Concurrent display systems and methods for aerial roof estimation

Abstract

User interface systems and methods for roof estimation are described. Example embodiments include a roof estimation system that provides a user interface configured to facilitate roof model generation based on one or more aerial images of a building roof. In one embodiment, roof model generation includes image registration, image lean correction, roof section pitch determination, wire frame model construction, and/or roof model review. The described user interface provides user interface controls that may be manipulated by an operator to perform at least some of the functions of roof model generation. The user interface is further configured to concurrently display roof features onto multiple images of a roof. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

1 . A roof wireframe display machine comprising:
 a roof wireframe display machine processor;   a screen operably coupled to the roof wireframe display machine processor; and   a memory coupled to the roof wireframe display machine processor having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the roof wireframe display machine processor to:
 cause a user interface engine to display a user interface on the screen; 
 cause the user interface engine to display on the user interface a top-down aerial image of a building having a roof; 
 cause the user interface engine to concurrently display on the user interface a first oblique aerial image of the building having the roof; 
 cause the user interface engine to concurrently display on the user interface a second oblique aerial image of the building having the roof providing a different view of the building than the first oblique aerial image of the building; 
 cause the user interface engine to display a drawing tool on the user interface at a location on the first oblique aerial image, the drawing tool being an interactive user interface control that can be directly manipulated by a user in order to specify roof features; 
 in response to input from the user, cause the user interface engine to trace planar roof sections of the roof on the first oblique aerial image with the drawing tool to establish a series of connected line segments that result in a closed polygons representing the planar roof sections; 
 as the series of connected line segments that result in the closed polygons representing the planar roof sections are established, determine, based on the first oblique aerial image and a 3D reference grid associated with the roof, a geometry of the planar roof sections; 
 add the geometry of the planar roof sections to a 3D model that corresponds to the roof; 
 automatically display a wireframe of the roof on the top-down aerial image as a projection from the 3D model onto the top-down aerial image in response to the geometry of the planar roof sections being added to the 3D model; 
 automatically display a wireframe of the roof on the second oblique aerial image as a projection from the 3D model onto the second oblique aerial image in response to the geometry of the planar roof sections being added to the 3D model; 
 in response to input from the user, cause the user interface engine to trace an additional planar roof section of the roof on the first oblique aerial image with the drawing tool to establish a series of connected line segments that result in a closed polygon that represents the additional planar roof section; 
 concurrently with the tracing of the additional planar roof section of the roof on the first oblique aerial image automatically add the additional planar roof section to the wireframe of the roof on the top-down aerial image as a projection from the 3D model onto the top-down aerial image; and 
 concurrently with the tracing of the additional planar roof section of the roof on the first oblique aerial image automatically add the additional planar roof section to the wireframe of the roof on the second oblique aerial image as a projection from the 3D model onto the second oblique aerial image.