Enhanced claims settlement

• US 9,424,606 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Thomas Joseph II, Ihm, Stephen Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Khattar, Rajesh
• Application Number:
  US13/458,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20150332407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

An enhanced claims settlement apparatus may process insurance claims rapidly and accurately. The apparatus may first receive a notification of loss associated with an insured item (e.g., car, boat, truck, home, etc.). The apparatus may then apply various algorithms for using sensors to identify, analyze, and estimate the cost of damage associated with the insured item. The sensors that are a part of the enhanced claims settlement server may include cameras, tactile sensors, electromagnetic sensors, etc. that may communicate data to a processor associated with the server. Once the data has been generated and analyzed by the sensors, a claim settlement file may be transmitted to a claimant.

Claims

1. An remote inspection system comprising:

an analysis facility having an analysis location at which a vehicle is positionable wherein the analysis facility comprises

a robotic arm configured to adjust a position of at least a portion of the vehicle,

a lift configured to reposition the vehicle at the analysis location, and

a plurality of sensors aimed at the analysis location wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to generate sensor data characterizing one or more conditions of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned at the analysis location,

wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a camera, a laser, a mechanical device, a tactile sensor, a fluid sensor, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof; and

a computing device communicatively connected with the robotic arm, the lift, and the plurality of sensors and comprising a memory having instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to

receive, from a device configured to automatically detect vehicle accidents, a first notice of loss related to a vehicle in response to detecting, by the device, an accident involving the vehicle,

initiate execution of an inspection algorithm that automatically carries out an inspection of the vehicle in response to receiving the vehicle at the analysis location wherein the computing device, during execution of the inspection algorithm, automatically controls operation of at least one of the robotic arm, the lift, and at least one of the plurality of sensors,

receive from the plurality of sensors, the sensor data characterizing the one or more conditions of the vehicle,

execute an assessment algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically analyze the sensor data and automatically identify damage to the vehicle based on the sensor data,

execute an estimation algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically estimate a cost to repair the vehicle based, at least in part, on the damage identified,

generate a claim settlement file based on the inspection wherein the claim settlement file that includes i) the estimated cost to repair the vehicle, ii) a list of one or more vendors for repairing the vehicle, and iii) payment information identifying a payment that settles an insurance claim associated with the damage to the vehicle, and

providing the claim settlement file to an individual associated with the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a card reader communicatively connected with the computing device and configured to provide notification of the insurance claim responsive to a swipe of an insurance card or a credit card through the card reader.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first notice of loss comprises telematics information collected by the device during operation of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the telematics information comprises one or more speed measurements, one or more braking measurements, and one or more acceleration measurements of the vehicle either before, after, or before and after a time the accident occurred.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the telematics information comprises one or more of vehicle parameters collected via an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system associated with the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more vehicle parameters comprise one or more of a vehicle mileage measurement, a coolant temperature measurement, an engine speed measurement, a timing advance measurement, a throttle position measurement, and one or more readings from an oxygen sensor in the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the computing device to

provide an interface that presents a plurality of questions to the individual, the plurality of questions comprising a first question about prior damage to the vehicle, a second question about liability for the damage, and a third question about the accident involving the vehicle, and

receive a plurality of answers to the plurality of questions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to

execute a fraud detection algorithm that performs a comparison between the answers and the sensor data, and

determine whether the insurance claim is fraudulent based on the comparison.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to

notify a claims adjuster upon detection of discrepancies between the plurality of answers and the sensor data for manual processing of the insurance claim.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to

obtain, from a weather condition database, weather information describing a weather condition during the accident involving the vehicle,

obtain, from a law enforcement database, a police report of the accident, and

obtain, from a medical records database, medical information associated with one or more individuals involved in the accident.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the claim settlement file further includes iv) one or more product or service discounts available to the individual when an actual cost to repair the vehicle exceeds the estimated cost.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to:

(i) receive, from a device configured to automatically detect vehicle accidents, a first notice of loss related to a vehicle in response to detecting, by the device, an accident involving the vehicle;

(ii) initiate execution of an inspection algorithm that automatically carries out an inspection of the vehicle in response to receiving the vehicle at an analysis location within an analysis facility wherein the analysis facility comprises

a robotic arm configured to adjust a position of at least a portion of the vehicle,

a lift configured to reposition the vehicle at the analysis location, and

a plurality of sensors aimed at the analysis location wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to generate sensor data characterizing one or more conditions of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned at the analysis location,

wherein the robotic arm, the lift, and the plurality of sensors are communicatively coupled with the computing device, and the computing device, during execution of the inspection algorithm, automatically controls operation of at least one of the robotic arm, the lift, and at least one of the plurality of sensors, and

wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a camera, a laser, a mechanical device, a tactile sensor, a fluid sensor, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof;

(iv) (iii) receive, from the plurality of sensors, the sensor data characterizing the one or more conditions of the vehicle;

(iv) execute an assessment algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically analyze the sensor data and automatically identify damage to the vehicle based on the sensor data;

(v) execute an estimation algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically estimate a cost to repair the vehicle based, at least in part, on the damage identified; and

(iv) generate a claim settlement file based on the inspection wherein the claim settlement file includes i) the estimated cost to repair the vehicle, ii) a list of one or more vendors for repairing the vehicle, and iii) payment information identifying a payment that settles an insurance claim associated with the damage to the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein executing the assessment algorithm comprises executing one or more object recognition algorithms that compare one or more images of the vehicle with one or more images of an undamaged vehicle of similar make and model.

14. A method of remotely inspecting a vehicle comprising:

receiving, from a device configured to automatically detect vehicle accidents, a first notice of loss related to a vehicle in response to detecting, by the device, an accident involving the vehicle;

receiving the vehicle at an analysis location of an analysis facility wherein the analysis facility comprises

a robotic arm configured to adjust a position of at least a portion of the vehicle,

a lift configured to reposition the vehicle at the analysis location, and

a plurality of sensors aimed at the analysis location wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to generate sensor data characterizing one or more conditions of the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned at the analysis location,

wherein the robotic arm, the lift, and the plurality of sensors are communicatively connected with a computing device comprising memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to automatically carry out an inspection of the vehicle by executing an inspection algorithm, and

herein the computing device, during execution of the inspection algorithm, automatically controls operation of at least one of the robotic arm, the lift, and at least one of the plurality of sensors;

receiving, at the computing device from the plurality of sensors, the sensor data characterizing the one or more conditions of the vehicle;

executing, by the computing device, an assessment algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically analyze the sensor data and automatically identify damage to the vehicle based on the sensor data;

executing, by the computing device, an estimation algorithm that causes the computing device to automatically estimate a cost to repair the vehicle based, at least in part, on the damage identified;

generating, by the computing device, a claim settlement file based on the inspection wherein the claim settlement file includes i) the estimated cost to repair the vehicle, ii) a list of one or more vendors for repairing the vehicle, and iii) payment information identifying a payment that settles an insurance claim associated with the damage to the vehicle; and

providing the claim settlement file to an individual associated with the vehicle;

wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one of a camera, a laser, a mechanical device, a tactile sensor, a fluid sensor, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting the claim settlement file to a claims adjuster for manual processing responsive to determining that the individual disputes information included in the claim settlement file.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating holograms that depict external and internal features of the vehicle; and

presenting the holograms to the claims adjuster.