Method and system of estimating vehicle damage

• US 20050108065A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Dorfstatter, Walter A.
• Application Number:
  US10/715,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108065A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method for estimating vehicle damage comprising the steps of: sensing a vehicle incident; automatically sending vehicle incident data to a service center; using the incident data to automatically estimate a vehicle damage; and utilizing the estimated vehicle damage in a vehicle insurance decision process.

Claims

1. A method for estimating vehicle damage comprising the steps of:

sensing a vehicle incident;

automatically sending vehicle incident data to a service center;

using the incident data to automatically estimate a vehicle damage; and

utilizing the estimated vehicle damage in a vehicle insurance decision process.

2. A method for estimating vehicle damage comprising the steps of:

sensing a vehicle incident;

obtaining an incident delta velocity from the vehicle incident;

sending the incident delta velocity to a service center;

at the service center, using the incident delta velocity with vehicle identification information to automatically estimate a vehicle damage value;

receiving a claim damage estimate;

comparing the automatically estimated vehicle damage value to the claim damage estimate; and

in response to the comparison, making an insurance claim-processing related decision.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of making an insurance claim-processing related decision includes requiring an insurance inspection if the automatically estimated vehicle damage value differs by more than a predetermined amount from the claim damage estimate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of making an insurance claim-processing related decision includes omitting an insurance inspection if the automatically estimated vehicle damage value is consistent with the claim damage estimate.

5. A system for estimating vehicle damage comprising:

a module sensing an occurrence of a vehicle incident and developing incident data responsive thereto;

an in-vehicle transceiver for automatically sending vehicle incident data to a service center;

an estimator within the service center using the incident data to automatically estimate a vehicle damage value; and

a decision processor providing a business recommendation responsive to the estimated vehicle damage value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the decision processor provides a recommendation to require further verification of a vehicle insurance claim if the vehicle insurance claim is not consistent with the estimated vehicle damage report.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the decision processor provides a recommendation to process a vehicle insurance claim without an insurance inspection if the vehicle insurance claim is consistent with the estimated vehicle damage report.