Systems and methods for performing repairs to a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12321901-B2
Application number	US-202218069059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Oct 25, 2017
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A system for instructing a user on repairing a vehicle configured to (i) receive, from the user, a request to repair a vehicle, including information about the vehicle; (ii) present, to the user via a user computer device, a user interface to allow the user to search for a repair facility to repair the vehicle; (iii) receive, from the user via the user interface, a selection of a repair facility; (iv) determine whether the selected repair facility is a select service location, where a select service location is a pre-authorized repair facility; and (v) if the selected repair facility is a select service location, transfer the information about the vehicle to a computer device associated with the selected repair facility.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer system for instructing a user on repairing a vehicle, the computer system comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, the computer system in communication with a user computer device associated with the user, the at least one processor is programmed to:
receive, by the at least one processor from the user, a request to repair a vehicle, including information about the vehicle;
transmit, from the at least one processor to the user computer device, an electronic message including instructions to display a link to a user interface to be displayed on the user computer device, wherein when the link is activated by the user the link causes additional instructions to be transmitted to the user computer device to display the user interface to be presented to the user of the user computer device;
request, by the at least one processor from the user via the user interface, one or more images of the vehicle based on the information about the vehicle, wherein the request includes instructions for taking the one or more images of the vehicle;
transmit, from the at least one processor to the user computer device, a plurality of instructions to cause the user interface of the user computer device to be updated to allow the user to search for a repair facility to repair the vehicle;
store a machine learning model trained with a large sample of repair and vehicle damage data;
execute the machine learning model using the one or more images of the vehicle, the machine learning model configured to determine damage to the vehicle based on at least the one or more images of the vehicle and to determine one or more repair facilities capable of performing repairs to the damage to the vehicle;
transmit, to the user computer device, one or more additional instructions to display the determined one or more repair facilities capable of performing the repairs to the damages ahead of other repair facilities when presented to the user;
receive, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface, a selection of a repair facility;
retrieve, by the at least one processor, a calendar of appointments from a repair facility computer device associated with the selected repair facility;
receive, by the at least one processor via the user interface, a user selection of a date and time for an appointment;
compare, by the at least one processor, the user selection of a date and time for the appointment to the calendar of appointments from the repair facility computer device;
transfer, by the at least one processor, the information about the vehicle, the selected date and time, and the one or more images of the vehicle to the repair facility computer device; and
receive, by the at least one processor via the user interface, a confirmation of the appointment from the repair facility computer device.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
generate, by the at least one processor, a plurality of questions about current conditions of the vehicle;
transmit, from the at least one processor to the user computer device, a plurality of instructions to cause the user interface of the user computer device to display the plurality of questions about the current conditions of the vehicle; and
receive, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface of the user computer device, a plurality of answers about the current conditions of the vehicle in response to the plurality of questions.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to generate the plurality of questions about current conditions of the vehicle to include if a hood of the vehicle opens and closes freely, if a trunk of the vehicle opens and closes freely, if doors of the vehicle open and close freely, if the vehicle appears to have any suspension damage, and if any fluids are leaking.

4. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to transmit, from the at least one processor to the user computer device, an electronic message including instructions to display a link to a user interface to be displayed on the user computer device, wherein when the link is activated by the user the link causes additional instructions to be transmitted to the user computer device to display the user interface to be presented to the user of the user computer device.

5. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
request, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface, the one or more images of the vehicle based on the plurality of answers, wherein the request includes instructions for taking the one or more images of the vehicle; and
receive, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface, the one or more images of the vehicle captured by a camera of the user computer device.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
request, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface, drivability information including whether or not the vehicle is able to be safely driven;
if the determination is that the vehicle is not able to be safely driven, schedule, by the at least one processor, a phone call to continue the repair process;
if the determination is that the vehicle is able to be safely driven, the at least one processor is further programmed to:
transmit, by the at least one processor to the user computer device via the user interface, instructions to display a search interface to search for an inspection facility;
receive, by the at least one processor from the user computer device via the user interface, a selection of an inspection facility;
if the determination is that the vehicle is able to be safely driven, the at least one processor is further programmed to:
retrieve, by the at least one processor, a calendar of appointments from an inspection facility computer device associated with the selected inspection facility;
receive, by the at least one processor via the user interface, a user selection of a date and time for an appointment;
present, by the at least one processor to the user computer device via the user interface, a calendar to allow the user to set an inspection appointment with the inspection facility; and
determine the inspection appointment based on user selections in the user interface and appointment information from the inspection facility computer device associated with the selected inspection facility.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
receive, from the user computer device via the user interface, a search request including a name of a repair facility;
query one or more databases to recognize the repair facility based on the name;
if the name is recognized, retrieve, from one or more databases, facility information about the repair facility;
determine, via the one or more databases, whether the repair facility is a select service location based on the facility information; and
request that the user reenter the name of the repair facility if the name is not recognized.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
receive, from the user computer device via the user interface, a search location for a repair facility, wherein the search location includes at least one of an address, a zip code, a municipality, and a present location of the user computer device;
query, one or more databases, to determine a plurality of r

Assignees

• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Inventors

• Wyatt Amber
• Ray Chris
• Sawhney Ashish
• Husarik Tim
• Gonzalez Jose
• Herring Tracey M
• Lambert Holly
• Tinglestad Stephen
• Beckman Jason
• Foster Andrea
• Freymann John
• Tomlinson Shane
• Hugine Akilah
• Green Daniel
• Brown Eric

Classifications

• G06V20/182

  Network patterns, e.g. roads or rivers · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• G06Q40/08 Primary

  Insurance · CPC title

• G06F16/9537

  Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries · CPC title

• G07C5/0841

  Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B) · CPC title