SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING A DAMAGED VEHICLE

• US 20140278571A1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Mullen, Christina P., Leise, William J., Graff, Douglas Albert
• Application Number:
  US14/085,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A system and method to facilitate treatment of a vehicle damaged in a crash, wherein a repair process or a salvage process is formulated based on an estimate of the extent of damage to the vehicle, and a request to transport the damaged vehicle is transmitted to the appropriate treatment facility.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating treatment of a vehicle damaged in a crash, the method comprising:

receiving a treatment complexity level associated with treating a damaged vehicle, the treatment complexity level being representative of the extent of damage to the damaged vehicle;

formulating, by one or more processors, a repair treatment process when the treatment complexity level is less than a damage threshold level, wherein formulating the repair treatment process includes;

selecting, by one or more processors, a repair treatment facility to repair the damaged vehicle; and

transmitting a request to transport the damaged vehicle from the crash site to the repair treatment facility;

formulating, by one or more processors, a salvage treatment process when the treatment complexity level is more than the damage threshold level, wherein formulating the salvage treatment process includes;

selecting, by one or more processors, a salvage treatment facility to salvage the damaged vehicle;

and

transmitting a request to transport the damaged vehicle from the crash site to the salvage treatment facility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the repair treatment facility is selected from among a group of repair treatment facilities based on at least one or more factors including proximity of the damaged vehicle to the repair treatment facility, work quality history of the repair treatment facility, repair level capability of the repair treatment facility, a type of vehicle part to be repaired or replaced, an amount of vehicle parts to be repaired or replaced, or vehicle owner preference.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by one or more processors, a damaged vehicle parts list associated with the treatment complexity level, the damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be damaged by the crash; and

transmitting, a request for a quote to repair the damaged vehicle to one or more repair treatment facilities, the request for a quote to repair the damaged vehicle including the damaged vehicle parts list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a response to the request for a quote to repair the damaged vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

contacting a storage facility, the storage facility including an inventory of vehicle parts for use in repairing vehicles, wherein at least one of the vehicle parts stored at the storage facility was harvested from another vehicle during a salvage process;

identifying, by one or more processors, a particular vehicle part stored at the storage facility that is capable of replacing a corresponding vehicle part listed on the damaged vehicle parts list; and

revising, by one or more processors, the damaged vehicle parts list with respect to the particular vehicle part available at the storage facility.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying a particular vehicle part includes comparing, by one or more processors, the damaged vehicle parts list to an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility, and revising, by one or more processors, the damaged vehicle parts list includes amending the damaged vehicle parts list to include information associated with the particular vehicle part.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

maintaining an inventory of vehicle parts stored at a storage facility for use in repairing vehicles, wherein at least one of the stored vehicle parts within the inventory was harvested from another vehicle during a salvage process;

maintaining, by one or more processors, an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility;

identifying, by one or more processors, a particular vehicle part stored at the storage facility that is capable of replacing a corresponding vehicle part on the damaged vehicle parts list by comparing the damaged vehicle parts list to an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility; and

revising, by one or more processors, the damaged vehicle parts list by amending the damaged vehicle parts list to include information associated with the particular vehicle part.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the salvage treatment facility is selected from among a group of salvage treatment facilities based on at least one or more factors including proximity of the vehicle to the salvage treatment facility, work quality history of the salvage treatment facility, salvage treatment level capability of the salvage treatment facility, and vehicle owner preference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the salvage treatment process includes scrapping the damaged vehicle, preparing the damaged vehicle for sale, or dismantling the damaged vehicle for undamaged vehicle parts.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by one or more processors, a salvageable vehicle parts list based on the treatment complexity level, the salvageable vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be undamaged by the crash; and

transmitting a request for a quote to salvage the damaged vehicle to one or more salvage treatment facilities, the request for a quote to salvage the damaged vehicle including the salvageable vehicle parts list.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining an inventory of vehicle parts stored at a storage facility for use in repairing vehicles, wherein at least one of the vehicle parts within the inventory of the storage facility was harvested from another vehicle during a salvage process; and

maintaining, by one or more processors, an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a harvested vehicle part for storing at the storage facility;

storing the harvested vehicle part at the storage facility; and

revising, by one or more processors, the inventory list to indicate the received harvested vehicle part stored within the inventory at the storage facility.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

offering for sale at least one of the vehicle parts within the inventory stored at the storage facility.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing the inventory list to a vehicle owner and/or a repair treatment facility;

receiving an order to purchase of one or more vehicle parts listed on the inventory list; and

shipping the one or more vehicle parts of the order from the storage facility.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing the inventory list to a network system for access by a vehicle owner and/or a repair treatment facility;

receiving an order to purchase one or more vehicle parts on the inventory list; and

shipping the one or more vehicle parts of the order from the storage facility.

8. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an order to purchase a particular vehicle part listed on the inventory list; and

shipping the particular vehicle part from the storage facility.

17. A system for facilitating treatment of a vehicle damaged in a crash, the system comprising:

one or more processors coupled to one or more memory devices and one or more user interfaces, the system configured to;

receive crash information associated with a vehicle damaged in a crash;

analyze the crash information;

generate a damaged vehicle parts list based on the analysis of the crash information, the damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be repairable or replaceable;

maintain an inventory of vehicle parts stored at a storage facility for use in repairing vehicles, wherein at least one of the stored vehicle parts within the inventory was harvested from another vehicle during a salvage process;

maintain an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility; and

compare the damaged vehicle parts list to the inventory list and identify a particular vehicle part stored at the storage facility that is capable of replacing a corresponding vehicle part on the damaged vehicle parts list.

18. The system of claim 17, further configured to:

compare the crash information to collision data of vehicles similar to the damaged vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, further configured to:

revise the damaged vehicle parts list and amend the damaged vehicle parts list to include information associated with the particular vehicle part.

20. The system of claim 17, further configured to:

generate a request for a quote to repair the damaged vehicle; and

transmit the request for a quote and the damaged vehicle parts list to at least one repair treatment facility.

21. The system of claim 20, further configured to:

receive a response to the request for a quote to repair the damaged vehicle; and

,

select a repair treatment facility to repair the damaged vehicle based on an analysis of the response.

22. The system of claim 17, further configured to:

provide the inventory list to a vehicle owner and/or a repair treatment facility;

receive an order to purchase of one or more vehicle parts listed on the inventory list; and

ship the one or more vehicle parts of the order from the storage facility.

23. The system of claim 17, further configured to:

provide the inventory list to a network system for access by a vehicle owner and/or a repair treatment facility;

receive an order to purchase one or more vehicle parts on the inventory list; and

ship the one or more vehicle parts of the order from the storage facility.

24. A method for facilitating treatment of a vehicle damaged in a crash, the system comprising:

receiving crash information associated with a vehicle damaged in a crash;

analyzing the crash information;

generating a damaged vehicle parts list based on the analysis of the crash information, the damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the vehicle estimated to be repairable or replaceable;

maintaining an inventory of vehicle parts stored at a storage facility for use in repairing vehicles, wherein at least one of the stored vehicle parts within the inventory was harvested from another vehicle during a salvage process;

maintaining an inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility; and

comparing the damaged vehicle parts list to the inventory list and identifying a particular vehicle part stored at the storage facility that is capable of replacing a corresponding vehicle part on the damaged vehicle parts list.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein analyzing the crash information includes comparing the crash information to collision data of vehicles of a similar type to the damaged vehicle.