Patent Issued for Electronic Device Data Capture For Property Insurance Quotes (USPTO 10,210,577)

2019 MAR 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Davis, Timothy Joel (Warrenville, IL); Engelhorn, Amy (Normal, IL); Kornelis, Colby S. (Downs, IL), filed on January 4, 2016, was published online on March 4, 2019, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 10,210,577 is assigned to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Preparing insurance quotes for property insurance coverage may typically require an insurance agent or other insurance provider representative to visit the property in person. The agent may have to evaluate exterior factors, such as roof style, building construction (e.g., frame, brick, siding), and outbuildings. The agent may also need to evaluate and catalog interior components, such as appliances, furniture, and other personal possessions of the property owner. The availability of agents may significantly affect the timeliness of the insurance quote.

“In other situations, the property owner may never complete an inventory of personal items for insurance coverage, which may result in uncompensated losses in the event of a loss event. Accordingly, there is an opportunity to expedite property insurance quoting and to expand the capacity of the agent in order to gain more new customers and to serve them in a more timely and efficient manner.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present embodiments may relate to, inter alia, obtaining structure data, personal property data, and/or replacement cost information through a mobile phone-based video application that uses object recognition, location awareness (i.e., ‘location services’), measurement functionality and augmented reality interaction/feedback (e.g., computer-generated, interactive visual elements on the screen of a mobile device, overlaying the live video image being captured). Continuous video (or a continuous video stream) may capture and translate images into data points to identify, measure, qualify, count structural elements, household fixtures and/or personal property (see exemplary mobile application mock-ups for video capture depicted in FIG. 5).

“Location awareness from the mobile device may be used as a substitute for the entry of a Risk Location Address, and thus, as the basis for a determination of location eligibility. An awareness of the exact location may also be used as an input to determining the progress of the overall process (i.e., estimate of number of remaining rooms in which to capture video, as a function of an estimate of square footage/number of stories from exterior video). Location awareness from the mobile device may also be used for location verification.

“The mobile device may also be used for progress feedback to the user (i.e. ‘You are 75% complete with your video walk-through. We suggest capturing your second floor rooms next’). The progress feedback may be audible, haptic, and/or visual. This progress feedback may be supplemented by indicating which objects the application had completely assessed/identified, versus those that are still ambiguous, such as by using an augmented reality overlay of computer generated icons (such as check mark icons) on top of the video feed that appears on the screen of the mobile device. This type of feedback could indicate to users the need to move closer to an object and/or part of the room, increase lighting, linger for a longer time on a given room, steady their shot, etc.

“The data and images captured may be used for several purposes, such as establishing the basis for an ‘Estimated Replacement Cost Value’ (for the primary structure, any detached structures, and personal property); filling a virtual form (such as insurance application, a webpage, or other virtual form) in order to generate an insurance quote; and/or for cataloguing a customer’s possessions in order to make claim adjustment and replacement simpler for both the customer and the insurance company. Capture of exterior video on a property may also allow for the identification and evaluation of detached structures, as well as potential underwriting and safety concerns. These underwriting and safety concerns could be communicated to whichever party is interested (e.g., to be used in eligibility determinations, or signally to customers as issue to remediate). Videos that return ambiguous concerns could be sent to sales associates and/or underwriters for closer investigation.

“This process may be used as a substitute for an inspection/underwriting survey process. The ‘virtual inspection’ video captured by the user may even be more thorough (and subject to further auditing) than an inspection report from a 3.sup.rd party vendor, sales associate, or aerial imagery service.

“Unusual patterns, combinations, and unconventional materials and construction types may be used as the basis for triggering traditional inspections of properties. Allowing customers to utilize the same data for purposes beyond the initial quote may be an important value-add, particularly in the following ways: security analysis of the property (inadequate safety features, plants too close to house or doorways, non-structural fire hazards, out-of-date safety devices, furniture/fixtures not amenable to young children or animals); personal property replacement inventory; and/or allowing sales associates and underwriters to have access to the video, including the ability to scrub through the video to visually-highlighted/flagged items of concern within the timeline of the video for quick assessment of ambiguities or issues.

“The present embodiments may represent a significant process improvement for non-English speakers, avoiding the difficulty of either reading or translating the insurance- or construction industry-specific jargon involved in the process. Commercial properties may be a particularly strong application as well, as they are particularly difficult to underwrite properly.

“An enhancement to this application may involve using the preferred language of the device to automatically translate the written feedback appearing on screen. The data captured may also be used as the basis for offering other relevant products. For example, if the video capture reveals a larger-than-normal amount of high-value goods, a Personal Articles insurance policy may be suggested. Even if other policies are not offered, the limits per coverage could be fine-tuned to fit the exact nature of the contents of a household (e.g., a greater number of computers, but no jewelry or furs).

