Automated damage assessment and claims processing

• US 10,621,675 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Genser, Danuta, Harlalka, Devbratt, Garg, Rohit, Katyal, Gaurang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mung, On S
• Application Number:
  US16/386,900
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 348159
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for an automated system for analyzing damage and processing claims associated with an insured item, such as a vehicle. An enhanced claims processing server may analyze damage associated with the insured item using cameras and lasers for determining the extent and severity of the damage. To aid in this determination, the server may also interface with various internal and external databases storing reference images of undamaged items and cost estimate information for repairing previously analyzed damages of similar items. Further still, the server may generate a payment for compensating a claimant for repair of the insured item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a device associated with an enhanced claims processing server, loss information associated with an insurance claim of an insured item;

directing, at a claims processor associated with the enhanced claims processing server, a plurality of cameras to capture images of the insured item;

determining, at the claims processor, at least one damaged area of the insured item by applying an edge filter to the captured images of the insured item and a reference image of another item of a same type as the insured item and subtracting image data of the insured item from the reference image of the other item of the same type as the insured item to isolate an image portion containing only damage to the insured item;

further processing the image portion containing only the damage to the insured item to fill any missing links in edges of the at least one damaged area;

based on the determination, directing, at the claims processor, a plurality of lasers to capture additional data of the at least one damaged area, the additional data including raw depth data;

mapping, based on the additional data captured from the plurality of lasers and the further processed image portion, a depth of damage to the at least one damaged area and identifying, based on the mapping, a type of damage to the at least one damaged area; and

outputting, through a communication module associated with the enhanced claims processing server, damage information to an insurance consumer associated with the insured item, the damage information including the depth of damage and type of damage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loss information includes a name, address, and age of the insurance consumer and a description of damage associated with the insured item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lasers communicates with a laser processor to perform further imaging of the at least one damaged area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras uses a controlled lighting environment for easier imaging.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of images generated from the imaging in a data store associated with the enhanced claims processing server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one damaged area includes a plurality of dents.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of dents belongs to a type chosen from a group consisting of:

smooth dish, wrinkled, and turbulent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the claims processor, directing a fluids processor associated with a fluid sensing device to detect a type of fluid leaking from the insured item to determine which interior parts in the insured item are damaged.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the claims processor, directing positioning of the insured item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras communicates with a camera processor to perform imaging of the insured item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting includes displaying the damage information on a second display associated with the enhanced claims processing server.

12. A claims processing system comprising:

a claims processor configured to direct a camera processor associated with a plurality of cameras to image an insured item, to generate a reproduced image of the insured item via stitching together first images generated by the plurality of cameras, and to determine at least one damaged area of the insured item based on the reproduced image, the claims processor further configured to direct a laser processor associated with a plurality of lasers to capture additional data to evaluate the at least one damaged area, the additional data including raw depth data;

the plurality of cameras configured to communicate with the camera processor to generate the first images of the insured item; and

the plurality of lasers configured to communicate with the laser processor to map a depth of damage to the at least one damaged area and, based on the mapping, identify a type of damage to the at least one damaged area.

13. The claims processing system of claim 12, wherein the claims processor is further configured to query an insurance consumer, through a display device associated with the claims processor, about accuracy of loss information related to the insured item.

14. The claims processing system of claim 12, wherein the claims processor is further configured to access, through the claims processing system, a database of reference images that depict undamaged items similar to the insured item.

15. The claims processing system of claim 14, wherein the claims processor is further configured to compare the reference images to the first images to determine a severity of the at least one damaged area.

16. The claims processing system of claim 15, wherein the comparing involves using blur filters and gray-scaling.

17. The claims processing system of claim 15, wherein the claims processor is further configured to assign a confidence factor to the comparison based on how similar the reference images in the database are to the first images.

18. The claims processing system of claim 12, wherein the claims processor is further configured to access a database storing cost estimate information for repairing other items similar to the insured item and with damage similar to the at least one damaged area to determine a new cost estimate for repairing the insured item.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

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

direct a plurality of cameras to generate a plurality of first images of an insured vehicle;

access a first database storing a plurality of reference images depicting undamaged vehicles similar to the insured vehicle;

compare the plurality of first images to the plurality of reference images to determine at least one damaged area on the insured vehicle;

based on the determination, direct at least one laser to the at least one damaged area to capture additional data of the at least one damaged area to evaluate the at least one damaged area, the additional data including raw depth data;

map, based on the additional data captured from the at least one laser, a depth of damage to the at least one damaged area and identify, based on the mapping, a type of damage to the at least one damaged area;

access a second database storing repair cost information for other vehicles similar to the insured vehicle that have similar damage to the insured vehicle;

determine a confidence factor for the repair cost information based on a similarity between the other vehicles and the insured vehicle; and

using the repair cost information, the depth of damage and type of damage, and the confidence factor, generate a cost estimate for repairing the at least one damaged area of the insured vehicle and a list of service providers for performing the repair.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to receive, through an input communication module, a notice of loss associated with the insured vehicle.