Systems and methods for automated house damage detection and reporting

• US 8,106,769 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Acquisition, Inc.
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Maroney, Judd Hoyt, Billman, Bradly Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/492,437
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/602, 340/539.1, 340/601, 700/284
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system for automated house damage detection and reporting may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving a damage detection signal detecting potential damage to a building from at least one sensor operably connected to the building, and at least one subsystem configured for automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal to a remote system outside the building for further analysis.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for:

receiving a signal detecting potential damage to a building from at least one sensor operably connected to the building;

automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal to a remote system outside the building for further analysis; and

automatically initiating an insurance claim using the analysis of damage detection data.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is an impact sensor for detecting impacts on a roof of the building.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system outside the building is an insurance company system.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions thereon for automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal comprise computer executable instructions for:

collecting and storing the signal in order to associate it with previous damage detection signals received; and

interpreting the signal to create damage detection data understood by the remote system outside the building for further analysis.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system outside the building is a mobile device of a person associated with the building.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the signal is received wirelessly from the at least one sensor.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further having computer executable instructions thereon for receiving the signal detecting potential damage to the building from another sensor operably connected to the building for detecting damage of a different type than that of the at least one sensor.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for:

receiving damage detection data originating from at least one sensor within a building for detecting potential damage to the building;

automatically analyzing the damage detection data for insurance purposes; and

automatically initiating an insurance claim using the analysis of damage detection data.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising computer executable instructions thereon for automatically adjusting an insurance rate using the analysis of damage detection data.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions thereon for automatically adjusting an insurance rate using the analysis of damage detection data comprise computer executable instructions for adjusting the insurance rate for a particular house, neighborhood or other specific area using extent, type and frequency of damage detection data received over time from the particular house, neighborhood or other specific area.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions thereon for automatically analyzing comprise computer executable instructions for automatically analyzing the damage detection data using automatic performance one or more of the following:

checking local weather conditions in an area surrounding a location at which the damage was detected, determining an extent of damage, determining whether to automatically initiate an insurance claim, determining frequency of damage detection data reports received from a particular house, determining frequency of damage detection data reports received from a particular area, and determining type of damage using weather conditions and type of damage detection data received.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor is an impact sensor connected to a roof of the building for detecting potential damage by impacts to the roof of the building.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising computer executable instructions thereon for receiving damage detection data detecting potential damage to the building from another sensor operably connected to the building for detecting damage of a different type than that of the at least one sensor.

14. A system for detecting potential damage to a building comprising:

at least one impact sensor operable for connection to an underside of a roof of the building for detecting impacts to the top of the roof;

at least one receiving unit in operable communication with the at least one impact sensor, said receiving unit operable for receiving impact sensor data detecting impacts to the roof and operable for re-transmitting the impact sensor data to a remote system and in a format understood by the remote system;

at least one subsystem configured to analyse damage detection data, wherein the damage detection data includes the impact sensor data; and

at least one subsystem configured to automatically initiate an insurance claim using the analysis of damage detection data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one impact sensor is in operable wireless communication with the receiving unit.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising additional impact sensors for connection to the underside of the roof and operable for communicating data regarding location on the roof of a detected impact.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising additional sensors connected to the building in operable communication with the receiving unit, wherein one or more of the additional sensors is of the following type of sensor:

water damage sensor, electrical system damage sensor, noise sensor for pest detection, gas leak sensor, radiation sensor, sensor to detect motion of the house during a natural disaster, water pressure sensor, sonar sensor, and light sensor to detect creosote buildup.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the impact sensor comprises:

a sensor body;

an impact plate within the sensor body;

sensor circuitry within the sensor body for detecting impacts to the impact plate and generating damage detection signals and wireless communication of the damage detection signals; and

an antenna connected to the circuitry for facilitating communication of the damage detection signals wirelessly.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising an electrical grid for installation underneath shingles of the roof creating an electrical connection between each of the shingles and wirelessly connected to the receiving unit whereby, if the impact sensor detects damage, then a particular shingle damaged may be located by the receiving unit determining if and where there is a break in the electrical connection between the shingles after the receiving impact sensor data detecting impacts to the roof.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote system is that of an insurance company.