to locations so that it can be determined who was in possession of the vehicle when damage occurred. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for vehicle supply chain tracking through image capture of vehicles comprising: a system computer having software executing thereon, the system computer configured to receive image and location data from a plurality of mobile devices comprising a first and a second mobile device each having software executing thereon, the mobile device further comprising a camera and a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; the software of the system computer configured to receive from the first mobile device, as captured with said camera and software of said first mobile device, a VIN number for a first vehicle at a first location as determined by the GPS receiver of the first mobile device and the software further configured to receive a first set of a plurality of images of the first vehicle captured by the first mobile device and to further associate each of said first set of the plurality of images with the VIN number in a vehicle record of the first vehicle, the first set of the plurality of images stored in a storage accessible by said system computer; the software of the system computer configured to receive from the second mobile device, as captured with said camera and software of said second mobile device, the VIN number for the first vehicle at a second location which is a different location of the first vehicle in that the first vehicle has been moved relative to the first location, the second location determined by the GPS receiver of the second mobile device and the software further configured to receive a second set of a plurality of images of the first vehicle captured by the second mobile device and to further associate each of said second set of the plurality of images with the VIN number in the vehicle record of the first vehicle and the second set of the plurality of images stored in the storage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of mobile devices are a robot with a ground movement device configured to move the robot over a ground surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 wherein the robot further includes at least one thruster configured to move a portion of the robot through air to position the camera of the robot to take the plurality of images of the first vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of mobile devices are a computing device selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or another mobile device including a display, camera, processor and user input device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein the software executing on the computing device displays one or more prompts for capture of the VIN number and the first and second sets of the plurality of images. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the one or more prompts displayed after capture of the VIN number include a target displayed on a screen of each computing device, the target positioned and sized based on the software of the computing device identifying the first vehicle via the camera and determining a position of the camera relative to the vehicle and based on pre- determined views of the first vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 wherein said screen displays an alignment target and when the target and alignment target align an image of the first or second sets of the plurality of images is captured by the software of the computing device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the software of the first and/or second mobile devices is configured to receive an indication of damage corresponding with one or more images of the first and/or second set of the plurality of images and to associate said indication of damage with the corresponding image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second locations are further associated with different responsible entities. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein a portal is provided with said software of said system computer to allow access to the vehicle record and the vehicle record indicates the different responsible entities. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second mobile devices each comprise multiple mobile devices and the first vehicle comprises a plurality of vehicles each with its own associated vehicle record stored in the storage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the software of the first and second mobile devices captures the VIN number with the camera of that mobile device by scanning using barcode scanning or ocular character recognition and based on a string of letters and/or numbers determined by the scanning, checking if the string matches an expected VIN number pattern and if scanning fails or the string does not match, the software of the corresponding mobile device generates control instructions to re-position the camera. ### Claim 13 A system for image capture of vehicles comprising: a system computer having software executing thereon; a mobile computing device configured to communicate with the system computer over a network and the mobile computing device having a camera, a display and mobile software executing thereon, the mobile software configured to receive a VIN number for at least a first vehicle; the software of the mobile computing device configured to display one or more prompts, the prompts include a plurality of targets displayed on the screen, each target positioned and sized based on the mobile software identifying the first vehicle via the camera and determining a position of the camera relative to the vehicle and based on pre-determined views of the first vehicle; wherein upon alignment of one of the targets with an alignment target displayed on the display, the mobile software captures an image of the vehicle with the camera and the alignment target is in a fixed position on the display while each of the targets moves on the display upon movement of the mobile device around to the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the mobile software captures a plurality of images, each image associated with one of the plurality of targets and transmits the plurality of images over the network to the system computer where a vehicle record associated with the VIN number is associated with the plurality of images. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of images is associated with a location as determined by a GPS receiver of the mobile computing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the mobile software displays one or more prompts for capture of the VIN number via the camera. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the mobile computing device comprises a plurality of mobile computing devices and wherein the software is configured to receive first and second sets of images from different ones of the plurality of mobile computing devices and to associate the first and second sets of images with the same vehicle record based on the VIN number. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein the first and second sets of images are associated with different locations indicative of the same vehicle having been at two different locations. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices is associated with a GPS receiver and the two different locations are determined based on the GPS receiver. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 wherein the first and second sets of images are a plurality of first sets of images and a plurality of second sets of images, each set of the plurality of first sets of images associated with a different VIN number and vehicle record. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein determining a position of the camera relative to the vehicle includes identifying at least two points on the vehicle and determining a distance and angle of the camera relative to the vehicle. ### Claim 22 A system for vehicle supply chain tracking through image capture of vehicles comprising: a system computer having software executing thereon, said system computer in communication with one or more mobile devices and one or more robots via one or more networks, each mobile device and each robot including a camera and a GPS receiver; said software configured to receive a plurality of VIN numbers from the one or more mobile devices, at least two of the VIN numbers captured by the camera operated by a mobile application executing on the software, the VIN numbers each associated with a GPS location; said software configured to transmit instructions to the one or more robots to direct at least one of the one or more robots to each of a plurality of the GPS locations such that the at least one of the one or more robots moves to or adjacent to the GPS location and captures a plurality of images of a vehicle associated with the VIN number at or adjacent its corresponding GPS location.