# US 8,542,880 B2 · System and process for roof measurement using aerial imagery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,880 B2 - Document ID: US8542880B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/774,478 - Filed: 2013-02-22 - Published: 2013-07-04 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-22 - Assignees: Pictometry International Corp. - Applicants: Pictometry International Corp. - Inventors: Dale R. Thornberry; Chris T. Thornberry; Mark F. Garringer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542880B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/28: for measuring areas - G06F 3/04815: Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object - G06F 30/13: Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads - G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume - G06V 20/176: {Urban or other man-made structures} - G06T 2207/10032: Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Processes and systems are disclosed for determining attributes of a roof structure of real-world three-dimensional building(s), including providing computer input field(s) for a user to input location data generally corresponding to the location of the building, providing visual access to a nadir image of a region including the roof structure of the building; on the nadir image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on the computer monitor around the region, the visual marker initially corresponding to the location data but which may be moved to a final location, having location coordinates, on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of the marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for determining attributes of a roof structure of a real-world three-dimensional building, comprising the acts of: providing at least one computer input field for a user to input first location data generally corresponding to the location of the building; providing visual access to an aerial image of a region including the roof structure of the building corresponding to said first location data, the aerial image taken from a straight down overhead view with respect to the roof structure; on the aerial image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on a computer monitor around said region, said visual marker initially corresponding to said first location data, wherein said visual marker may be moved to a final location on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure, the final location having location coordinates; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of said marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 and wherein said first location data comprised street address data, and wherein said location coordinates of said final location are translated to latitude and longitude coordinates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 and wherein said image corresponding to the first location data is from a first imagery database from which said final location is selected and is internet-based imagery having a corresponding street address look up field, and wherein the aerial imagery database is a second imagery database, and further comprising the act of: using said latitude and longitude coordinates to access imagery from the second imagery database. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 and further comprising the act of: generating, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery from said second imagery database. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4 and wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 and further comprising the act of: providing a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 and further comprising the act of: generating, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 and wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 and further comprising the act of: providing a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9 and wherein the printed report includes a latitude reference and/or a longitude reference corresponding to the location of the building roof structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the user is a customer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the user is a commercial vendor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising providing visual access to the one or more images of the aerial imagery database corresponding to the final location data. ### Claim 14 A non-transient computer memory storing computer logic, that when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to determine attributes of a roof structure of a real-world three-dimensional building by: providing at least one computer input field for a user to input first location data generally corresponding to the location of the building; providing visual access to an aerial image of a region including the roof structure of the building corresponding to said first location data, the aerial image taken from a straight down overhead view with respect to the roof structure; on the aerial image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on a computer monitor around said region, said visual marker initially corresponding to said first location data, wherein said visual marker may be moved to a final location on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure, the final location having location coordinates; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of said marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said first location data comprised street address data, and wherein said location coordinates of said final location are translated to latitude and longitude coordinates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transient computer memory of claim 15, wherein said aerial image corresponding to the first location data is from a first imagery database from which said final location is selected and is internet-based imagery having a corresponding street address look up field, and wherein the aerial imagery database is a second imagery database, and wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to: use said latitude and longitude coordinates to access imagery from the second imagery database. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transient computer memory of claim 16, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to: generate, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery from said second imagery database. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transient computer memory of claim 17, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to: provide a printed report that includes an aerial image of the building roof structure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said computer logic when executed by computer hardware causes the computer hardware to: generate, in computer memory, outline drawings around outlines corresponding to roof planes based on tracing from said imagery. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The non-transient computer memory of claim 14, wherein said providing acts are provided over an internet interface.