Systems and methods to assess the condition of a vehicle

• US 10,423,989 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Binion, Todd, Minter, Kelly S., Brown-McCreery, Heidi, Harris, Michael, Myers, Jeremy, Fields, Brian, Harr, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Shanker, Julie M
• Application Number:
  US14/047,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a vehicle condition query via a computer network and retrieving condition data corresponding to a vehicle from a vehicle condition database. Further, the method includes determining a condition of the vehicle based on a collective analysis of the condition data, wherein the condition of the vehicle relates to at least one of a quality or a value of the vehicle, and developing one or more condition descriptors reflecting the condition of the vehicle. Still further, the method includes generating a vehicle condition report including an indication of the one or more condition descriptors and communicating, via the computer network, the vehicle condition report to a remote computing device for presentation to a user of the remote computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assessing a condition of a vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring sensor data including at least one of a geographic location of a vehicle, acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, an engine temperature within the vehicle, a tire pressure within the vehicle, or an amount of mileage traveled by the vehicle, by (i) a sensor within one of a smartphone or tablet computer temporarily disposed in a vehicle and (ii) two or more of a geopositioning receiver, a motion sensor, an engine temperature sensor, a mileage sensor, or a tire pressure sensor disposed in the vehicle, wherein the sensor data is generated while the vehicle is being operated;

transmitting, by one or more of an on-board computing device within the vehicle, the smartphone, or the tablet computer temporarily disposed in the vehicle, the sensor data in real-time to a first computing device and securely storing, by one or more processors in the first computing device, the sensor data using authentication or encryption to prevent vehicle operators from modifying the sensor data to inaccurately reflect a condition of the vehicle;

receiving, at the one or more processors from a second computing device, a vehicle condition query via a computer network, wherein the vehicle condition query includes an identification of the vehicle;

retrieving, by the one or more processors, condition data corresponding to the vehicle from a vehicle condition database, wherein the condition data is based on the sensor data,

determining, by the one or more processors, the condition of the vehicle based on a collective analysis of the condition data gathered over a period of time, wherein the condition of the vehicle includes a market value of the vehicle and an overall quality level of the vehicle, including;

identifying, by the one or more processors, at least one component of the vehicle which needs to be repaired or replaced by analyzing the sensor data measured over a time period;

receiving, at the one or more processors, a geographic location of the second computing device and identifying a climate associated with the geographic location;

generating, by the one or more processors, a vehicle condition report, wherein the vehicle condition report includes an interactive image of a first set of one or more visual condition descriptors indicative of the condition of the vehicle and an image of a second set of the one or more visual condition descriptors presented in response to receiving a selection of one of the first set of the one or more visual condition descriptors via a user interface of the second computing device;

customizing, by the one or more processors, the vehicle condition report according to the climate associated with the geographic location for the second computing device; and

communicating, via the computer network, the vehicle condition report to the second computing device from the first computing device for presentation to a user of the second computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the vehicle includes at least one of a license plate number, license plate state, manufacturer name, year of manufacture, model name or number, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), registered owner name, owner contact information, or insurance policy number.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the condition of the vehicle further includes a state of mechanical operation of the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the condition data includes one or more of indications of current or prior geographic locations, mileages of the operated vehicle, times, dates, behaviors of the user while operating the operated vehicle, collisions in which the operated vehicle was involved, repairs of the operated vehicle, information from a vehicle title corresponding to the operated vehicle, usage patterns of the operated vehicle, recalls corresponding to the operated vehicle, preferences of the user, or driving violations.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a condition of the vehicle includes:

determining, by the one or more processors, the condition of the vehicle at a point in time for which the condition data is available and that is proximate to a current point in time; and

executing a simulation algorithm by the one or more processors to predict or simulate the condition of the vehicle at the current point in time or a future point in time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein executing the simulation algorithm by the one or more processors to predict or simulate the condition of the vehicle at the current point in time or the future point in time includes at least one of:

(i) predicting a current market value or a future market value,

(ii) predicting a current need or a future need for vehicle maintenance or repair,

(iii) determining one or more financially advantageous points in time to buy or sell the vehicle, or

(iv) developing suggestions for improving the overall quality of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual condition descriptors include one of text, image, graph, plot, chart, or table based representations of the condition of the vehicle.

