Method and apparatus for providing image data of property

Abstract

Video drive-by data provides a street level view of a neighborhood surrounding a selected geographic location. A video and data server farm incorporates a video storage server that stores video image files containing video drive-by data corresponding to a geographic location, a database server that processes a data query received from a user over the Internet corresponding to a geographic location of interest, and an image processing server. In operation, the database server identifies video image files stored in the video storage server that correspond to the geographic location of interest contained in the data query and transfers the video image files over a pre-processing network to the image processing server. The image processing server converts the video drive-by data to post-processed video data corresponding to a desired image format and transfers the post-processed video data via a post-processing network to the Internet in response to the query.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A method of providing images of property parcels, the method comprising:
 receiving a query from a mobile device over a communications network into a computer server, said query indicating a geographic location of interest;   associating a property parcel with said geographic location of interest;   accessing image data captured at street level with an image capture device mounted on a vehicle travelling near the geographic location of interest;   identifying select image data captured with the image capture device wherein a field of view of the image capture device is oriented in a direction towards an identified centroid of the property parcel during capture of the image data; and   transmitting to the mobile device said select image data over the communication network.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of  claim 1  additionally comprising the step of transmitting an image of an overhead map with an indication of the property parcel boundaries displayed on the overhead map. 
     
     
         3 ) The method of  claim 2  additionally comprising transmitting an indication of a centroid of the property parcel on the select image data. 
     
     
         4 ) The method of  claim 1  wherein the query indicating a geographic location of interest comprises a street address. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of  claim 1  wherein the query indicating a geographic location of interest comprises a click on a map. 
     
     
         6 ) The method of  claim 2  additionally comprising the step of identifying a location of the location of interest and identifying a camera in proximity to the location of interest and a camera orientation of image capture directed towards the geographic location of interest at the time of image capture. 
     
     
         7 ) The method of  claim 2  additionally including the step of transmitting meta data overlaying one or both of the map and the images. 
     
     
         8 ) A method of providing image data of a property parcel from a computer server, the method comprising:
 transmitting over a communications network to a mobile device an image of a map including a representation of a street;   receiving a query from the mobile device over the communications network into the computer server, wherein said query comprises a click on the map and indicates a geographic location of interest;   associating a property parcel with said geographic location of interest;   identifying one or more images captured with a first image capture device oriented at a centroid of the property parcel at a time of image capture; and   transmitting to the mobile device said one or more images captured with the first image capture device oriented at a centroid of the property parcel over the communication network and a map view of the property parcel with an indication of the property parcel on the map.   
     
     
         9 ) The method of  claim 8  additionally comprising the step of transmitting image data captured by one or more additional image capture devices located at a same point of capture as the first image capture device and oriented in a direction other than towards the centroid of the property parcel. 
     
     
         10 ) The method of  claim 9  wherein the one or more additional image capture devices comprise at least six image capture devices capturing data in a 360 degree arc. 
     
     
         11 ) The method of  claim 10  wherein each image is associated with an image capture device orientation and location. 
     
     
         12 ) The method of  claim 10  additionally comprising the step of transmitting stitched image data comprising images of the property parcel and based upon a location of two or more image capture devices capturing the stitched image data. 
     
     
         13 ) The method of  claim 12  wherein the transmitted stitched data is additionally based upon a respective orientation of the two or more image capture devices capturing the stitched image data. 
     
     
         14 ) The method of  claim 12  additionally comprising the step of transmitting an icon image indicating a centroid of the property parcel. 
     
     
         15 ) The method of  claim 12  additionally including the step of transmitting metadata overlaying one or both of the map and the images. 
     
     
         16 ) A method of providing image data of a property parcel, the method comprising:
 transmitting with a mobile device over a communications network an image of a map comprising a representation of a street and additionally comprising a representation of boundaries defining one or more property parcels;   receiving a query over the communications network into a computer server indicating a selection of one of the defined property parcels;   identifying image data captured with a first image capture device with a field of view oriented in a direction towards a centroid of the property parcel of interest at a time of image capture; and   transmitting said image data captured with the first image capture device with a field of view oriented in a direction towards a centroid of the property parcel of interest at a time of image capture over the communication network, and additionally transmitting a map view of the property parcel of interest with an indication of the property parcel of interest on the map.   
     
     
         17 ) The method of  claim 16  wherein said query comprises a click on the map within the boundaries of a property parcel of interest. 
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 16  wherein said query comprises receiving a street address of a property parcel of interest. 
     
     
         19 ) An apparatus for providing images of property parcels, the apparatus comprising:
 a digital processor in communication with a storage device, the storage device storing executable software executable upon command to cause the apparatus to be operative:   receive a query over a communications network into the processor, said query indicating a geographic location of interest;   associate a property parcel with said geographic location of interest;   access image data captured at street level with an image capture device mounted on a vehicle travelling near the geographic location of interest;   identify select image data captured with the image capture device wherein a field of view of the image capture device is oriented in a direction towards an identified centroid of the property parcel during capture of the image data; and   transmit said select image data over the communication network.   
     
     
         20 ) The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the apparatus is additionally operative to transmit an image of an overhead map with an indication of the property parcel boundaries displayed on the overhead map and transmit an indication of a centroid of the property parcel on the select image data.