Enhanced image capture and analysis of damaged tangible objects

• US 10,902,525 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 01/26/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelsh, John P., Marlow, Clint J., Hildebrandt, Nicole M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apple, Kirsten S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gregg, Mary M
• Application Number:
  US15/271,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20180082379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for the usage of enhanced pictures (e.g., photos) of tangible objects (e.g., property, cars, etc.) damaged in an accident and answers to questions about the accident to better assess the effect of the damage (e.g., repair expenses and accompanying changes to an insurance policy). A pre-FNOL system may receive responses to one or more questions regarding an accident and one or more enhanced pictures of the tangible property damaged in the accident. The pre-FNOL system may use the responses to the one or more questions and the one or more enhanced pictures to determine repair costs associated with the damaged property and accompanying changes to the insurance policy if an insurance claim were to be filed to cover the determined repairs costs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first computing device and based on vehicle operation sensor data received from a mobile device located in a vehicle during an accident, that the vehicle has been involved in the accident;

transmitting, to the mobile device, instructions prompting for responses to one or more questions regarding the accident and an area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, including one or more questions regarding micro areas, within one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident;

in response to receiving the responses to the one or more questions;

activating a camera of the mobile device; and

generating, on a display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

causing capturing, with the activated camera, of one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the first semi-translucent overlay;

discarding image data outside of the first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

calculating, based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, and based on the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and insurance policy premium changes associated with filing, under an insurance policy associated with a driver of the vehicle damaged in the accident, an insurance claim to cover the calculated repair costs;

receiving, from the mobile device, a request to receive assistance in repairing the vehicle damaged in the accident without filing the insurance claim to cover the calculated repair costs; and

responsive to receiving the request to receive the assistance;

causing initiation of an auction block platform associated with a plurality of repair shops within a predetermined distance of a determined location of the driver;

receiving, via the auction block platform, based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, based on the one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and from one or more computing devices associated with one or more of the plurality of repair shops within the predetermined distance of the determined location of the driver, one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

outputting, via the display of the mobile device, the one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the causing capturing of the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident comprises causing capturing of image data corresponding to an entire area of the display of the mobile device,

wherein the discarding the image data outside of the first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident comprises discarding macro areas of the vehicle not included in the micro areas, and

wherein the method further comprises:

storing remaining, non-discarded image data, wherein the stored image data is smaller in size than the captured image data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more questions regarding the accident and the area of the vehicle damaged in the accident further include one or more questions regarding macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and

wherein the method further comprises:

generating, on the display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a second semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

causing capturing, with the activated camera, of one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the second semi-translucent overlay.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating a rendering of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

orienting the rendering based on responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

marking the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the marking the rendering includes at least one of:

highlighting the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident, and labeling the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the one or more micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device, wherein the one or more sensors collect the vehicle operation sensor data during the accident.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to emergency personnel, an alert that the accident has occurred, wherein the alert includes the vehicle operation sensor data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operation sensor data includes at least an indication of airbag deployment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the mobile device, a selection of a first bid of the one or more bids output to the mobile device; and

in response to receiving the selection of the first bid, causing termination of the auction block platform.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more macro areas of the vehicle comprise:

a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, a front of the vehicle, and a rear of the vehicle, and

wherein the micro areas of the vehicle comprise;

a tire, a door, a tire well, a headlight, hood, a bumper, a windshield, and a taillight.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to;

detect, based on vehicle operation sensor data received from a mobile device located in a vehicle during an accident, that the vehicle has been involved in the accident;

transmit, to the mobile device, instructions prompting for responses to one or more questions regarding the accident and an area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, including one or more questions regarding micro areas, within one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident;

in response to receiving the responses to the one or more questions;

activate a camera of the mobile device; and

generate, on a display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

cause capturing, with the activated camera, of one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the first semi-translucent overlay;

discard image data outside of the first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

calculate, based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, and based on the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and insurance policy premium changes associated with filing, under an insurance policy associated with a driver of the vehicle damaged in the accident, an insurance claim to cover the calculated repair costs;

receive, from the mobile device, a request to receive assistance in repairing the vehicle damaged in the accident without filing the insurance claim to cover the calculated repair costs; and

responsive to receiving the request to receive the assistance;

cause initiation of an auction block platform associated with a plurality of repair shops within a predetermined distance of a determined location of the driver;

receive, via the auction block platform and based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, based on the one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and from one or more computing devices associated with one or more of the plurality of repair shops within the predetermined distance of the determined location of the driver, one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

output, via the display of the mobile device, the one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more questions regarding the accident further include one or more questions regarding macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and

wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate, on the display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a second semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

cause capturing, with the activated camera, of one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the second semi-translucent overlay.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

generate a rendering of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

orient the rendering based on responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

mark the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the marking the rendering includes at least one of:

highlighting the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident, and labeling the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive the vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device; and

receive additional vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle or one or more sensors associated with a telematics device associated with the vehicle damaged in the vehicle.

16. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

detect, based on vehicle operation sensor data received from a mobile device located in a vehicle during an accident, that the vehicle has been involved in the accident;

transmit, to the mobile device, instructions prompting for responses to one or more questions regarding the accident and an area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, including one or more questions regarding micro areas, within one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident;

in response to receiving the responses to the one or more questions;

activate a camera of the mobile device; and

generate, on a display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

cause capturing, with the activated camera, of one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the first semi-translucent overlay;

discard image data outside of the first semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

calculate, based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, and based on the one or more pictures of the micro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and insurance policy premium changes associated with filing, under an insurance policy associated with a driver of the vehicle damaged in the accident, an insurance claim to cover the calculated repair costs;

receive, from the mobile device, a request to receive assistance in repairing the vehicle damaged in the accident without filing the insurance claims to cover the calculated repair costs; and

responsive to receiving the request to receive the assistance;

cause initiation of an auction block platform associated with a plurality of repair shops within a predetermined distance of a determined location of the driver;

receive, via the auction block platform and based on the received vehicle operation sensor data, based on the responses to the one or more questions, based on the one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and from one or more computing devices associated with one or more repair shops of the plurality of repair shops within the predetermined distance of the determined location of the driver, one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

output, via the display of the mobile device, the one or more bids to repair the vehicle damaged in the accident.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more questions regarding the accident further include one or more questions regarding macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, and

wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

generate, on the display of the mobile device and based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, a second semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

cause capturing, with the activated camera, of the one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the second semi-translucent overlay.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

generate a rendering of the vehicle damaged in the accident;

orient the rendering based on responses to the one or more questions regarding the macro areas of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and

mark the rendering based on the responses to the one or more questions regarding the micro areas, within the one or more macro areas of the vehicle, damaged in the accident.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive the vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device; and

receive additional vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle or one or more sensors associated with a telematics device associated with the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle operation sensor data includes at least an indication of airbag deployment.