8. A computer-implemented method for reporting vehicle condition information on a computing device including a display device and a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, information identifying a vehicle;

generating, by one or more processors in the computing device, a vehicle condition query, wherein the vehicle condition query includes the information identifying the vehicle and a geographic location of the computing device;

sending, via a network interface at the computing device, the vehicle condition query to a server;

receiving, via the network interface at the computing device, one or more visual condition descriptors indicative of a condition of the vehicle customized according to a climate associated with the geographic location of the computing device,

wherein the one or more condition descriptors are based on a collective analysis of condition data gathered over a period of time, wherein the condition data is based on sensor data transmitted in real-time including at least one of a geographic location of a vehicle, acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, an engine temperature within the vehicle, a tire pressure within the vehicle, or an amount of mileage traveled by the vehicle, measured by (i) a sensor within one of a smartphone or tablet computer temporarily disposed in a vehicle and (ii) two or more of a geopositioning receiver, a motion sensor, an engine temperature sensor, a mileage sensor, or a tire pressure sensor disposed in the vehicle, wherein the sensor data is generated while the vehicle is being operated; and

wherein the condition of the vehicle includes a market value of the vehicle, an overall quality level of the vehicle and an indication that at least one component of the vehicle needs to be repaired or replaced based on the sensor data, wherein the at least one component of the vehicle is identified by analyzing the sensor data measured over a time period; and

rendering, by the one or more processors, an interactive image of a first set of the one or more visual condition descriptors for presentation on the display device;

receiving a selection, via the user interface, of one of the first set of the one or more visual condition descriptors; and

rendering an image of a second set of the one or more visual condition descriptors for presentation on the display device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the identification of the vehicle includes at least one of a license plate number, license plate state, manufacturer name, year of manufacture, model name or number, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), registered owner name, owner contact information, or insurance policy number.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the condition data includes one or more of indications of current or prior geographic locations, mileages of the operated vehicle, times, dates, behaviors of the user while operating the operated vehicle, collisions in which the operated vehicle was involved, repairs of the operated vehicle, information from a vehicle title corresponding to the operated vehicle, usage patterns of the operated vehicle, recalls corresponding to the operated vehicle, preferences of the user, or driving violations.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more visual condition descriptors include one of text, image, graph, plot, chart, or table based representations of the condition of the vehicle.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the second set of the one or more visual condition descriptors includes the first set of the one or more visual condition descriptors and additional condition descriptors.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a request for a report of the condition of the vehicle;

generating, by the one or more processors, the report of the condition of the vehicle, wherein the report includes rendered images of at least some of the one or more visual condition descriptors; and

exporting the report to a user of the computing device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising sharing the report of the condition of the vehicle with a vehicle service and/or repair company via an electronic communication.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, via the user interface, an update to the one or more visual condition descriptors from the vehicle service and/or repair company.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein exporting the report to the user of the computing device includes at least one of saving the report to one or more memories of the computing device, printing the report, or electronically communicating the report via email.

17. A computer device for assessing the condition of a vehicle, the computer device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that specifically configure the computing device such that, when executed by the one or more processors, the computer executable instructions cause the computer device to;

receive a vehicle condition query via a computer network from a remote computing device, wherein the vehicle condition query includes an identification of a vehicle and a geographic location of the remote computing device;

identify a climate associated with the geographic location;

retrieve condition data corresponding to the vehicle from a vehicle condition database, wherein the condition data is based on sensor data transmitted in real-time to the vehicle condition database including at least one of a geographic location of a vehicle, acceleration of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, an engine temperature within the vehicle, a tire pressure within the vehicle, or an amount of mileage traveled by the vehicle, measured by (i) a sensor within one of a smartphone or tablet computer temporarily disposed in a vehicle and (ii) two or more of a geopositioning receiver, a motion sensor, an engine temperature sensor, a mileage sensor, or a tire pressure sensor disposed in the vehicle, wherein the sensor data is generated while the vehicle is being operated;

determine a condition of the vehicle based on a collective analysis of the condition data gathered over a period of time, wherein the condition of the vehicle includes a market value of the vehicle and an overall quality level of the vehicle, including;

identifying at least one component of the vehicle which needs to be repaired or replaced by analyzing the sensor data measured over a time period;

generate a vehicle condition report including an interactive image of a first set of one or more visual condition descriptors indicative of the condition of the vehicle and an image of a second set of the one or more visual condition descriptors presented in response to receiving a selection of one of the first set of the one or more visual condition descriptors via a user interface of the remote computing device;

customize the vehicle condition report according to the climate associated with the geographic location of the remote computing device; and

communicate, via the computer network, the vehicle condition report to the remote computing device for presentation to a user of the remote computing device.

18. The computer device of claim 17, wherein the identification of the vehicle includes at least one of a license plate number, license plate state, manufacturer name, year of manufacture, model name or number, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), registered owner name, owner contact information, or insurance policy number.

19. The computer device of claim 17, wherein the condition of the vehicle further includes a state of mechanical operation of the vehicle.