IP Library Granted Patent US 10,319,094
Granted Patent B1
US 10,319,094 · App. 15/160,403 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Technology for capturing, transmitting, and analyzing images of objects

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,319,094
App. No.
15/160,403
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system for analyzing images of objects such as vehicles. According to certain aspects, the system includes a user interface device configured to capture a set of images depicting a target vehicle, and transfer the set of images to a server that stores a set of base image models. The server analyzes the set of images using a base image model corresponding to the target vehicle, a set of correlational filters, and a set of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to determine a set of changes to the target vehicle as depicted in the set of images. The server further transmits, to the user interface device, information indicative of the set of changes for a user to view or otherwise access.

Claims (96)

1. A system for capturing and analyzing images of vehicles, comprising:

a user interface device comprising:

a user interface,

an image sensor,

a device communication module, and

a device processor interfacing with the user interface, the image sensor, and the device communication module, the device processor configured to execute a set of instructions to cause the processor to:

cause the image sensor to capture a set of images depicting a target vehicle, and

transmit the set of images via the device communication module;

and a server comprising:

a database storing (i) a set of base object models, (ii) a set of correlation filters, and (iii) a set of convolutional neural networks (CNNs),

a memory storing an image processing routine,

a communication module, and

a processor interfacing with the database, the memory, and the communication module, and configured to execute the image processing routine to cause the processor to:

receive, via the communication module, the set of images from the user interface device,

access, from the database, (i) a base object model of the set of base object models corresponding to the target vehicle, (ii) at least a portion of the set of correlation filters corresponding to the base object model, and (iii) at least a portion of the set of CNNs corresponding to the base object model, each CNN included in at least the portion of the set of CNNs that correspond to the base object model trained on images of a respective set of components of the base object model,

analyze the set of images using the base object model, the at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, and the at least the portion of the set of CNNs, to determine a set of changes to the target vehicle as depicted in the set of images, including:

align, by utilizing the at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, the base object model with an orientation of the target vehicle depicted in the set of images based on one or more landmarks detected in the set of images;

detect, by utilizing one or more CNNs that are included in the at least the portion of set of CNNs and that correspond to a respective component of the target vehicle, one or more changes to the respective component of the target vehicle, the respective component determined based upon the aligned base model and the depiction of the target vehicle in the set of images;

transmit, to the user interface device via the communication module, information indicative of the set of changes, the user interface device configured to present, in the user interface, the information indicative of the set of changes.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the database of the server further stores a set of changed image files associated with the set of base object models, and a set of information files, wherein the set of changed image files illustrate a set of changes to a set of base objects represented in the set of base object models, and wherein the set of information files include information associated with the set of changed image files.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory of the server further stores an image processing training routine, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the image processing training routine to cause the processor to:

for each base object represented in the set of base object models, determine, based on at least a portion of the set of changed image files and at least a portion of the set of information files, a corresponding correlation filter and a corresponding convolutional neural network (CNN), and

cause the database to store the corresponding correlation filter and the corresponding CNN.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein to analyze the set of images to determine the set of changes, the processor is configured to:

analyze the set of images using the base object model, at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, and at least the portion of the set of CNNs, to detect damage to the target vehicle and a quantification of the damage to the target vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

determine that the analysis of the set of images is indeterminate, and

transmit, to the user interface device via the communication module, an indication that the analysis of the set of images is indeterminate, the user interface device configured to present the indication in the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

generate a heat map depicting the set of changes to the target vehicle, and

transmit the heat map to the user interface device via the communication module, the user interface device configured to present the heat map in the user interface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

analyze at least a portion of the set of images to identify (i) the target vehicle that is depicted in at least the portion of the set of images, and (ii) a set of information associated with the target vehicle,

determine, based at least in part on the set of information associated with the target vehicle, that the set of images does not meet a threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model; and

in response to determining that the set of images does not meet the threshold criteria:

generate a notification indicating that the set of images does not meet the threshold criteria, and

transmit the notification to the user interface device via the communication module, the user interface device configured to present the notification in the user interface.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the device processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to further cause the processor to:

cause the image sensor to capture an additional set of images depicting the target vehicle, and

transfer the additional set of images via the device communication module; and

wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

receive, via the communication module, the additional set of images from the user interface device,

analyze at least a portion of the additional set of images to identify an additional set of information associated with the target vehicle, and

determine, based at least in part on the additional set of information associated with the target vehicle, that a combination of the set of images and the additional set of images meets the threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

determine image information that is needed to meet the threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model,

wherein to generate the notification, the processor is configured to:

generate the notification indicating at least the image information that is needed to meet the threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

performing a multi-dimensional alignment between a base object of the base object model and the target object depicted in the set of images.

