Detecting motor vehicle damage

• US 9,721,400 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Oakes, III, Charles L., Bueche, Jr., Michael P., Burks, Rickey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/925,422
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• 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 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method and system for detecting motor vehicle damage is described which includes a sensor to detect damage to a motor vehicle component from a plurality of motor vehicle components. A network interface is provided to transmit an indication of the detected damage, the indication including an identifier associated with the damaged motor vehicle component. Also provided is a data store to store the indication of the detected damage.

Claims

1. A system for detecting damage, comprising:

a motor vehicle including a plurality of motor vehicle components;

a plurality of sensors to detect damage to a motor vehicle component of the plurality of motor vehicle components, the plurality of sensors including a visual sensor to detect the damage by detecting a change in a distance between two or more focal points on the motor vehicle;

a network interface to transmit an indication of the detected damage, the indication including an identifier associated with the damaged motor vehicle component; and

a data store to store the indication of the detected damage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of the detected damage includes a total loss status of the motor vehicle based on a determination that a cost associated with repair or replacement of the plurality of motor vehicle components with damage meets or exceeds a threshold value.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one sensor located within the motor vehicle and at least one sensor in a building housing external to the motor vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store is located within the motor vehicle that includes the motor vehicle component indicated as damaged.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store includes respective information to generate each of a plurality of external motor vehicle components included in the motor vehicle, and

wherein transmission of the indication including the identifier associated with the damaged vehicle component causes an electronic model associated with the damaged vehicle components to be provided to a generating machine to generate a replacement for the damaged vehicle component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store includes respective information identifying a manufacturer of each of the plurality of motor vehicle components included in the motor vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic frequency sensor among the plurality of sensors to detect an electromagnetic frequency change associated with a shape of the motor vehicle component to detect the damage based on an altered shape of the motor vehicle component caused by the damage.

8. The system of claim 5, the electronic model includes a mathematical representation of the damaged vehicle components and one or more of an identifier, an expected life, a status, a type of material, specifications, or an indicator of a presence of electronics embedded within the damaged vehicle components.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more focal points are located on an exterior of the motor vehicle.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

detect, via a plurality of sensors associated with a motor vehicle, an amount of damage to a motor vehicle component of the motor vehicle, the plurality of sensors including a visual sensor to detect the damage by detecting a change in a distance between two or more focal points on the motor vehicle;

provide an indication of the amount of damage to the motor vehicle component to a data store, the indication including an identifier associated with the damaged motor vehicle component; and

store the indication of damage to a motor vehicle component including storage of the identifier associated with the damaged motor vehicle component.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors further includes an accelerometer, an airbag deployment sensor, a material sensor, and a visual sensor.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle component is a mechanical system of a motor vehicle and wherein the instructions to detect include instructions to detect an amount of damage to the mechanical system.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions to store include instructions to store the indication in a data store located in a mobile device, and wherein the data store located in the mobile device includes an inventory of motor vehicle components including the damaged motor vehicle component.

14. The medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction to store include instructions to transmit a Short Message Service message to a mobile device of a user of the motor vehicle, the message notifies the user of the motor vehicle of damage while the user is at a different location than the motor vehicle.

15. A method for detecting damage, comprising:

detecting, via a plurality of sensors associated with a motor vehicle, an amount of damage to a motor vehicle component of the motor vehicle, the plurality of sensors includes at least a visual sensor to detect the damage by detecting a change in a distance between two or more focal points on the motor vehicle;

providing an indication of an amount of damage to the motor vehicle component to a data store, the indication including an identifier that identifies an electronic model associated with the damaged motor vehicle component; and

processing an insurance claim based on the amount of damage to the motor vehicle component.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing generation of the motor vehicle component sensed to be damaged.

17. The method of claim 16, the motor vehicle component is generated without applying a coating.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising prioritizing generation of the motor vehicle component, where a plurality of components are to be generated, based on an order associated with replacement of motor vehicle components.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining an additional motor vehicle component within a threshold amount of time of an expected life; and

causing generation of the additional motor vehicle component based on the determination that it is within the threshold amount of time of the expected life.

20. The method of claim 15, the plurality of sensors further includes an accelerometer, an airbag deployment sensor, a material sensor, or a visual sensor.