Enhanced unmanned aerial vehicles for damage inspection

• US 10,223,753 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Marlow, Clint J., Corder, Bryan Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Antonucci, Anne M
• Application Number:
  US15/282,237
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing insurance damage inspection by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are provided. A computing device may receive a request to inspect a vehicle, the request comprising a location of the vehicle. The computing device may identify a UAV from a plurality of UAVs that is located closest to the location of the vehicle from other UAVs in the plurality of UAVs. The computing device may instruct the UAV to travel to the location of the vehicle. The computing device may instruct the UAV to collect damage information on the vehicle using one or more onboard sensors of the UAV. The computing device may determine an amount of insurance payout to approve for repairs to the vehicle based on the damage information collected by the UAV.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an insurance system server; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in communication with the insurance system server via a network, the UAV further including;

an energy source to power the UAV;

an audio input/output device;

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the UAV to;

receive, from the insurance system server, an instruction to travel to a location of a real estate property corresponding to a damage incident;

receive, from the insurance system server, an instruction to collect information on at least one aspect of the real estate property;

identify one or more onboard sensors of the UAV to collect the information on at least one aspect of the real estate property, wherein the UAV is configured to identify a first set of one or more onboard sensors to collect a first type of data and to identify a second set of one or more onboard sensors to collect a second type of data;

collect the information on the at least one aspect of the real estate property using the identified one or more onboard sensors;

determine, using the first type of data, whether an individual is detected within the real estate property;

identify, based on the collected information on the at least one aspect of the real estate property, a type of damage incurred on the at least one aspect of the real estate property, and whether the type of damage is a specified type of damage;

in response to determining that the type of damage is the specified type of damage and that an individual is detected within the real estate property, outputting a notification using the audio input/output device; and

upon determining that an individual is detected in the real estate property, receive, from the insurance system server, an instruction to deliver a physical form of payment to an insurance policyholder associated with the real estate property for the identified type of damage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction to travel to the location of the real estate property is received upon:

receiving, by the insurance system server, a claims request for the at least one aspect of the real estate property; and

determining, by the insurance system server, that the insurance policyholder is unable to submit proof identifying damage inflicted on the at least one aspect of the real estate property.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction for the UAV to collect information on the at least one aspect further includes:

receiving an instruction for the UAV to identify damage to the at least one aspect of the real estate property;

determining, by the UAV one or more onboard sensors to collect different types of data based on the identified damage; and

facilitating at least one of audio communication and video communication, through the UAV, between the insurance policyholder and an insurance provider.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction to collect information on the at least one aspect further includes:

receiving an instruction for the UAV to identify a plurality of vantage points with respect to the at least one aspect of the real estate property; and

receiving an instruction for the UAV to collect information on the at least one aspect from each of the plurality of the identified vantage points.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the insurance system server, the information on the at least one aspect of the real estate property collected by the one or more onboard sensors of the UAV;

identifying, by the insurance system server, a type of damage incurred on the at least one aspect of the real estate property based on the information collected by the UAV; and

determining, by the insurance system server, whether the insurance policyholder has insured the real estate property for the identified type of damage.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the insurance policyholder has insured the real estate property for the identified type of damage;

identifying, by the insurance system server, insurance account history of the insurance policyholder; and

identifying, by the insurance system server, an amount of payout that the insurance policyholder is eligible to receive for the identified type of damage based on at least one of the insurance account history and extent of the identified type of damage from the information collected by the UAV.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the insurance system server, the UAV from a plurality of UAVs, by identifying which of the plurality of UAVs is located closest to the location of the real estate property, and wherein the one or more of the plurality of UAVs is instructed to perform duties of an insurance claims adjuster.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information collected by the UAV comprises optical image data, infrared image data, hyperspectral image data, LIDAR data, thermal sensor data, chemical sensor data, event data recorder data, and audio data.

9. A system comprising:

an insurance system server having a first processor, a communication interface and a first memory storing instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the insurance system server to;

identify a real estate property to be inspected;

identify an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a plurality of UAV'"'"'s, the identified UAV having a location within a predefined proximity of a location of the real estate property to be inspected; and

transmit, to the UAV, an instruction to collect information about a condition of the real estate property using one or more onboard sensors of a plurality of onboard sensors of the UAV; and

the UAV in communication with the insurance system server via a network, the UAV further including;

an energy source to power the UAV;

an audio input/output device;

at least a second processor; and

at least a second memory coupled to the at least a second processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least a second processor, cause the UAV to;

receive the instruction to collect information about the condition of the real estate property;

identify at least one onboard sensor of the plurality of onboard sensors of the UAV to collect each different type of a plurality of different types of information about the condition of the real estate property, wherein the UAV is configured to identify a first set of one or more onboard sensors as the at least one onboard sensor to collect a first type of data and to identify a second set of one or more onboard sensors as the at least one onboard sensor to collect a second type of data;