“The present embodiments may provide (1) video capture for insurance application question data, for the sake of providing an insurance quote; (2) alternatively, a customer-based underwriting survey/inspection process, which may inform real-time systematic underwriting decisions; (3) video capture for object-based cataloging of personal property and household fixtures; (4) the simultaneous capture and determination of quote data, inspection data, and/or personal property inventory data; (5) real-time feedback about process progress (in video screen format, with augmented reality overlays); (6) substituting (location-aware) video capture for risk location eligibility determinations, identifications of underwriting concerns, and/or capture of spatial measurements; and/or (7) video capture-based product and safety recommendations.

“The present embodiments may provide for a faster and more efficient method of processing requests for quotes for homeowners or other property owners. Further, the present embodiments may enable the property owner or other user to capture the physical property characteristics and quantifiable data required for an accurate insurance quote, rather than waiting for the agent to travel to the property to conduct an inspection. The captured data may be used as a basis for an estimated replacement cost value and/or preparing or generating an insurance quote. The data may also be utilized for a security analysis of the property that may list inadequate safety features, fire hazards, out-of-date safety devices, and the like. Further, certain safety concerns may be flagged as requiring an on-site inspection by an agent and may be communicated to the user via the electronic device. Additionally, the present embodiments may provide, as a by-product of the data captured, a personal item inventory list that may be used to file a claim in the event of a loss event. Further, an insurance provider may be able to suggest a personal articles policy if the inventory indicates a higher-than-normal quantity of high-value goods. In addition, coverage limits may be determined by an analysis of the contents of the property.

“The present embodiments may leverage an electronic device, such as a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, smart watch, tablet, or laptop), that is operable by a user. The electronic device may be capable of network communication and may include a user interface with various input and output components. The electronic device may be configured to capture and analyze digital image data and to communicate content to the user and receive selections from the user. The embodiments may also utilize a back-end server to perform various analyses and determinations, including determining eligibility for property insurance, data verification, insurance processing, and/or other functionalities.

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method in an electronic device of identifying components within a property for obtaining an insurance quote for a property insurance policy for an individual may be provided. The method may include capturing digital image data by an image sensor of the electronic device. The electronic device may display, as a live preview feature via a user interface of the electronic device, the digital image data captured by the image sensor. The method may include analyzing, using an object detection technique, the digital image data displayed via the user interface to automatically identify a set of components that are associated with the property. The method may also include populating an inventory list with the set of components identified from the digital image data and preparing an application for the property insurance policy, the application indicating the inventory list. In addition, the method may include transmitting, via a communication module of the electronic device, the application to an insurance provider, the insurance provider using the application to generate the insurance quote for the property insurance policy. The method may include additional, less, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, an electronic device for identifying components within a property for obtaining a quote for a property insurance policy may be provided. The electronic device may include a communication module configured to communicate data, an image sensor, a memory storing a set of computer-executable instructions, and a user interface configured to display content and receive user selections. The electronic device may also include a processor adapted to interface with the communication module, the memory, and the user interface. The processor may be configured to execute the set of computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to: cause the image sensor to capture digital image data; cause the user interface to display, as a live preview feature, the digital image data captured by the image sensor; and/or analyze, using an object detection technique, the digital image data to automatically identify a set of components that are associated with the property. The processor may also be configured to: populate an inventory list with the set of components identified from the digital image data; prepare an application for the property insurance policy, the application indicating the inventory list; and/or transmit, via the communication module, the application to an insurance provider, the insurance provider using the application to generate the quote for the property insurance policy. The electronic device may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“Advantages will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments, which are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed:

