Computer System for Automatically Classifying Roof Elements

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for automatically classifying roof elements, including a computer system comprising: one or more processors; one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to: identify line segments of a roof in a digital image, the line segments having end points; determine position, orientation, and length of the identified line segments; and determine a classification of at least one of the line segments as one of a plurality of predefined roof elements utilizing the determined position and orientation of a first line segment of the line segments relative to the determined position and orientation of a second line segment of the line segments as compared to rules for how line segments of the predefined roof elements of the roof are arranged.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system, comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
 identify line segments of a roof in a digital image, the line segments having end points; 
 determine position, orientation, and length of the identified line segments; and 
 determine a classification of at least one of the line segments as one of a plurality of predefined roof elements utilizing the determined position and orientation of a first line segment of the line segments relative to the determined position and orientation of a second line segment of the line segments as compared to rules for how line segments of the predefined roof elements of the roof are arranged. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate a model of the roof utilizing the line segments. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to store classification information indicative of a classification of the at least one line segment as the plurality of predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate a cumulative length for one or more roof elements of the line segments from the determined lengths of the line segments based on the determined classification of at least one of the line segments as one of the plurality of predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to group the end points of the line segments by elevation into at least a first group, and wherein determining position, orientation and length of the line segments is defined further as determining the position, orientation and length of the line segments utilizing at least the first group. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 5 , wherein grouping the end points of the line segments by elevation include receiving user input to group the end points of the line segments by elevation. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to average elevation within each group of end points. 
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine whether at least two points on the line segments are at a same elevation in classifying the line segments as predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined roof elements are selected from a group consisting of a rake and a valley, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine an angle between adjacent line segments in classifying one of the line segments as at least one of a rake and a valley. 
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined roof elements are selected from a group consisting of a ridge and an eave, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine a relative elevation between line segments within a roof section in classifying one of the line segments as at least one of a ridge and an eave. 
     
     
         11 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
 identify line segments of a roof in a digital image, the line segments having end points;   determine position, orientation, and length of the identified line segments; and   determine a classification of at least one of the line segments as one of a plurality of predefined roof elements utilizing the determined position and orientation of a first line segment of the line segments relative to the determined position and orientation of a second line segment of the line segments as compared to rules for how line segments of the predefined roof elements of the roof are arranged.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate a model of the roof utilizing the line segments. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to store classification information indicative of a classification of the at least one line segment as the plurality of predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to generate a cumulative length for one or more roof elements of the line segments from the determined lengths of the line segments based on the determined classification of at least one of the line segments as one of the plurality of predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to group the end points of the line segments by elevation into at least a first group, and wherein determining position, orientation and length of the line segments is defined further as determining the position, orientation and length of the line segments utilizing at least the first group. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein grouping the end points of the line segments by elevation include receiving user input to group the end points of the line segments by elevation. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to average elevation within each group of end points. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine whether at least two points on the line segments are at a same elevation in classifying the line segments as predefined roof elements. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the predefined roof elements are selected from a group consisting of a rake and a valley, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to determine an angle between adjacent line segments in classifying one of the line segments as at least one of a rake and a valley. 
     
     
         20 . A computer-based method, comprising:
 identifying, with one or more processors, line segments of a roof in a digital image, the line segments having end points;   determining, with the one or more processors, position, orientation, and length of the identified line segments; and   determining, with the one or more processors, a classification of at least one of the line segments as one of a plurality of predefined roof elements utilizing the determined position and orientation of a first line segment of the line segments relative to the determined position and orientation of a second line segment of the line segments as compared to rules for how line segments of the predefined roof elements of the roof are arranged.