SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ROUTING A VEHICLE DAMAGED IN A CRASH

• US 20140278572A1
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned 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:
  US14/085,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278572A1
• 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 treatment process is formulated based on a treatment complexity level associated with an estimate of the extent of damage to the vehicle. The treatment process may include a repair process or a salvage process relating to a price schedule for treating the damaged vehicle, a time duration for completing treatment of the damaged vehicle, or a list of damaged vehicle parts estimated to be damaged by the crash.

Claims

1. A method for treating a vehicle damaged in a crash, the method comprising:

receiving crash information about a damaged vehicle;

retrieving from a memory device collision data of a type of vehicle that includes the damaged vehicle.

determining, by one or more processors, an estimate of vehicle damage to the damaged vehicle by analyzing, by one or more processors, the crash information;

determining, by one or more processors, a treatment complexity level based on the estimate of vehicle damage, the treatment complexity level including a price schedule for treating the damaged vehicle, an expected time duration for completing treatment of the damaged vehicle, and a damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be damaged by the crash;

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;

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 determining a salvage treatment facility or disposal method for the damaged vehicle; and

transmitting information associated with the treatment complexity level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the crash information includes comparing the crash information to the retrieved collision data of the type of vehicle that includes the damaged vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting information associated with the treatment complexity level includes transmitting a request to transport the damaged vehicle from the crash site to the repair treatment facility or to the salvage treatment facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a damaged vehicle parts list based on the estimate of vehicle damage, the damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be damaged by the crash, and initiating a parts request based on the vehicle damage.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

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

receiving a response to the request for a quote to repair the vehicle from the one or more repair treatment facilities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving crash information about the damaged vehicle includes receiving a description of the damaged vehicle, the description relating to an image of the damaged vehicle, an acceleration of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, a velocity of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, an impact direction of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, an appearance or condition of the damaged vehicle, an area of damage on the damaged vehicle, drivability or operability of the damaged vehicle, or evidence of deployment of emergency apparatus of the damaged vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving crash information about the damaged vehicle includes receiving impact characteristics of the damaged vehicle including an acceleration, velocity, or impact direction of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, drivability of the damaged vehicle, or evidence of deployment of emergency apparatus of the damaged vehicle.

8. 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 facility, work quality history of the repair facility, repair level capability of the repair facility, a type of vehicle part to be repaired or replaced, an amount of vehicle parts to be repaired or replaced, or damaged vehicle owner preference.

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, or damaged vehicle owner preference.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating 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.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

receiving a response to the request for a quote to salvage the vehicle from the one or more salvage treatment facilities.

12. A system for treating a vehicle damaged in a crash, the system comprising:

a processing center including one or more processors coupled to one or more memory devices and one or more user interfaces;

a communication module coupled to the one or more processors for transmitting and receiving information, wherein the system is configured to;

receive crash information about a damaged vehicle;

retrieve from the one or more memory devices collision data of a type of vehicle that includes the damaged vehicle;

determine an estimate of vehicle damage to the damaged vehicle by analyzing the crash information;

determine a treatment complexity level based on the estimate of vehicle damage, the treatment complexity level including a price schedule for treating the damaged vehicle, a time duration for completing treatment of the damaged vehicle, and a damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be damaged by the crash;

formulate a repair treatment process when the treatment complexity level is less than a damage threshold level and select a repair treatment facility to repair the damaged vehicle;

formulate a salvage treatment process when the treatment complexity level is more than the damage threshold level and select a salvage treatment facility to salvage the damaged vehicle; and

transmit information associated with the treatment complexity level.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a comparator operatively coupled to the one or more processors and comparing the crash information of the damaged vehicle to the collision data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an executable instruction stored on the one or more memory devices that when executed by the one or more processors causes the processing center to compare the crash information to the collision data and generate the treatment complexity level associated with the damaged vehicle.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an executable instruction stored on the one or more memory devices that when executed by the processor causes the processing center to compare the crash information to the collision data and generate a salvageable vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be undamaged by the crash.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

one or more sensors operatively coupled to the one or more processors for monitoring vehicle operating information of the damaged vehicle, the one or more sensors capable of gathering crash information of the damaged vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer monitoring acceleration of the damaged vehicle in one or more directions.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

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.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an inventory list stored on the one or more memory devices, the inventory list representing the inventory of vehicle parts stored at the storage facility.

20. A system for treating a vehicle damaged in a crash, the system comprising:

a processing center including one or more processors coupled to one or more memory devices;

a user interface coupled to the one or more processors;

crash information of the damaged vehicle including a description of the damaged vehicle, wherein the description relates to an image of the damaged vehicle, an acceleration of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, a velocity of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, an impact direction of the damaged vehicle at the time of the crash, an appearance or condition of the damaged vehicle, an area of damage on the damaged vehicle, drivability or operability of the damaged vehicle, or evidence of deployment of an emergency apparatus of the damaged vehicle;

collision data communicatively accessible to the one or more processors for display on the user interface, the collision data including information associated with a type of vehicle including the damaged vehicle and including at least one of the following;

VIN data, historical loss data, an image of damage to the type of vehicle, vehicle manufacturer data, examples of known vehicle damage in relation to vehicle operating characteristics of the type of vehicle including an acceleration, velocity, and direction of impact on the damaged vehicle, or a vehicle damage guide;

a plurality of treatment complexity levels, each treatment complexity level including a price schedule for treating the damaged vehicle, a time duration for completing treatment of the damaged vehicle, and a damaged vehicle parts list including vehicle parts of the damaged vehicle estimated to be damaged by the crash; and

a communication module coupled to the one or more processors for transmitting information associated with the plurality of treatment complexity levels.