IP Library Granted Patent US 9,805,261
Granted Patent B1
US 9,805,261 · App. 15/444,164 · Granted Oct 31, 2017

Systems and methods for surface and subsurface damage assessments, patch scans, and visualization

Inventors: Jim Loveland (Alpine, UT); Leif Larson (Alpine, UT); Dan Christiansen (Alpine, UT); Tad Christiansen (Alpine, UT); Cam Christiansen (Alpine, UT)
G06K9/00637B64C39/024G05D1/0038G06K9/2081G06K9/6202G06Q10/20G06T17/05B64C2201/123B64C2201/146G06T2200/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,805,261
App. No.
15/444,164
Granted
Oct 31, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

An unmanned autonomous vehicle assessment and reporting system may conduct patch scan analyses of a roof. Damage points on the roof may be evaluated for severity and assigned a severity value. A remediation status may be objectively developed for one or more faces of the roof based on the number of damage points within a patch region of a defined size and the severity value of each of the damage points within the patch region. A visualization system may overlay markings, such as color-coded markings, to display a representation of a roof, patch regions, damage points, and/or severity values.

Claims (39)

1. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) assessment system for exterior surface or subsurface analysis, comprising:

an electronic display for displaying a user interface to initiate a surface or subsurface analysis;

a user input device associated with the electronic display to receive an input from an operator to initiate the surface or subsurface analysis;

a network communication receiver to receive data collected by at least one sensor on an unmanned autonomous vehicle, the data including scan data of a portion of a surface or subsurface;

an assessment processor to identify at least two defects within a single sample region of the surface or subsurface from the scan data, wherein the sample region comprises a sub-portion of the surface or subsurface having a defined size characteristic; and

a visualization module to visually present on the electronic display:

a first, sample region overlay marking identifying the sample region sub-portion of the surface or subsurface, and

a plurality of defect overlay markings that each correspond to one of the at least two defects within the sample region.

2. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , further comprising a sample region selection module configured to receive input from the operator defining the size characteristic of the sample region based on at least one of a size, perimeter, area, shape, and location within which the at least one defect is to be identified by the assessment processor.

3. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , wherein

the assessment processor is configured to identify the at least two defects within the sample region by receiving data from a cloud-based identification system.

4. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , wherein the sample region is defined as a 10-foot by 10-foot square.

5. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , wherein the surface or subsurface comprises at least one of a surface of a roof and a subsurface of a roof.

6. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic display and user input device are part of a portable computing device.

7. The UAV assessment system of claim 1 , further comprising an estimation module to visually display, via the electronic display, an estimate for repairing or replacing at least a portion of the surface or subsurface.

8. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) assessment system for surface or subsurface analysis, comprising:

at least one sensor on a UAV for capturing scan data of a surface or subsurface of a structure;

a navigation system to autonomously navigate proximate the surface or subsurface for the at least one sensor on the UAV to capture scan data from a plurality of locations;

an evaluator to:

compare scan data captured by the at least one sensor with at least one data profile within a library of data profiles, and

identify at least one matched data profile indicating at least one defect on the surface or subsurface;

a sample region analyzer to identify a number of defects within a sample region of the surface or subsurface,

wherein the sample region comprises a sub-portion of the surface or subsurface of the structure, and

wherein the sample region has defined dimensions; and

a visualization module to visually present, via an electronic display:

at least a first overlaid marking defining a boundary of the sample region of the sub-portion of the surface or subsurface, and

a plurality of additional overlaid markings identifying at least some of the defects identified by the evaluator within the sample region.

9. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the surface or subsurface comprises at least one of a surface of a roof and a subsurface of a roof.

10. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , further comprising a sample region selection system configured to receive an input defining the dimensions of the sample region by specifying at least one of a size, perimeter, area, shape, and location of the sample region within which the defects are to be identified by the evaluator.

11. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the sample region analyzer is configured to identify a number of defects within a sample region having defined dimensions for each face of the surface or subsurface.

12. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one defect comprises at least one of a damage point, manufacturing defect, and an installation defect.

13. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the visualization module is further configured to selectively visually present, via the electronic display:

a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of the surface or subsurface;

an overlaid marking defining a boundary of the sample region of the surface or subsurface on the three-dimensional model; and

an overlaid marking identifying at least some of the defects within the sample region on the three-dimensional model.

14. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the sample region is defined as a 10-foot by 10-foot square.

15. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 further comprising a remediation determination system to assign a remediation status based on each sample region comprising one of: no remediation, repair, and replace.

16. The UAV assessment system of claim 15 , further comprising a repair estimation system to determine a cost estimate for implementing repairs based on the remediation status assigned by the remediation determination system.

17. The UAV assessment system of claim 8 , wherein the at defects comprise at least one of damage points, manufacturing defects, and an installation defects.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 13, 2021
From: LOVELAND INNOVATIONS, LLC
To: LOVELAND INNOVATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058496/0189 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2017
From: LOVELAND, JIM; LARSON, LEIF; CHRISTIANSEN, DAN; CHRISTIANSEN, TAD; CHRISTIANSEN, CAM
To: LOVELAND INNOVATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 041388/0139 →