Patent Issued for Mobile Computing Device For Real-Time Accident Documentation And Claim Submission (USPTO 10,217,168)

2019 MAR 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Tofte, Nathan Lee (Downs, IL); Gish, Kristina Renee (Bloomington, IL); Chizmar, Jennifer (Bloomington, IL), filed on February 27, 2013, was published online on March 11, 2019.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,217,168, is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Insurance claim processing can include redundancy and delay while various parties (policyholder, insurer, repair facility, etc.) collect claim information. When the policyholder submits their claim, inevitably additional information is required by the insurance provider to process the claim and the policyholder must typically wait on approval from either, or both, of the insurer or the repair facility before the claim can be processed and the damage repaired. For example, while the vast majority of automobile accident claims involve only minor damage, physical inspection(s) and the presence of an insurer agent (e.g., claim estimator) are generally required to assess the damage in detail.

“Typical claim processing requires the policyholder initiate the insurance claim and make an initial trip to a repair facility for a preliminary damage assessment. Additional trip(s) to the repair facility will likely be required to complete vehicle repairs. Often, the policyholder must wait for their claim to be processed while a claim estimator inspects the damage to the vehicle and approves the repair.

“One conventional approach to expediting insurance claim submission is to provide a policyholder access to initiate/submit their insurance claim via telephone. While telephone submission does not require the policyholder physically submit their claim, the policyholder is still required to submit information and/or coordinate information exchange with the insurer and the repair facility. Often, similar information is submitted in alternate forms to satisfy insurer requirements. Because the policyholder is required to be on the telephone with the insurer to document the claim, the policyholder has reduced flexibility with respect to the type and order of providing the claim information. Likewise, telephone submission does not resolve the delay problems associated with the repair facility assessment and claim estimator inspection.

“Some insurers provide for online/electronic initiation and submission of insurance claims. Online claim submission does not resolve the burden on the policyholder of having to submit redundant information or coordinating information exchange between the insurer and the repair facility. Also, with online claim submissions there is an increase likelihood of fraudulent claims. Because there is often some delay between the claim event (e.g., car accident) and the time the policyholder files the claim, the insurer is unable to confirm that damage to the policyholder’s property is a result of the accident, as claimed, or whether the damage occurred later and is unrelated to the accident. Similarly, online claim submissions do not resolve the delay associated with the repair facility assessment and claim estimator inspection.

“Conventional methods for processing an insurance claim are not efficient, convenient, and effective in collecting all information necessary to accurately and quickly processing an insurance claim. Therefore, a need in the art exists for systems and methods that overcome one or more of the above-described limitations.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present invention is directed to a method for processing an insurance claim. An aspect of the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for processing an insurance claim by initiating the insurance claim; receiving user data associated with the insurance claim, the user data including an image; generating a model of a scene associated with the insurance claim using the user data, the scene including a model of an object; analyzing the user data to identify a damaged portion of the object; analyzing the damaged portion to determine a claim element; and analyzing at least one of the user data, the model of the scene, and the claim element to determine whether the insurance claim satisfies a processing criteria.

“Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program product for processing an insurance claim. The computer program product may comprise a computer-readable storage device having computer-readable program instructions stored therein. The computer-readable program instructions may include instructions for processing an insurance claim by initiating an insurance claim application; receiving user data (including an image) associated with the insurance claim; generating a model of a scene of the insurance claim using the user data, the scene including a model of the user’s vehicle; analyzing the user data to indicate a portion of the model corresponding to damage on the user’s vehicle; analyzing the portion of the model to determine a claim element; analyzing at least one of the user data, the model, and the claim element to determine whether the insurance claim application satisfies a processing criteria.

“Another aspect of the present invention provides a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can include a processor, a computer-readable media, a memory storage device, and an insurance claim processing application. The insurance claim processing application can be stored on the memory storage device for execution via the computer-readable media. The insurance claim processing application can be configured to: receive user data associated with an insurance claim, the user data including an image of an object; transmit the user data to a remote server; receive a model of a scene of the insurance claim from the remote server, the scene including a model of the object; display the model; receive a user input indicating a portion of the model corresponding to a damaged portion of the object; provide an indication corresponding to the damaged portion of the object; receive additional user data associated with the damaged portion of the object; and transmit the indication and the additional user data to the remote server.

