“Utilizing A 3D Scanner To Estimate Damage To A Roof” in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20210042845)

2021 FEB 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent application by the inventors Plummer, Bryan Allen (Urbana, IL); Cross, Drew (Geneseo, IL); Tofte, Nathan L. (Downs, IL), filed on October 29, 2020, was made available online on February 11, 2021, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx correspondents.

This patent application is assigned to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Insurance companies spend considerable amounts of resources estimating damage caused to shingles. Currently an estimator needs to be on site to determine whether or not a roof needs to be replaced. Generally, the estimator uses a subjective assessment of the roof. Unfortunately, subjective assessments generally do not provide a repeatable or consistent approach, resulting in inconsistent and unreliable results. For example, once on the roof, different lighting conditions and shingle types may make it very difficult, even for an experienced estimator, to assess the amount of damage to a roof.

“In addition to providing inadequate results, a subjective assessment may expose the estimator to dangerous conditions. For example, the estimator exposes himself or herself to the risk of falling. Windy or rainy conditions, which are common in many locales, enhance this risk.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “A method for estimating roof damage provides an analytical approach that is repeatable and consistent, regardless of who is doing the estimation. The methods may be automated, removing the subjectivity of a person doing the estimation and helping new and inexperienced estimators produce consistent results regardless of the level of training and experience.

“A method for estimating damage to a roof includes generating, from a first point cloud representing a roof, a second point cloud representing a shingle. The system and method further includes comparing the second point cloud to a model point cloud, the model point cloud representing a model shingle. The method also includes identifying, based on the comparison, a first set of points, correlating each point within the first set of points to a representation of a point of damage. The system and method includes identifying a second set of points, the second set of points including at least one point from the first set, correlating the second set of points to a representation of a damaged region of the roof. Further, the method includes generating and storing to a memory a report based on the second set of points for subsequent retrieval and use in estimating damage to at least part of the roof.

“A system and method for generating a model of an undamaged roof shingle includes identifying a set of points, the set of points comprising points from a first point cloud representing a first shingle and points from a second point cloud representing a second shingle. The method further includes calculating an average nearest-neighbor distance for the set. The method also includes calculating a threshold distance based on the determined average. The system and method includes storing the set to a memory as a point cloud representing a model roof shingle to be later retrieved and compared to point clouds of individual shingles.

“A tangible computer-readable medium including non-transitory computer readable instructions to be executed on one or more processors of a system for identifying roof damage, the instructions when executed causing the one or more processors to generate, from a first point cloud representing a roof, a second point cloud representing a first shingle. The instructions further cause the one or more processors to compare the second point cloud to a model point cloud, the model point cloud representing a model shingle. The instructions also cause the one or more processors to identify, based on the comparison, a first set of points. The instructions cause one or more processors to correlate each point within the first set to a point of damage to the first shingle. The instructions also cause the one or more processors to identify a second set of points, the second set including at least one point from the first set. The instructions additionally cause the one or more processors to correlate the second set to a damaged region of the roof. The instructions further cause the one or more processors to store the second set to the memory for subsequent retrieval and use in estimating a condition of at least part of the roof.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system for estimating damage to a shingle comprising: (A) one or more 3-dimensional (3D) scanners for generating a 3D point cloud representing a roof; (B) one or more processors; and (C) one or more memory devices communicatively connected to the one or more processors, the one or more memories including the 3D point cloud generated via the one or more 3D scanners; wherein the one or more memory devices further include computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: (i) retrieve from the one or more memories the 3D point cloud generated via the one or more 3D scanners; (ii) utilize a point cloud segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud a plurality of sets of points each representing a different shingle on a roof, wherein utilizing the point cloud segmentation includes accounting for one or more measurements relating to spatial characteristics associated with each set of points; (iii) analyze each of the plurality of sets of points to identify a set of points representing a damaged shingle; and (iv) generate and display a report indicating the damaged shingle is damaged, wherein the displayed report includes one or more of: (a) a textual representation of damage done to the damaged shingle; or (b) a graphical representation of damage done to the damaged shingle.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a planar segmentation technique.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a difference of normal segmentation technique.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a region growing segmentation technique.

“5. The system of claim 4, wherein causing the one or more processors to utilize the region growing segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud the plurality of sets of points each representing the individual shingle on a roof comprises: causing the one or more processors to identify points to add or remove to each of the sets based on measurements relating to curvature or smoothness.

“6. The system of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to analyze each of the plurality of sets of points to identify the set of points representing the damaged shingle comprises: causing the one or more processors to perform a comparison of each of the plurality of sets of points to a model 3D point cloud representing a model shingle; and detecting that the set of points represents the damaged shingle based on results of the comparison.

“7. The system of claim 6, wherein the model shingle represents a shingle having experienced an expected degree of wear and tear.

“8. A computer-implemented method for estimating damage to a shingle, the method comprising: (A) causing one or more processors to retrieve from a memory a 3D point cloud representing a roof; (B) utilizing, via the one or more processors, a point cloud segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud a plurality of sets of points each representing a different shingle on a roof, wherein utilizing the point cloud segmentation includes accounting for one or more measurements relating to spatial characteristics associated with each set of points; (C) analyzing, via the one or more processors, each of the plurality of sets of points to identify a set of points representing a damaged shingle; and (D) generating and displaying, via the one or more processors, a report indicating the damaged shingle is damaged, wherein the displayed report includes one or more of: (a) a textual representation of damage done to the damaged shingle; or (b) a graphical representation of damage done to the damaged shingle.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a planar segmentation technique.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a difference of normal segmentation technique.

“11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a region growing segmentation technique.

“12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein utilizing the region growing segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud the plurality of sets of points each representing a different shingle on the roof comprises: identifying one or more points to add or remove to each of the sets based on measurements relating to curvature or smoothness.

“13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein analyzing each of the plurality of sets of points to identify the set of points representing the damaged shingle comprises: performing a comparison of each of the plurality of sets of points to a model 3D point cloud representing a model shingle; and detecting that the set of points represents the damaged shingle based on results of the comparison.

“14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the model shingle represents an undamaged shingle.

“15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to: (A) retrieve from a memory a 3D point cloud representing a roof (B) utilize a point cloud segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud a plurality of sets of points each representing a different shingle on a roof, wherein utilizing the point cloud segmentation includes accounting for one or more measurements relating to spatial characteristics associated with each set of points; (C) analyze each of the plurality of sets of points to identify a set of points representing a damaged shingle; and (D) generate and display a report indicating the damaged shingle is damaged, wherein the displayed report includes one or more of: (a) a textual representation of damage done to the damaged shingle; or (b) a graphical representation of damage done to the damaged shingle.

“16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a planar segmentation technique.

“17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a difference of normal segmentation technique.

“18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the point cloud segmentation technique is a region growing segmentation technique.

“19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions to utilize the region growing segmentation technique to identify from the 3D point cloud the plurality of sets of points each representing a different shingle on the roof comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: identify one or more points to add or remove to each of the sets based on measurements relating to curvature or smoothness.

“20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions to analyze each of the plurality of sets of points to identify the set of points representing the damaged shingle comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to: perform a comparison of each of the plurality of sets of points to a model 3D point cloud representing a model shingle; and detect that the set of points represents the damaged shingle based on results of the comparison.”

URL and more information on this patent application, see: Plummer, Bryan Allen; Cross, Drew; Tofte, Nathan L. Utilizing A 3D Scanner To Estimate Damage To A Roof. Filed October 29, 2020 and posted February 11, 2021. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220210042845%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20210042845&RS=DN/20210042845

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