Systems and methods for using unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 8,346,578 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Buentello, Andre Rene, Hillman, James Philip, Billman, Bradly Jay, Hopkins, III, John Chandler, Bueche, Jr., Michael Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): ROSEN, ELIZABETH H
• Application Number:
  US13/219,494
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/14.4, 705/14.49, 705/14.66, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

Systems and methods to process overhead imagery received from overhead image sources are described herein. Examples include accessing an aerial image including a property, determining an owner of the property, determining whether the owner of the property is eligible to be a member of a financial institution, determining whether the owner of the property has property insurance with the financial institution for the property type of the property in the aerial image, and presenting an offer for insurance to insure the property in the aerial image when the owner is determined to be eligible for the financial institution and does not already have insurance with the financial institution. Examples include accessing an aerial image of properties, determining damage estimates, and reserving resources to repair the properties based on the damage estimates. Examples include receiving information describing property damage, determining a cause, and based on the cause, conditionally deploying a unmanned aerial vehicle to perform insurance adjustment activities.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, using a processor-based system, an aerial image including a property;

determining, by the processor-based system, an owner of the property;

determining, by the processor-based system, that the owner of the property is eligible to be a member of a financial institution;

determining, by the processor-based system, that the owner of the property does not have property insurance with the financial institution for the property type of the property in the aerial image; and

presenting to the owner an offer for property insurance to insure the property in the aerial image when the owner is determined to be eligible for the financial institution and when the owner does not have property insurance with the financial institution.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the aerial image by:

deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle to the property; and

obtaining a digital image of the property.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to the property comprises deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to survey a plurality of properties that include the property, wherein the survey is performed as the unmanned aerial vehicle is heading out to or returning from another service call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the aerial image by processing a video of the property.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the property comprises a vehicle, and wherein the property insurance comprises an automobile insurance policy, and wherein determining the owner of the property further comprises:

identifying a vehicle identifier from the aerial image; and

accessing a vehicle database to determine the owner of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the vehicle identifier comprises a vehicle license plate number or a vehicle identification number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner has a preexisting relationship with the financial institution, and wherein presenting the offer for property insurance comprises presenting the offer on a financial statement from the financial institution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the property comprises real property, and wherein determining the owner of the property further comprises:

identifying a characteristic of the property, the characteristic being at least one of;

map data, a geographic feature, a house number, a street sign, or a mile marker; and

accessing a database to determine the owner of the property based on the characteristic of the property.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein accessing the database comprises to determine the owner:

accessing a public database comprising at least one of tax records, title records, or real estate listings of the property; and

determining the owner of the property based on the contents of the public database.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

access an aerial image including a property;

determine an owner of the property;

determine that the owner of the property is eligible to be a member of a financial institution;

determine that the owner of the property does not have property insurance with the financial institution for the property type of the property in the aerial image; and

present to the owner an offer for property insurance to insure the property in the aerial image when the owner is determined to be eligible for the financial institution and when the owner does not have property insurance with the financial institution.

11. A system comprising:

a computational processor; and

a memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

access an aerial image including a property;

determine an owner of the property;

determine that the owner of the property is eligible to be a member of a financial institution;

determine that the owner of the property does not have property insurance with the financial institution for the property type of the property in the aerial image; and

present to the owner an offer for property insurance to insure the property in the aerial image when the owner is determined to be eligible for the financial institution and when the owner does not have property insurance with the financial institution.