Patent Description:
It can be desirable to assess the damage status of a vehicle throughout various stages of its lifespan.

For example, during manufacture of a motor vehicle, a damage assessment may be performed at a number of successive stages within the production process. During a damage assessment the vehicle is visually inspected by a person and any instances of damage to the vehicle are recorded in a damage report. This will be referred to herein as damage mapping. This information can be used to identify damage patterns such that corrective measures can be taken to improve the manufacturing process.

It is common for a vehicle damage assessment to involve a person using a pen or pencil to draw a graphical representation of observed damage on a piece of paper containing an image of the vehicle.

<CIT> describes a method for handling vehicle damage using a user interface comprising a 3D vehicle model of a vehicle, wherein in response to the user selecting a vehicle panel, damage fields are presented allowing the user to provide damage input.

The present inventor has devised an improved method and apparatus for vehicle damage mapping.

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method according to claim <NUM>.

Thus, the method according to the first aspect provides a robust method for vehicle damage mapping which removes much of the subjectivity involved with prior art damage mapping systems. This can enable damage to be recorded more consistently and accurately, which can lead to better, more timely corrective measures being taken.

The first image can be a three dimensional model of the vehicle in which the Y axis origin for the first coordinate system is aligned with the vehicle longitudinal centre within the image, the X axis intersects or is adjacent to a furthermost forward portion of the front of the bumper of the vehicle within the image when viewed from a side and the Z axis origin intersects or is adjacent to the bottom of the tyres within the image when viewed from the front or side.

The first image can be a two dimensional side view image of the vehicle and the origin for the first coordinates system is parallel to the front of the bumper and the bottom of the tyres.

The second image can be a two dimensional front or back view image of the vehicle and the origin for the second coordinates system is the vehicle centre and the bottom of the tyres.

Prior to the step of detecting the first user input command, the method can comprise a step of detecting a second user input command, the second user input command causing the GUI to display a magnified representation of part of the vehicle.

Thus, the method can enable a user to enlarge a relevant portion of the vehicle image, which can enable the first user input command (damage location input) to be a more accurate representation of where the instance of damage has been observed on the vehicle.

The method can comprise one or more further steps of detecting the second user input command, each second user input command causing the GUI to display a further magnified representation of the part of the vehicle.

The step of modifying information displayed on the GUI can comprise displaying only damage types and/or damage severity levels applicable to the region(s).

Thus, the method can provide a more efficient GUI enabling damage mapping to be achieved in a timely manner, thereby resulting in less system power per mapping exercise. The method of this embodiment can also improve the accuracy of damage mapping by reducing the number of options available for selection in the damage description menu or damage severity menu i.e. not presenting options that do not apply to the region(s).

The step of storing damage information can comprise storing the damage information as a fixed length multi digit code representative of the damage information. Saving the damage information in a structured code can simplify downstream data collation and comparison.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a computing device including a processor and memory, the memory storing computer program code which when executed by the processor is configured to execute the steps of the method according to the first aspect.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of apparatus <NUM> for vehicle damage mapping according to an embodiment of the invention.

A conventional computing device <NUM> comprising one or more processors, memory, input device etc. is arranged to execute a control program. The control program implements a method for vehicle damage mapping.

Any suitable computing device <NUM> can be used and therefore, for brevity, the features of the computing device are not illustrated and will not be discussed in any detail. Examples of suitable computing devices are general purpose computers, smart phones, tablets and the like.

A display device <NUM> of the computing device <NUM> is arranged to display a graphical user interface (GUI) via which a user can record the type and location of damage the user has observed on a vehicle (not shown).

The GUI displays an image <NUM> which represents a particular vehicle. The computing device <NUM> can include a database in memory which contains images for various vehicles, from which a user can select one. Alternatively, an image can be located from an external database via a wireless or wired communications link.

The control program is arranged to generate a coordinate system, denoted by an X axis and Y axis, relative to the image, which may or may not be visible to the user. The coordinate system has an origin O defined relative to a particular part of the image. In the illustrated embodiment, the Y axis for the coordinate system is aligned with the furthermost forward region of the car bumper and the X axis is aligned with the bottom of the tyres (in both cases a space is shown in <FIG> for clarity). However, in other embodiments the coordinate system origin can be based on some other features of the vehicle.

The computing device <NUM> includes an input device, which in the illustrated embodiment is a touchscreen input <NUM> of the display device <NUM>, but in other embodiments could be a mouse, trackball or the like.

The input device <NUM> enables the user to provide one or more types of user input command, which are registered by the control program.