11. A system for analyzing images of vehicles, comprising:

a database storing (i) a set of base object models, (ii) a set of correlation filters, and (iii) a set of convolutional neural networks (CNNs);

a memory storing an image processing routine;

a communication module; and

a processor interfacing with the database, the memory, and the communication module, and configured to execute the image processing routine to cause the processor to:

receive, via the communication module, a set of images from a user interface device, the set of images depicting a target vehicle,

access, from the database, (i) a base object model of the set of base object models corresponding to the target vehicle, (ii) at least a portion of the set of correlation filters corresponding to the base object model, and (iii) at least a portion of the set of CNNs corresponding to the base object model, each CNN included in at least the portion of the set of CNNs that correspond to the base object model trained on images of a respective set of components of the base object model,

analyze the set of images using the base object model, at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, and at least the portion of the set of CNNs, to determine a set of changes to the target vehicle as depicted in the set of images, including:

align, by utilizing the at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, the base object model with an orientation of the target vehicle depicted in the set of images based on one or more landmarks detected in the set of images;

detect, by utilizing one or more CNNs that are included in the at least the portion of set of CNNs and that correspond to a respective component of the target vehicle, one or more changes to the respective component of the target vehicle, the respective component determined based upon the aligned base model and the depiction of the target vehicle in the set of images; and

transmit, to the user interface device via the communication module, information indicative of the set of changes, the user interface device configured to present, in a user interface, the information indicative of the set of changes.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

the user interface device comprising:

the user interface,

an image sensor,

a device communication module, and

a device processor interfacing with the user interface, the image sensor, and the device communication module, the device processor configured to execute a set of instructions to cause the processor to:

cause the image sensor to capture the set of images depicting the target vehicle, and

transmit the set of images via the device communication module for receipt by the communication module.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

determine that the analysis of the set of images is indeterminate, and

transmit, to the user interface device via the communication module, an indication that the analysis of the set of images is indeterminate, the user interface device configured to present the indication in the user interface.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

generate a heat map depicting the set of changes to the target vehicle, and

transmit the heat map to the user interface device via the communication module, the user interface device configured to present the heat map in the user interface.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

analyze at least a portion of the set of images to identify (i) the target vehicle that is depicted in at least the portion of the set of images, and (ii) a set of information associated with the target vehicle,

determine, based at least in part on the set of information associated with the target vehicle, that the set of images does not meet a threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model; and

in response to determining that the set of images does not meet the threshold criteria:

generate a notification indicating that the set of images does not meet the threshold criteria, and

transmit the notification to the user interface device via the communication module, the user interface device configured to present the notification in the user interface.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the device processor is configured to execute the set of instructions to further cause the processor to:

cause the image sensor to capture an additional set of images depicting the target vehicle, and

transmit the additional set of images via the device communication module; and

wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

receive, via the communication module, the additional set of images from the user interface device,

analyze at least a portion of the additional set of images to identify an additional set of information associated with the target vehicle, and

determine, based at least in part on the additional set of information associated with the target vehicle, that a combination of the set of images and the additional set of images meets the threshold criteria for further image analysis using the base image model.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the database further stores a set of changed image files associated with the set of base object models, and a set of information files, wherein the set of changed image files illustrate a set of changes to a set of base objects represented in the set of base object models, and wherein the set of information files include information associated with the set of changed image files.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the memory further stores an image processing training routine, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute the image processing training routine to cause the processor to:

for each base object represented in the set of base object models, determine, based on at least a portion of the set of changed image files and at least a portion of the set of information files, a corresponding correlation filter and a corresponding convolutional neural network (CNN), and

cause the database to store the corresponding correlation filter and the corresponding CNN.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein to analyze the set of images to determine the set of changes, the processor is configured to:

analyze the set of images using the base object model, at least the portion of the set of correlation filters, and at least the portion of the set of CNNs, to detect damage to the target vehicle and a quantification of the damage to the target vehicle.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the image processing routine to further cause the processor to:

perform a multi-dimensional alignment between a base object of the base object model and the target object depicted in the set of images.

Assignments (7)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE U.S. PATENT NO. 10319093 TO 10319094 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 59153 FRAME: 326. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Apr 7, 2025
From: CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.
To: CCC INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 070761/0933 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2021
From: CCC INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS, INC.; CCCIS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC.; AUTO INJURY SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 057554/0555 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 042374/0224 Recorded Sep 21, 2021
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: CCC INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS INC. (F/K/A CCC INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.); AUTO INJURY SOLUTIONS, INC.; CCCIS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 057555/0563 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 14, 2020
From: NOMURA CORPORATE FUNDING AMERICAS, LLC
To: CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.; AUTO INJURY SOLUTIONS, INC.; CCCIS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 051934/0658 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 2, 2017
From: CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.
To: NOMURA CORPORATE FUNDING AMERICAS, LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 042384/0191 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 1, 2017
From: CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 042374/0224 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: CHEN, KE; HALLER, JOHN L.; GEORGHIADES, ATHINODOROS S.; KANADE, TAKEO
To: CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.
Reel/Frame 040095/0369 →
Cited By (30)
US 12,203,872 US 12,204,869 US 12,205,266 US 12,211,272 US 12,211,298 US 12,211,299 US 12,236,671 US 12,243,170 US 12,243,267 US 12,244,784 US 12,260,536 US 12,272,162 US 12,299,871 US 12,315,276 US 12,333,710 US 12,354,211 US 12,392,072 US 12,400,273 US 12,437,389 US 12,437,429 US 12,437,564 US 12,450,666 US 12,469,082 US 12,541,974 US 12,586,313 US 12,591,358 US 12,633,110 US 12,651,470 US 12,675,877 US 12,705,648