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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12229938-B2
Application number	US-202318516828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2023
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

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 movable vehicle inspection device comprising:
one or more imaging units;
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory memories storing instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors, cause the vehicle inspection device to:
execute a first set of movement instructions to cause the vehicle inspection device to move about an environment with respect to a vehicle, wherein movement of the vehicle inspection device according to the first set of movement instructions changes an orientation of the one or more imaging units with respect to the vehicle;
execute a second set of imaging instructions to cause at least one of the one or more imaging units to capture one or more images of the vehicle during the execution of the first set of movement instructions; and
transmit the one or more captured images to one or more external locations.

2. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to execute the first set of movement instructions comprise instructions to:
obtain the first set of movement instructions, wherein the first set of movement instructions defines a static series of movements of the vehicle inspection device with respect to the vehicle; and
store the first set of movement instructions at the one or more non-transitory memories; and
execute the first set of movement instructions to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to sequentially perform the static series of movements without further movement input from a human operator.

3. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions to execute the second set of imaging instructions comprise instructions to:
obtain the second set of imaging instructions, wherein the second set of imaging instructions defines the one or more images to be captured by the one or more imaging units at particular respective times during the static series of movements defined by the first set of movement instructions;
store the second set of imaging instructions at the one or more non-transitory memories; and
execute the second set of imaging instructions to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to capture the one or more images during the static series of movements without further imaging input from the human operator.

4. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions to execute the second set of instructions comprise instructions to:
receive the second set of imaging instructions from an external source during the execution of the first set of movement instructions; and
execute the second set of imaging instructions responsive to receiving the second set of imaging instructions, to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to capture the one or more images on-command during the execution of the first set of movement instructions.

5. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 4 , wherein the external source is the human operator.

6. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 4 , configured to receive the second set of imaging instructions from the external source via wireless communications.

7. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to execute the first set of movement instructions comprise instructions to:
receive the first set of movement instructions via remote-control input from a human operator; and
execute each of a plurality of movements about the environment according to the remote-control input.

8. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to execute the second set of imaging instructions comprise instructions to:
receive the second set of imaging instructions via the remote-control input from the human operator; and
capture the one or more images of the vehicle according to the remote-control input.

9. The movable vehicle inspection device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more images comprise one or more videos.

10. A method performed via one or more processors of a movable vehicle inspection device, the method comprising:
executing a first set of movement instructions to cause the vehicle inspection device to move about an environment with respect to a vehicle, wherein movement of the vehicle inspection device according to the first set of movement instructions changes an orientation of one or more imaging units of the vehicle inspection device with respect to the vehicle;
executing a second set of imaging instructions to cause at least one of the one or more imaging units to capture one or more images of the vehicle during the execution of the first set of movement instructions; and
transmitting the one or more captured images to one or more external locations.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein executing the first set of movement instructions comprises:
obtaining the first set of movement instructions, wherein the first set of movement instructions defines a static series of movements of the vehicle inspection device with respect to the vehicle; and
storing the first set of movement instructions at one or more memories of the vehicle inspection device; and
executing the first set of movement instructions to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to sequentially perform the static series of movements without further movement input from a human operator.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein executing the second set of imaging instructions comprises:
obtaining the second set of imaging instructions, wherein the second set of imaging instructions define the one or more images to be captured by the one or more imaging units at particular respective times during the static series of movements defined by the first set of movement instructions;
storing the second set of imaging instructions at the one or more memories of the vehicle inspection device; and
executing the second set of imaging instructions to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to capture the one or more images during the static series of movements without further imaging input from the human operator.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein executing the second set of imaging instructions comprises:
receiving the second set of imaging instructions from an external source during the execution of the first set of movement instructions; and
executing the second set of imaging instructions responsive to receiving the second set of imaging instructions, to thereby cause the vehicle inspection device to capture the one or more images on-command during the execution of the first set of movement instructions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the external source is the human operator.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the second set of imaging instructions comprises receiving the second set of imaging instructions via wireless communications.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein executing the first set of movement instructions comprises:
receiving the first set of movement instructions via remote-control input from a human operator; and
executing each of a plurality of movements about the environment according to the remote-control input.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein executing the second set of movement instructions comprises:
receiving the second set of imaging instructions via the remote-control input from the human operator; and
capturing the one or more images of the vehicle according to the remote-control input.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein capturing the one or more images comprises capturing one or more videos.

19. One or more no

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Knuffman Ryan
• Sliz Bradley A
• Allen Lucas

Classifications

• G06N3/0464

  Convolutional networks [CNN, ConvNet] · CPC title

• G06N3/09

  Supervised learning · CPC title

• G05D1/2247

  providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras · CPC title

• G05D1/227

  Handing over between remote control and on-board control; Handing over between remote control arrangements · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title