IP Library › Granted Patent US 12697995

Granted Patent B2

US 12697995 · App. 18/423,723 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Systems and methods of evaluating an exterior quality of a vehicle

Inventors: Krishna Bandi (Novi, MI); Meghna Menon (Ann Arbor, MI); Gregory P. Linkowski (Dearborn, MI); Mario Anthony Santillo (Canton, MI)

Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC

B60W60/001 G06T7/0002 G06V10/751 G06V10/82 B60W2556/45 G06T2207/20084 G06V2201/08

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12697995
App. No.: 18/423,723
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A method for obtaining a first set of images of an exterior of one or more vehicles, determining a condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles by an automated vehicle marshaling algorithm of an infrastructure system, and causing the one or more vehicles to navigate toward a waypoint and capture one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles.

Claims (65)

1 . A method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more sensors of an infrastructure system, a first set of images of an exterior of one or more vehicles;

determining, by an automated vehicle marshaling algorithm of the infrastructure system, a condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, wherein the determination of the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles is based on the first set of images;

reporting the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles to a vehicle manufacturing cloud system configured to start, stop, or pause progression of the one or more vehicles through a marshaling environment; and

in response to the vehicle manufacturing cloud system determining that the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles does not satisfy a quality check:

controlling the one or more vehicles to autonomously navigate toward a repair workstation;

capturing one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles;

transmitting a marshaling status of the one or more vehicles to the vehicle manufacturing cloud system, wherein the marshaling status of the one or more vehicles indicates whether the one or more vehicles is ready for transit to a predetermined location; and

causing, based on the transmission of the marshaling status of the one or more vehicles, the vehicle manufacturing cloud system to store the first set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the one or more vehicles comprises a condition of a vehicle paint, one or more vehicle dents, a vehicle exterior part misalignment, an incorrect trim package associated with the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the one or more vehicles, the one or more characteristics, wherein the one or more characteristics serve as investigative proof associated with the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, and wherein the one or more characteristics include a location associated with the one or more vehicles, a snapshot recording of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining, by the one or more sensors of the infrastructure system, a second set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles;

comparing, by the automated vehicle marshaling algorithm and a neural network module of the infrastructure system, the first set of images with the second set of images; and

determining, based on the comparison of the first set of images and the second set of images, a difference between the first set of images and the second set of images, wherein an outcome of the determination of the difference between the first set of images and the second set of images is saved in a database associated with the infrastructure system, and wherein the saved outcome serves as investigative proof associated with the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles are captured via one or more vehicle sensors.

6 . A system comprising:

an infrastructure system configured to:

obtain, by one or more sensors of the infrastructure system, a first set of images of an exterior of one or more vehicles,

determine, by an automated vehicle marshaling algorithm of the infrastructure system, a condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, wherein the determination of the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles is based on the first set of images,

report the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles to a vehicle manufacturing cloud system, and

in response to the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles not satisfying a quality check:

control the one or more vehicles to autonomously navigate toward repair workstation,

capture one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles, and

the vehicle manufacturing cloud system configured to:

start, stop, or pause progression of the one or more vehicles through a marshaling environment,

receive a marshaling status of the one or more vehicles, wherein the marshaling status of the one or more vehicles indicates whether the one or more vehicles is ready for transit to a predetermined location, and

store the first set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles; and

the one or more vehicles configured to:

capture the one or more characteristics via one or more vehicle sensors, and

transmit the one or more characteristics.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure system is further configured to:

determine whether the condition satisfies the quality check.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the condition of the one or more vehicles comprises a condition of a vehicle paint, one or more vehicle dents, a vehicle exterior part misalignment, an incorrect trim package associated with the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure system is further configured to:

cause, based on the transmission of the marshaling status of the one or more vehicles, the vehicle manufacturing cloud system to store the first set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles.

10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure system is further configured to:

receive the one or more characteristics, wherein the one or more characteristics serve as investigative proof associated with the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, and wherein the one or more characteristics include a location associated with the one or more vehicles, a snapshot recording of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

11 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the infrastructure system is further configured to:

obtain, by the one or more sensors of the infrastructure system, a second set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles;

compare, by the automated vehicle marshaling algorithm and a neural network module of the infrastructure system, the first set of images with the second set of images; and

determine, based on the comparison of the first set of images and the second set of images, a difference between the first set of images and the second set of images, wherein an outcome of the determination of the difference between the first set of images and the second set of images is saved in a database associated with the infrastructure system, and wherein the saved outcome serves as investigative proof associated with the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles.

12 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

obtain, by one or more sensors of an infrastructure system, a first set of images of an exterior of one or more vehicles;

report the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles to a vehicle manufacturing cloud system configured to start, stop, or pause progression of the one or more vehicles through a marshaling environment; and

in response to the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles not satisfying a quality check:

control the one or more vehicles to autonomously navigate toward a repair workstation,

capture one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles;

transmit, based on the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles not satisfying the quality check, a marshaling status of the one or more vehicles to the vehicle manufacturing cloud system, wherein the marshaling status of the one or more vehicles indicates whether the one or more vehicles is ready for transit to a predetermined location; and

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

determine whether the condition satisfies the quality check.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the condition of the one or more vehicles comprises a condition of a vehicle paint, one or more vehicle dents, a vehicle exterior part misalignment, an incorrect trim package associated with the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

receive, from the one or more vehicles, the one or more characteristics, wherein the one or more characteristics serve as investigative proof associated with the condition of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, and wherein the one or more characteristics include a location associated with the one or more vehicles, a snapshot recording of the exterior of the one or more vehicles, or a combination thereof.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

obtain, by the one or more sensors of the infrastructure system, a second set of images of the exterior of the one or more vehicles;

compare, by the automated vehicle marshaling algorithm and a neural network module of the infrastructure system, the first set of images with the second set of images; and

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein the one or more characteristics associated with the one or more vehicles are captured via one or more vehicle sensors.