Claims damage estimation using enhanced display

• US 10,572,944 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Brandmaier, Jennifer A., Faga, Mark E., Johnson, Robert H., Koza, Daniel, Loo, William, Marlow, Clint J., Ramirez, Philip Peter, Stricker, Kurt M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian, Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US14/063,517
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4, 705 35- 38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for an automated system for analyzing damage to process claims associated with an insured item, such as a vehicle. An enhanced claims processing server may analyze damage associated with the insured item using photos/video transmitted to the server from a user device (e.g., a mobile device). The enhanced claims processing server may submit a signal that locks one or more portions of an application on the mobile device used to submit the photos/videos. The mobile device may receive feedback from the server regarding the acceptability of submitted photos/video. The photos may further be annotated using, for example, a touch screen display. An estimate, such as a cost estimate, may be determined for the damage associated with the insured item based on the photos and/or annotations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a claims processing server, an Internet link to a web site displaying one or more photos;

retrieving, by the computing device and responsive to receiving the Internet link, one or more photos related to damage of an insured item;

displaying, on a multi-touch screen of the computing device, the one or more photos and a lens interface;

outputting, on the multi-touch screen of the computing device, a menu comprising configuration setting for the lens interface;

receiving, via the menu displayed on the multi-touch screen of the computing device, a first user interaction;

altering an effect of the lens interface based on the first user interaction;

receiving, by the computing device and from the lens interface displayed on the multi- touch screen, a user-selected adjustment to the one or more photos;

modifying, by the computing device and via the lens interface, the one or more photos based on the user-selected adjustment;

displaying, by the computing device and on the multi-touch screen, the modified one or more photos;

detecting a second user interaction with the multi-touch screen of the computing device;

responsive to detecting the user second interaction with the multi-touch screen of the computing device, outputting a user interface element to the multi-touch screen of the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device and via the user interface element, one or more user- inputted annotations for the modified one or more photos, wherein the one or more user-inputted annotations comprise damage information indicating whether the damage to the insured item is associated with a current event or a previous event;

displaying, by the computing device, the modified one or more photos overlaid with the one or more annotations;

receiving, by the computing device, a selection of a first annotation from the one or more annotations;

calculating, by the computing device, an estimate for the first annotation; and

transmitting the estimate to a second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the damage information comprises at least a type of damage and a severity for the damage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of photos related to damage of the insured item are received, and wherein a plurality of annotations are received for the plurality of photos such that the plurality of annotations describe the damage of the insured item.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

calculating an aggregate of estimates for the plurality of annotations; and

displaying the aggregate of estimates for the plurality of annotations.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving estimate data associated with a damaged part of the insured item associated with the first annotation further comprises:

receiving at least a location on the insured item of the damaged part and a description of the damaged part.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, an estimate for repairing the damaged part and an estimate for replacing the damaged part; and

displaying the estimate for repairing the damaged part and the estimate for replacing the damaged part.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a selection for one of repairing the damaged part or replacing the damaged part; and

calculating, by the computing device, the estimate based on the received selection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the claim information comprises an identification number for the insured item.

9. A system comprising:

an insured item, wherein the insured item comprises at least one damaged portion;

a processor;

a multi-touch screen communicatively connected to the processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an Internet link to a web site displaying one or more photos;

retrieve, responsive to receiving the Internet link, one or more photos related to the at least one damaged portion of the insured item;

display, on the multi-touch screen, the one or more photos and a lens interface;

output, on the multi-touch screen, a menu comprising configuration setting for the lens interface;

receive, via the menu displayed on the multi-touch screen, a first user interaction;

alter an effect of the lens interface based on the first user interaction;

receive, from the lens interface displayed on the multi-touch screen, a user- selected adjustment to the one or more photos;

modify, via the lens interface, the one or more photos based on the user-selected adjustment;

detect a second user interaction with the multi-touch screen;

responsive to detecting the user second interaction with the multi-touch screen, output a user interface element to the multi-touch screen;

receive, via the user interface element, one or more user-inputted annotations for the modified one or more photos, wherein the one or more user-inputted annotations comprise damage information indicating whether the damage to the insured item is associated with a current event or a previous event;

display, via the multi-touch screen, the modified one or more photos overlaid with the one or more user-inputted annotations;

receive a selection of a first annotation from the one or more annotations;

calculate an estimate for the first annotation; and

transmit the estimate to a computing device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the damage information comprises at least a type of damage and a severity for the at least one damaged portion.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of photos related to the at least one damaged portion of the insured item are received, and wherein a plurality of annotations are received for the plurality of photos such that the plurality of annotations describe the at least one damaged portion of the insured item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

calculate an aggregate of estimates for the plurality of annotations; and

display the aggregate of estimates for the plurality of annotations.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein receiving estimate data associated with the at least one damaged portion of the insured item associated with the first annotation further comprises:

receiving at least a location for the at least one damaged portion and a description for the at least one damaged portion.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine an estimate for repairing a damaged part associated with the first annotation and an estimate for replacing the damaged part; and

display the estimate for repairing the damaged part and the estimate for replacing the damaged part.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a selection for one of repairing the damaged part or replacing the damaged part; and

calculate the estimate based on the received selection.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an Internet link to a web site displaying one or more photos;

retrieve, responsive to receiving the Internet link, one or more photos related to damage of an insured item;

display, on a multi-touch screen of the apparatus, the one or more photos and a lens interface;

output, on the multi-touch screen, a menu comprising configuration setting for the lens interface;

receive, via the menu displayed on the multi-touch screen, a first user interaction;

alter an effect of the lens interface based on the first user interaction;

receive, from the lens interface displayed on the multi-touch screen, a user-selected adjustment to the one or more photos;

modify the one or more photos based on the user-selected adjustment via the lens interface;

display, on the multi-touch screen, the modified one or more photos;

detect a second user interaction with the multi-touch screen;

responsive to detecting the second user interaction with the multi-touch screen, output a user interface element to the multi-touch screen;

receive one or more user-inputted annotations for the modified one or more photos via the user interface element, wherein the one or more user-inputted annotations comprise damage information indicating whether the damage to the insured item is associated with a current event or a previous event;

display, via the multi-touch screen, the modified one or more photos overlaid with the one or more annotations;

receive a selection of a first annotation from the one or more user-inputted annotations;

calculate an estimate for the first annotation; and

transmit the estimate to a user device.