collect, via the identified at least one onboard sensor to collect each different type of the plurality of different types of information, the different types of information about the condition of the real estate property;

transmit, to the insurance system server, the collected different types of information about the condition of the real estate property;

determine whether an individual is detected within the real estate property; and

deliver a physical form of payment to an insurance policyholder upon determining that an individual is detected within the real estate property and that an instruction to deliver the physical form of payment is received from the insurance system server;

the insurance system server further including instructions that, when executed, cause the insurance system server to;

receive, from the UAV, the different types of information collected by the one or more onboard sensors;

determine an insurance underwriting decision based on the plurality of different types of information captured by the UAV; and

send the instruction to the UAV to deliver the physical form of payment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein identifying the real estate property to be inspected further includes:

receiving, by the insurance system server, a claims request for the real estate property;

identifying, by the insurance system server, one or more available methods to inspect the real estate property; and

determining, by the insurance system server, that instructing the UAV to collect the information about the condition of the real estate property is a most cost effective method, of the one or more available methods, to inspect the real estate property.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein transmitting an instruction to the UAV to collect information about a condition of the real estate property further includes:

determining, by the insurance system server, the location of the real estate property; and

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to travel to the location of the real estate property.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the insurance underwriting decision further includes:

determining, by the insurance system server, an insurance account with which the real estate property is associated;

identifying, by the insurance system server, an insurance policy coverage of the insurance account with respect to the real estate property; and

analyzing, by the insurance system server, the different types of information collected to identify damage inflicted on the real estate property; and

determining, by the insurance system server, an amount of payout that the insurance policy coverage is eligible to cover for the identified damage to the real estate property.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein transmitting the instruction to the UAV to collect information further includes:

receiving, by the insurance system server, a claims request identifying at least one aspect of the real estate property that has been damaged;

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to identify damage to the at least one aspect of the real estate property.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein transmitting an instruction to the UAV to collect information further includes:

determining, by the insurance system server, at least one aspect of the real estate property that been damaged;

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to identify a plurality of vantage points with respect to the at least one aspect of the real estate property; and

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to collect information on the at least one aspect from each of the plurality of the identified vantage points.

15. A system comprising:

an insurance system server having a first processor, a communication interface and a first memory storing instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the insurance system server to;

receive, at a first time, first information about a condition of a real estate property of an insurance policyholder;

determine an insurance risk associated with the real estate property based on the first information;

transmit an instruction to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to collect second information about the condition of the real estate property at a second time, wherein the UAV is instructed to collect information associated with the determined insurance risk; and

the UAV in communication with the insurance system server via a network, the UAV further including;

an energy source to power the UAV;

at least a second processor; and

at least a second memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least a second processor, cause the UAV to;

receive the instruction to collect the second information;

identify at least one onboard sensor of a plurality of onboard sensors to collect the second information, wherein the UAV is configured to identify a first set of one or more onboard sensors as the at least one onboard sensor to collect a first type of data and to identify a second set of one or more onboard sensors as the at least one onboard sensor to collect a second type of data;

collect the second information, the second information including an indication of whether an individual is detected within the real estate property;

transmit the collected second information to the insurance system server; and

receive an instruction to deliver a physical form of payment to an insurance policyholder in a case where an individual is detected within the real estate property;

the insurance system server further including instructions that, when executed, cause the insurance system server to;

determine a payment amount that the insurance policyholder is eligible to receive for the real estate property based on the first information and the second information collected by the UAV; and

transmit the instruction to deliver the physical form of payment having the determined payment amount.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein receiving the first information further includes:

determining, by the insurance system server, that the real estate property is located on a path of the UAV travelling to another destination;

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to collect the second information on the real estate property as the UAV flies over the real estate property; and

receiving, by the insurance system server, the second information collected on the real estate property.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second time occurs after the first time, and wherein the UAV is instructed to collect detailed information on at least one aspect of the real estate property identified by the insurance risk.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the insurance risk further includes:

analyzing, by the insurance system server, the received first information to identify any aspects of the real estate property that are not in compliance with an insurance coverage policy associated with the insurance policyholder; and

identifying, by the insurance system server, at least one aspect of the real estate property that needs to be fixed in order to be compliant with the insurance coverage policy.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein transmitting the instruction to the UAV to collect the second information about the condition of the real estate property further includes:

determining, by the insurance system server, a location of the real estate property; and

transmitting an instruction to the UAV to travel to the location of the real estate property.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein determining the payment amount that the insurance policyholder is eligible to receive for the real estate property further includes:

identifying, by the insurance system server, an insurance policy coverage for the real estate property associated with the insurance policyholder;

analyzing, by the insurance system server, the second information to identify damage inflicted on the real estate property, wherein the identified damage is associated with at least one aspect of the real estate property identified by the determined insurance risk; and

determining, by the insurance system server, the payment amount that the insurance policy coverage is eligible to provide for the identified damage to the real estate property.