Systems and methods for utilizing machine-assisted vehicle inspection to identify insurance buildup or fraud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11508054-B2
Application number	US-202017070318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A remotely-controlled (RC) and/or autonomously operated inspection device, such as a ground vehicle or drone, may capture one or more sets of imaging data indicative of at least a portion of an automotive vehicle, such as all or a portion of the undercarriage. The one or more sets of imaging data may be analyzed based upon data indicative of at least one of vehicle damage or a vehicle defect being shown in the one or more sets of imaging data. Based upon the analyzing of the one or more sets of imaging data, damage to the vehicle or a defect of the vehicle may be identified. The identified damage or defect may be compared to a claimed damage or defect to determine whether the claimed damage or defect occurred.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
analyzing, via one or more processors, one or more sets of imaging data to identify at least one of damage to a vehicle or a defect of the vehicle;
analyzing, via the one or more processors, the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle with respect to reported damage indicated in an insurance claim, to determine whether the reported damage indicated in the insurance claim is accurate;
in response to determining that the reported damage to the vehicle is accurate, processing, via the one or more processors, the insurance claim; and
transmitting, via the one or more processors or via one or more transceivers, to a mobile device, an indication of the identified at least one of the damage or the defect.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more sets of imaging data includes receiving the one or more sets of imaging data via an autonomously operated inspection device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising scheduling, via the one or more processors, a service to correct the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein scheduling the service comprises identifying, based upon the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle, a vehicle repair facility suitable for correcting the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein scheduling the service further comprises transmitting, via the one or more processors, to a computing system associated with the identified vehicle repair facility, a request to schedule a service to correct the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, via the one or more processors, a replacement part for correcting the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising initiating, via the one or more processors, an order of the replacement part.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the one or more sets of imaging data includes using one or more trained processing elements to identify the at least one of damage to a vehicle or a defect of the vehicle, the one or more trained processing elements being trained to identify vehicle damage or vehicle defects based upon training sets of imaging data indicative of damage to reference vehicles or defects of reference vehicles.

9. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
analyze, via the one or more processors, one or more sets of imaging data to identify at least one of damage to a vehicle or a defect of the vehicle;
analyze, via the one or more processors, the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle with respect to reported damage indicated in an insurance claim, to determine whether the reported damage indicated in the insurance claim is accurate;
in response to determining that the reported damage to the vehicle is accurate, process, via the one or more processors, the insurance claim; and
transmit, via the one or more processors or via one or more transceivers, to a mobile device, an indication of the identified at least one of the damage or the defect.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to analyze the one or more sets of imaging data include instructions to receive the one or more sets of imaging data via an autonomously operated inspection device.

11. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer to schedule, via the one or more processors, a service to correct the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to schedule the service comprise instructions to identify, based upon the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle, a vehicle repair facility suitable for correcting the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions to schedule the service further comprise instructions to transmit, via the one or more processors, to a computing system associated with the identified vehicle repair facility, a request to schedule a service to correct the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

14. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer to identify, via the one or more processors, a replacement part for correcting the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer to initiate, via the one or more processors, an order of the replacement part.

16. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to analyze the one or more sets of imaging data include instructions to use one or more trained processing elements to identify the at least one of damage to a vehicle or a defect of the vehicle, the one or more trained processing elements being trained to identify vehicle damage or vehicle defects based upon training sets of imaging data indicative of damage to reference vehicles or defects of reference vehicles.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed via one or more processors, cause a computer to:
analyze, via the one or more processors, one or more sets of imaging data to identify at least one of damage to a vehicle or a defect of the vehicle;
analyze, via the one or more processors, the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle with respect to reported damage indicated in an insurance claim, to determine whether the reported damage indicated in the insurance claim is accurate;
in response to determining that the reported damage to the vehicle is accurate, process, via the one or more processors, the insurance claim; and
transmit, via the one or more processors or via one or more transceivers, to a mobile device, an indication of the identified at least one of the damage or the defect.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to analyze the one or more sets of imaging data include instructions to receive the one or more sets of imaging data via an autonomously operated inspection device.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computer to schedule, via the one or more processors, a service to correct the identified at least one of the damage to the vehicle or defect of the vehicle.

20. The one or

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Knuffman Ryan
• Sliz Bradley A
• Allen Lucas

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G06N7/01

  Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks · CPC title

• G06N3/045

  Combinations of networks · CPC title