Auto Repair Estimation System

• US 20110302091A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Hornedo
• Original Assignee: Robert Hornedo
• Inventors: Hornedo, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/795,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302091A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A system for estimating cost or time to repair a damaged vehicle includes an electronic measuring system that can measure control points of the vehicle and determine whether those control points are out of tolerance (i.e., damaged) even though the damage is not perceptible by the human eye. The system further takes into account various efficiencies and inefficiencies due to extent of damage, type of material, etc. by adding to or subtracting from estimated cost or time.

Claims

1. A method for estimating time to repair a structurally damaged automobile, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a damaged structural component of the structurally damaged automobile;

electronically measuring length, width and height dimensions of a control point on the damaged structural component;

based on a difference between the measured length, width and height and a standard length, width and height of the control point on the damaged structural component, assigning an estimated time to repair for each of the measured length, width and height; and

cumulating the assigned times for the length, width and height to derive a cumulated estimated time to repair the control point;

wherein the cumulated time is the estimated time to repair the damaged structural component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the damaged structural component has two or more control points, and at least two of the control points are measured and a cumulated time to repair each of the control points is derived, wherein the higher of the two cumulated times to repair is used as the estimated time to repair the damaged structural component.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying additional damaged structural components of the structurally damaged automobile;

for each of the identified damaged structural components, measuring length, width and height dimensions of one or more control points on the damaged structural component;

for each of the control points, assigning an estimated time to repair each of the measured length, width and height; and

cumulating the assigned times for the length, width and height of each control point.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

assigning a first estimated time to repair the length, width and height of the control point for a first difference;

assigning a second estimated time to repair the length, width and height of the control point for a second difference wherein the second estimated time to repair is greater than the first estimated time to repair when the second difference is greater than the first difference.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

subtracting time from the cumulated time when two or more of the measured length, width and height of the control point on the damaged structural component is out of tolerance with the standard length, width and height of the control point on the damaged structural component.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

adding time to the cumulated time when the damaged structural component is fabricated from high strength steel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the measuring step includes the step of measuring the length, width and height dimension of the control point to an extent that is not noticeable to a naked eye.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the length, width and height dimension of the control point is measured to within 1 mm.

9. A system for estimating time to repair a structurally damaged automobile, the system comprising:

a computer loaded with software for completing the steps of;

receiving length, width and height dimensions of a control point on the damaged structural component;

based on a difference between the measured length, width and height and a standard length, width and height of the control point on the damaged structural component, assigning an estimated time to repair for each of the measured length, width and height; and

cumulating the assigned times for the length, width and height to derive a cumulated estimated time to repair the control point;

wherein the cumulated time is the estimated time to repair the damaged structural component.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a central processing database in communication with a plurality of computers loaded with the software, wherein the computers download actual repair times and measurements of the control points to the central processing database.