“1. A computer-implemented method in an electronic device of identifying components within a property for obtaining a quote for a property insurance policy for an individual, the method comprising: capturing digital image data by an image sensor of the electronic device, the digital image data depicting a portion of the property; displaying, as a live preview feature via a user interface of the electronic device, the digital image data captured by the image sensor; analyzing, by a processor using an object detection technique, the digital image data to automatically identify a set of components that are associated with the property; determining that the set of components at least meets a minimum set of expected components for the portion of the property; displaying, in the user interface and using an augmented reality overlay on a live video image according to the digital image data captured by the image sensor, a set of indications respectively associated with the set of components, wherein the augmented reality overlay of the set of indications is generated using sensor data from at least one additional sensor of the electronic device; populating an inventory list with the set of components identified from the digital image data; preparing, by the processor, an application for the property insurance policy, the application indicating the inventory list; and transmitting, via a communication module of the electronic device, the application to an insurance provider, the insurance provider using the application to generate the quote for the property insurance policy.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein preparing the application for the property insurance policy comprises: calculating an estimated replacement cost value (ERCV) for each of the set of components included on the inventory list.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the digital image data comprises: analyzing the digital image data to automatically identify at least one of: a set of personal property articles, a set of structural elements of the property, and a set of fixtures of the property.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the digital image data comprises: transmitting the digital image data to the insurance provider via the communication module, the insurance provider configured to identify the set of components that are associated with the property; and receiving, from the insurance provider, an indication of the set of components.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a location of the electronic device; associating the location of the electronic device with a currently-accessed area of the property; determining, based upon the currently-accessed area of the property, a suggested subsequent area of the property for which the individual to navigate; and displaying, via the user interface, an indication of the suggested subsequent area of the property.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a set of parameters associated with the property; and determining, based upon the set of parameters, a set of walk-through instructions associated with capturing the digital image data.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to analyzing the digital image data: examining the set of walk-through instructions to identify a subsequent area of the property for which the individual to navigate; and displaying, via the user interface, an indication of the subsequent area of the property.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying, via the user interface, an indication of an unrecognized component that is not recognized using the object detection technique; enabling the individual to input, via the user interface, an identification of the unrecognized component; and further populating the inventory list with the identification of the unrecognized component.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that at least one of the set of components is not recognized; and updating the application for the property insurance policy to indicate that a manual inspection for the property is needed.

“10. An electronic device for identifying components within a property for obtaining a quote for a property insurance policy, comprising: a communication module configured to communicate data; an image sensor; at least one additional sensor; a memory storing a set of computer-executable instructions; a user interface configured to display content and receive user selections; and a processor interfacing with the communication module, the image sensor, the at least one additional sensor, the memory, and the user interface, and configured to execute the set of computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to: cause the image sensor to capture digital image data, the digital image data depicting a portion of the property, cause the user interface to display, as a live preview feature, the digital image data captured by the image sensor, analyze, using an object detection technique, the digital image data to automatically identify a set of components that are associated with the property, determine that the set of components at least meets a minimum set of expected components for the portion of the property, cause the user interface to display, using an augmented reality overlay on a live video image according to the digital image data captured by the image sensor, a set of indications respectively associated with the set of components, wherein the augmented reality overlay of the set of indications is generated using sensor data from the at least one additional sensor, populate an inventory list with the set of components identified from the digital image data, prepare an application for the property insurance policy, the application indicating the inventory list, and transmit, via the communication module, the application to an insurance provider, the insurance provider using the application to generate the quote for the property insurance policy.

“11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein to prepare the application for the property insurance policy, the processor is configured to: calculate an estimated replacement cost value (ERCV) for each of the set of components included on the inventory list.

“12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein to analyze the digital image data, the processor is configured to: analyze the digital image data to automatically identify at least one of: a set of personal property articles, a set of structural elements of the property, and a set of fixtures of the property.

“13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein to analyze the digital image data, the processor is configured to: transmit the digital image data to the insurance provider via the communication module, the insurance provider configured to identify the set of components that are associated with the property, and receive, from the insurance provider via the communication module, an indication of the set of components.

“14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify a location of the electronic device, associate the location of the electronic device with a currently-accessed area of the property, determine, based upon the currently-accessed area of the property, a suggested subsequent area of the property for which the individual to navigate, and cause the user interface to display an indication of the suggested subsequent area of the property.

“15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify a set of parameters associated with the property, and determine, based upon the set of parameters, a set of walk-through instructions associated with capturing the digital image data.

“16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to analyzing the digital image data: examine the set of walk-through instructions to identify a subsequent area of the property for which the individual to navigate, and cause the user interface to display an indication of the subsequent area of the property.

“17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: cause the user interface to display an indication of an unrecognized component that is not recognized using the object detection technique, enable the individual to input, via the user interface, an identification of the unrecognized component, and further populate the inventory list with the identification of the unrecognized component.

“18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine that at least one of the set of components is not recognized, and update the application for the property insurance policy to indicate that a manual inspection for the property is needed.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Davis, Timothy Joel; Engelhorn, Amy; Kornelis, Colby S. Electronic Device Data Capture For Property Insurance Quotes. U.S. Patent Number 10,210,577, filed January 4, 2016, and published online on March 4, 2019. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,210,577.PN.&OS=PN/10,210,577RS=PN/10,210,577

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)