DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BUILDING CLAIM ASSESSMENT

• US 20140100889A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Insurance (State Farm), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Tofte, Nathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

Disclosed systems and methods automatically assess claims. A device may receive one or more images of a claimed object, such as a building or vehicle, compare the images to reference images and generate an estimate of financial damages to the object. The device may then generate a claim assessment based on previous comparisons and generated estimates. The claim assessment may be sent directly to a client or to an agent for review and/or processing.

Claims

1. A device operative to automatically assess a claim, the device comprising:

a controllable inspection vehicle including an image sensor, the controllable inspection vehicle controlled via a transportation module configured to cause the controllable inspection vehicle to travel around a geographic area;

an input unit;

a processing unit;

a memory unit; and

a claim assessment module operative to cause the device to;

receive one or more captured images of an identified building or vehicle, the one or more captured images captured, via the image sensor, from one or more locations traversed by the controllable inspection vehicle;

perform a comparison between the one or more captured images and one or more reference images;

perform a damage calculation based on the comparison to calculate damage to the identified building or vehicle;

perform a monetary estimate, based on the damage calculation, to estimate a remedial financial cost to remedy the calculated damage;

perform a fraud analysis of past events relevant to the claim, the past events having occurred prior to the device receiving the one or more captured images; and

generate a claim assessment based, at least in part, on (i) the remedial financial cost estimated from the monetary estimate and (ii) results from the fraud analysis.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the claim assessment module is further operative to:

transmit the claim assessment to an agent for further processing.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the claim assessment module is further operative to

cause the image sensor to capture the one or more captured images.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the claim assessment denies financial compensation.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the claim assessment is an insurance claim assessment.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the transportation module is configured to cause the controllable inspection vehicle to travel around the geographic area by implementing:

autonomous control of the controllable inspection vehicle;

or

radio control of the controllable inspection vehicle based on received radio signals.

4. (canceled)

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive via a processor one or more captured images of an identified building or vehicle, the one or more captured images having been captured via an image sensor carried by a controllable inspection vehicle while the controllable inspection vehicle traversed a geographic area;

perform via a processor a comparison between the one or more captured images and one or more reference images;

perform via a processor a damage calculation based on the comparison to calculate damage to the identified building or vehicle;

perform via a processor a monetary estimate, based on the damage calculation, to estimate a remedial financial cost to remedy the calculated damage;

perform a fraud analysis of past events relevant to the claim, the past events having occurred prior to receiving the one or more captured images; and

generate via a processor a claim assessment based, at least in part, on (i) the remedial financial cost estimated from the monetary estimate, and (ii) results from the fraud analysis.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the instructions further comprises:

transmitting the claim assessment to an agent for further processing.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the instructions further comprises:

causing the image sensor carried by the controllable inspection vehicle to capture the one or more captured images.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the claim assessment denies financial compensation.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the claim assessment is an insurance claim assessment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions to implement control of the controllable inspection vehicle.

10. (canceled)

13. A method, implemented at a computing device having a processor, of automatically assessing a claim, the method comprising:

automatically receiving, using the processor, one or more captured images of an identified building or vehicle, the one or more captured images having been captured via an image sensor carried by a controllable inspection vehicle while the controllable inspection vehicle traversed a geographic area;

automatically performing, using the processor, a comparison between the one or more captured images and one or more reference images;

automatically performing, using the processor, a damage calculation based on the comparison to calculate damage to the identified building or vehicle;

automatically performing, using the processor, a monetary estimate based on the damage calculation, to estimate a remedial financial cost to remedy the calculated damage;

automatically performing a fraud analysis of past events relevant to the claim, the past events having occurred prior to receiving the one or more captured images; and

automatically generating, using the processor, a claim assessment based, at least in part, on (i) remedial financial cost estimated from the monetary estimate, and (ii) results from the fraud analysis.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

automatically transmitting, using the processor, the claim assessment to an agent for further processing.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

automatically causing, using the processor, the image sensor carried by the controllable inspection vehicle to capture the one or more captured images.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the claim assessment denies financial compensation.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the claim assessment is an insurance claim assessment.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

implementing control of the controllable inspection vehicle.

16. (canceled)