Internet-accessible drive-by street view system and method

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 for providing image data and insurance related information via a computerized communications network, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an online viewing application via an application server in connection with a communication network to a device having a display;   (b) receiving a query via the communication network from the device, wherein the query is indicative of a geographic location related to an insurance related view and comprises a property parcel within a geographic area;   (c), identifying street level image information accessible via a an image data server, wherein the street level image information corresponds to the geographic location indicated by the query, and wherein the street level image information includes a first frame of street level image information;   (d) retrieving real estate property data associated with the identified street level image information; and   (e) communicating the identified street level image information via the communication network to the device such that the street level image information is displayed via the display of the device with the retrieved real estate property data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the real estate property data retrieved in
 (d) is property line data, wherein the property line data is indicative of property lines of a parcel of property, and wherein the identified street level image information is communicated in   (e) such that the street level image display includes the property line data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online viewing application provided in
 (a) includes a street map representation of the geographic area and at least one indication of a property boundary.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the query comprises a street address and the street level imagery comprises a visual representation of a neighborhood setting comprising a first frame of street level imagery stitched together with a second frame of street level imagery information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the query comprises a structure in relation to the property parcel and the communicated street level image information includes an image of the structure and the method includes the step of communicating a value of the property parcel generated by an automated valuation model. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the street level image information is communicated in (e) such that text is displayed with the street level image information when the street level image information is displayed on the device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) communicating ortho image view information to the device such that an ortho image view is displayed on a first portion of the display and such that the identified street level image information of (e) is displayed on a second portion of the display.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) communicating street level image information to the device such that a virtual drive down a street is displayed on the display, wherein a representation of a geographic location of interest is included in addition to the street level image information during the virtual drive.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) communicating street level image information to the device such that a virtual drive down a street is displayed on the display, wherein the retrieved real estate property data is included with the street level image information during the virtual drive.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) receiving street level image information that was captured while driving a vehicle down a path, wherein the path is a path through the geographic area and the street level information comprises a plurality of frames of street level image information at each of a plurality of locations along the path; and   (g) communicating the identified street level image information in (e) such that a representation of the path is included with the street level image information when the street level image information is displayed on the display of the device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) receiving illustrations of property lines based on latitude and longitude data provided by a county property office.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 (f) receiving county based real estate data comprising one or more of property sale price, owners name and street address, parcel identification; and   (g) communicating the identified street level image information in (e) such that the retrieved county based real estate data is displayed on the display of the device along with the street level image information and along with the representations of property lines.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (f) receiving onto the server via the communication network an indication of a destination; and   (g) communicating street level image information to the device such that a route to a destination is displayed on the display of the device, wherein the route is displayed in the form of a sequence of street level images.   
     
     
         14 . A method for receiving image data and insurance related information, the method comprising:
 (a) receiving an online viewing application with a device comprising a display and in communication with a server via a communication network;   (b) transmitting a query via the communication network from the device, wherein the query is indicative of a geographic location related to an insurance transaction and comprises a property parcel within a geographic area;   (c) receiving street level image information, wherein the street level image information corresponds to the geographic location indicated by the query, and wherein the street level image information includes a first frame of street level image information that is stitched together with a second frame of street level image information;   (d) receiving real estate property data associated with the identified street level image information; and   (e) receiving the identified street level image information via the device and the communication network; and   (f) displaying the street level image information on the display of the device and further displaying the retrieved real estate property data with the street level image.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the real estate property data received is indicative of property lines of a parcel of property, and wherein the street level image information displayed in
 (f) such that representations of the property lines are included with the street level image information.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the query comprises a street address of the parcel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the query comprises geographical coordinate information of the parcel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 (g) receiving insurance related data onto the device via wireless communication; and   (h) displaying the insurance related data with the street level image information.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 (g) displaying ortho image view information on a first portion of the display, wherein the street level image information is displayed on a second portion of the display.   
     
     
         20 . A method for providing image data and insurance related information via a computerized communications network, the method comprising:
 (a) providing an online viewing application via a computerized communication network to a device having a display;   (b) receiving a query via the communication network from the device, wherein the query is indicative of a parcel of real property related to an insurance policy;   (c) identifying at least one of a plurality of stitched together street level images stored on a server, wherein the plurality of stitched together street level images are images of locations along a route to the real property, and wherein each stitched together street level image includes a first frame of street level image information that is stitched together with a second frame of street level image information;   (d) communicating the plurality of stitched together street level images to the device via wireless communication, wherein the plurality of stitched together street level images are communicated such that the plurality of stitched together street level images are displayed in sequence on the display of the device thereby providing a street level view of the route to the real property; and   (e) displaying ortho image view information on a first portion of the display, wherein the sequence of stitched together street level images is displayed on a second portion of the display, and wherein a representation of the route is displayed as an overlay on the ortho image view information on the first portion of the display.