Systems and methods for automated house damage detection and reporting

• US 8,400,299 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Acquisition, Inc.
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Billman, Bradly J., Maroney, Judd H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/362,136
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/602, 340/539.1, 340/601, 700/284
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for automated house damage detection and reporting may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving a damage detection signal detecting potential damage to a building from at least one sensor operably connected to the building, and at least one subsystem configured for automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal to a remote system outside the building for further analysis.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that are executed by a processor to:

receive, at a remote system, a signal indicating potential damage to a structure, wherein the signal is transmitted from a sensor operably coupled to the structure;

analyze the signal; and

determine whether to initiate an insurance claim process in response to the analysis of the signal.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a sensor configured to detect an impact to a roof of the structure.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system is associated with an insurance company.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to receive the signal indicating potential damage to the structure when the sensor detects an impact exceeding a pre-determined pressure level.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system is a mobile device of a person associated with the building.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to receive the signal from the sensor wirelessly.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for receiving a signal indicating potential damage to the structure from a second sensor operably coupled to the structure and configured to detect damage of a different type than that of the sensor.

8. A method for detecting potential damage to a structure, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor operably connected to a roof indicating an impact to the root

analyzing the signal and a weather condition local to the sensor; and

determining whether to initiate an insurance claim process based on the analysis of the signal and the weather condition local to the sensor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a frequency of signals received indicating an impact to the roof of the structure.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor is an impact sensor configured to detect an impact to the roof.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a frequency of received signals indicating an impact to roofs of structures in a particular area.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a type of damage based on the analysis of the signal and the weather conditions local to the sensor.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether to initiate a process for adjusting an insurance rate based on the analysis of the signal and the weather condition local to the sensor.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining an extent of damage to the roof of the structure based on the signal indicating the impact to the roof of the structure.

15. A system for detecting potential damage to a structure, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing computer-readable instructions for detecting damage to a structure, the computer-readable instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a signal from a sensor operably coupled to a structure, wherein the signal indicates a location of the sensor and includes data associated with potential damage to the structure detected by the sensor;

determine a type of potential damage to the structure based on the data and the location of the sensor; and

determine whether to initiate an insurance claim process in response to the determination of the type of potential damage to the structure detected by the sensor and the location of the sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the signal is received at an insurance company that insures the structure.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon for sending a notification to a mobile device of an individual that owns the structure.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor is at least one of a water damage sensor, electrical system damage sensor, noise sensor for pest detection, gas leak sensor, radiation sensor, sensor to detect motion of the house during a natural disaster, water pressure sensor, sonar sensor, and light sensor to detect creosote buildup.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor is an impact sensor located beneath a roofing material of a roof of the structure.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor is calibrated for an impact based on a type of the roofing material.