A first type of user input command is a damage location input through which a user can input a damage location marker <NUM> on the image <NUM> which corresponds to an instance of observed damage on the vehicle. This can for example be achieved by the input device <NUM> detecting a single finger gesture at a set of coordinates on the image <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> can then store the damage location input locally to memory or transmit the information via the communications link.

The coordinates system can be scaled to the vehicle image, which in turn can be scaled to the vehicle. Thus, the control program knows the scale between the image displayed on the display device <NUM> and the vehicle the image represents and as such the computing device <NUM> can directly relate damage location co-ordinates to a precise location on the vehicle; for example in mm from the co-ordinate datum point.

Referring additionally to <FIG>, a second type of user input command can be a zoom input through which a user can magnify a particular portion of the image <NUM>. This can for example be achieved by the input device <NUM> detecting a two fingered pinch or expand gesture at a set of coordinates on the image <NUM>. <FIG> schematically illustrates a user having magnified the portion of the image containing a door handle <NUM>. The input device <NUM> can be arranged to detect zoom in and zoom out gestures, as well as pan gestures by means which will be apparent to the skilled person. Thus, the apparatus <NUM> can enable a user to enlarge a relevant portion of the vehicle image <NUM>, which can enable a more accurate damage location input to be made.

According to the invention the control program is arranged to detect from the damage location input not only the set of coordinates DC on the image <NUM> but also the magnitude M and direction of the damage from the set of coordinates so as to establish a damage vector DV from the set of coordinates. This is achieved by the input device <NUM> detecting a user swiping one finger from an initial touch point. The direction can be described as an angle θ relative to the X or Y axis. The magnitude and direction is determined using the start and end coordinates of the finger stroke.

A straight line approximation can be made for the damage location marker <NUM>, or the swipe can be broken down into a plurality of contiguous damage vectors to describe non-linear damage location markers.

Referring additionally to <FIG>, the control program can be arranged to present the user with a description menu <NUM> of user selectable damage description options. In the illustrated example the menu enables a user to describe the observed damage as a "scratch", a "dent" or a "chip". The description menu <NUM> can be automatically displayed in response to the input device detecting damage location input, or the GUI can position a damage description icon (not shown) on the display to enable a user to assign a damage description to a damage location marker <NUM>. The control program can be arranged to store the assigned damage description locally to memory or transmit the information via the communications link. This can result in a more informative or accurate vehicle damage mapping system.

As best illustrated in <FIG>, the vehicle <NUM> can be broken down into a number of discrete regions which correspond to discrete or groups of corresponding externally visible components of the vehicle such as panels, windows, door handles etc. It is preferred that the control program is arranged to tailor the description menu <NUM> presented to the user to only show options that are available for the region(s) in which the damage location marker <NUM> exists; for example, a menu provided for the door panel can include "scratch", "dent" or "chip" options, but a menu provided for a window can present "scratch", "crack, or "chip" options. This can result in an improved GUI in which a user is not presented with every possible damage description in every menu, thereby simplifying and expediting the process of damage description which can reduce the power consumption of the system and reduce the likelihood of erroneous input.

Referring additionally to <FIG>, the control program can be arranged to present the user with a severity menu <NUM> of user selectable damage severity options. In the illustrated example the severity menu <NUM> enables a user to describe the observed damage as "minor", "intermediate" or "severe", but in other embodiments the control program can provide different representations of damage severity level. The severity menu <NUM> can be automatically displayed in response to the input device detecting damage location input, or the GUI can position a damage severity icon (not shown) on the display to enable a user to assign a damage description to a damage location marker <NUM>. The control program can be arranged to store the assigned damage severity locally to memory or transmit the information via the communications link. This can result in more informative or accurate vehicle damage mapping.

The control program can be arranged to associate each damage location marker <NUM> with the time and date of recordal in the system; for example, by using the output from the system clock of the computing device <NUM>. This can result in more informative vehicle damage mapping. Alternatively or in addition the control program can be arranged to determine a daylight status i.e. whether it is light or dark at the time and date of detection of the first user input command at the location of the computing device during detection of the first user input command and associate this with the damage location marker <NUM>.

The control program can be arranged to associate each damage location marker <NUM> with the location of the computing device <NUM> using for example Global Positioning System information. This can result in more informative vehicle damage mapping.

The control program can be arranged to associate each damage location marker <NUM> with the weather at the location of the computing device <NUM> at the time the damage is recorded. This can for example be achieved by the control program using the communications interface of the computing device <NUM> to access freely available weather databases via the internet and recording one of more information fields from the website. This can result in more informative vehicle damage mapping because an entry made during poor weather conditions may be less credible than one made in sunny conditions.

Referring to <FIG>, the control program can be arranged to save damage information as a code, such as a <NUM> digit code <NUM>. The first four digits <NUM> describe in mm the distance of the damage coordinate along the X axis. The second four digits <NUM> describe in mm the distance of the damage coordinate along the Y axis. The ninth digit <NUM> describes one of up to nine damage descriptions. The tenth digit <NUM> described one of up to nine damage severities. The final four digits <NUM> describe the damage size. The fixed length code can have any suitable length to represent the damage location in addition to one or more further pieces of damage information as described herein. Saving the damage information in a structured code can simplify downstream data collation and comparison. In some embodiments, the system can be arranged to simply save each piece of damage information associated with an instance of damage in a computer file with a common damage instance identifier.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a second image of the vehicle that can be displayed on the GUI. The second image is a front view image of the vehicle, but can also be a back view. The Y axis for the second coordinates system is aligned with the vehicle centre within the image and the X axis intersects or is adjacent to the bottom of the tyres within the image.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of an alternative first image of the vehicle that can be displayed on the GUI. The first image in this embodiment is a three dimensional model of the vehicle. The Y axis origin for the first coordinate system is aligned with the vehicle longitudinal centre within the image, the X axis intersects or is adjacent to a furthermost forward portion of the front of the bumper of the vehicle within the image when viewed from a side and the Z axis origin intersects or is adjacent to the bottom of the tyres within the image when viewed from the front or side. Thus, a user can rotate the model using the pan command and zoom as with the previous embodiment. When a damage location input is provided, the control program can establish the 3D location of the damage in an analogous manner to that described above.

<FIG> illustrates a method according to an embodiment of the invention generally at <NUM>.

At step <NUM> the method comprises displaying a graphical user interface on a display device of a computing device which shows a first image representing a first view of a vehicle and defining a first coordinate system relative to the first image.

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of detecting a second user input command, the second user input command causing the GUI to display a magnified representation of part of the vehicle. This step can be repeated one or more times and the user can pan around the magnified image to select a portion of the vehicle image that corresponds to a portion of the vehicle where damage has been observed.

At step <NUM> the method comprises detecting a first user input command provided via a user input device associated with the computing device, the first user input command being representative of an instance of damage observed on the vehicle.

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of detecting a stroke length and/or direction of the first user input command and determining a damage magnitude and/or direction.

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of partitioning the image into a plurality of regions, each region representing one or more discrete components of the vehicle, determining the region(s) to which the first or second user input command(s) relate and accessing a database containing vehicle information relating to the plurality of regions.

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of detecting the first or a third user input command provided via the user input device and displaying a damage description menu such that a user can select a damage type corresponding to the observed instance of damage. The method can display only damage types applicable to the region(s).

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of detecting the first or a fourth user input command provided via the user input device and displaying a damage severity menu such that a user can select a damage severity level corresponding to the observed instance of damage. The method can display only damage severity levels applicable to the region(s).

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of determining the time and date of detection of the first user input command and/or the location of the computing device during detection of the first user input command. Alternatively or in addition the method can comprise an optional step of determining a daylight status i.e. whether it is light or dark at the time and date of detection of the first user input command at the location of the computing device during detection of the first user input command.

At step <NUM> the method comprises an optional step of determining a weather condition at the time and date of detection of the first user input command and location of the computing device during detection of the first user input command.

At step <NUM> the method comprises storing the information associated with the first user input command.

The method can be repeated in an analogous manner for further first input commands, provided on the first image representative of further damage to that side of the vehicle, and/or for further input commands representative of damage to other areas of the vehicle.

Claim 1:
A method for mapping and storing damage information of a vehicle, the method comprising:
displaying (<NUM>) a graphical user interface on a display device (<NUM>) of a computing device (<NUM>) which shows a first image representing a first view of a vehicle;
defining a first coordinate system relative to the first image;
detecting (<NUM>) a first user input command provided via a user input device (<NUM>) associated with the computing device (<NUM>), the first user input command being representative of an instance of damage (<NUM>) observed on the vehicle;
the method being characterized by the following steps;
detecting (<NUM>) a stroke length and direction of the first user input command;
determining a damage magnitude (M) and direction (θ) based on the detected stroke length and direction of the first user input command; and storing damage information, whereby the step of storing damage information comprises storing (<NUM>) one or more sets of image coordinates (DC) and a damage vector (DV) based on the damage magnitude (M) and direction (θ) for each set of image coordinates representing the first user input command to map damage to the vehicle.