“Another aspect of the present invention provides an insurance claim processing server. The insurance claim processing server can include a processor, a computer-readable media, a memory storage device for storing and providing access to data that is related to an insurance claim, and an insurance claim processing application. The insurance claim processing application can be stored on the memory storage device for execution by the computer-readable media. The insurance claim processing application can be configured to: initiate the insurance claim; receive user data associated with the insurance claim, the user data including an image of an object; analyze the user data to generate a model of a scene associated with the insurance claim, the scene including a model of an object; analyze the model of the scene to identify a damaged portion of the object; transmit the model of the scene to a user device; analyze the damaged portion to determine a claim element; analyze at least one of the user data, the model of the scene, and the claim element to determine whether the insurance claim satisfies a processing criteria; and process the insurance claim when the processing criteria is satisfied.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A mobile computing device comprising: a handheld device including: a non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon an processing application; a camera; an interface; and a processor, wherein said processor upon execution of the processing application, is configured to: receive first video images captured by the camera, including at least panned video images of a vehicle and physical scene of physical surroundings of the vehicle; display, via the interface, the captured first video images in real time; transmit the captured first video images to a remote server; receive from the remote server a request for second video images, including at least the panned video images of the vehicle and physical scene of physical surroundings of the vehicle, and a pacing feature including information indicating a rate for panning the camera while capturing the second video images by the camera; receive second video images captured by the camera; display, via the interface, the captured second video images and a dynamic image of the pacing feature in real time; transmit the captured second video images to the remote server; receive a model of the vehicle included in a model of the physical scene of the physical surroundings of the vehicle from the remote server, wherein the model of the vehicle and the model of the physical scene are based on the transmitted second video images captured by the camera and wherein the model of the vehicle and the model of the physical scene are generated by the remote server from the second video images; automatically identify an auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle, comprising: (i) extracting one or more features from the model of the vehicle, wherein the extracted one or more features are selected from color, texture, brightness, contrast, edge detection, corner detection, text, coordinates relative to coordinate system of the model of the vehicle, coordinates relative to a coordinate other than that of the model of the vehicle, depth/surface mapping, (ii) analyzing the one or more extracted features and identifying portions of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle where the one or more extracted features are irregular or not in alignment with reference object data; display on the handheld device the model of the vehicle included in the model of the physical scene of the physical surroundings of the vehicle; receive a user input indicating a user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle; display on the handheld device both the auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle and the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle; receive data associated with either the auto-indicated damaged portion or the user-indicated damaged portion of the model of the vehicle; and transmit either the auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle and the data associated with the auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle or the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle and the data associated with the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle.

“2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein: the associated data comprises at least one of a force of impact on the vehicle, a force of impact on an occupant of the vehicle, an identity of a damaged vehicle component, and an identity of a candidate damaged component of the vehicle.

“3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein: the associated data comprises at least one of a force of impact on the vehicle, a force of impact on an occupant of the vehicle, an identity of a damaged object component, and an identity of a candidate damaged component of the vehicle; and said processor, upon execution of the processing application, is further configured to: determine a cost of repair based on at least one of the identity of the damaged vehicle component and the identity of the candidate damaged vehicle component; and provide an initial claim assessment when the cost of repair is less than a threshold repair cost.

“4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the associated data comprises at least one of a force of impact on the vehicle, a force of impact on an occupant of the vehicle, an identity of a damaged vehicle component, and an identity of a candidate damaged component of the vehicle; and said processor, upon execution of the processing application, is further configured to: analyze the force of impact on the occupant to identify a potential injury to the occupant; and analyze the force of impact on the occupant to validate a medical claim of the occupant.

“5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the associated data further includes at least one of text data, voice data, and video image data.

“6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the model of the vehicle received from the remote server is a three dimensional model.

“7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein: said processor, upon execution of the processing application, is further configured to: retrieve vehicle information associated with the vehicle from a database; retrieve scene information from the database, the scene information including a location of the vehicle; generate the model of the physical scene of the physical surroundings of the vehicle by analyzing the scene information; and generate a model of the vehicle by analyzing the vehicle information.

“8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the associated data includes ancillary data, the ancillary data including at least one of accident location information, accident time information, accident weather information, and emergency services information.

“9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein said processor, upon execution of the processing application, is further configured to: receive data associated with a second vehicle; generate a model of the second vehicle using the data associated with the second vehicle data; and analyze the data associated with the second vehicle to identify a damaged portion of the second vehicle.

“10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein: said processor, upon execution of the processing application, is further configured to: receive a user indication of a damaged portion of the vehicle; and receive an indication of a damaged portion of the vehicle from a source other than the user.

“11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein said processor, upon execution of the insurance claim processing application is further configured to: request additional user data if the indication and the associated data does not satisfy predefined processing criteria.

“12. A mobile computing device comprising: a handheld device including: a non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon an processing application; a camera; a touch screen display; and a processor, wherein said processor upon execution of the processing application, is configured to: receive first video images captured by the camera, including at least panned video images of a vehicle and physical scene of physical surroundings of the vehicle; display, via the touch screen display, the captured first video images in real time; transmit the captured first video images to a remote server; receive from the remote server a request for second video images, including the at least panned video images of the vehicle and physical scene of physical surroundings of the vehicle, and a pacing feature including information indicating a rate for panning the camera while capturing the second video images by the camera; receive second video images captured by the camera; display, via the touch screen display, the captured second video images and a dynamic image of the pacing feature in real time; transmit the captured second video images to the remote server; receive a model of the vehicle included in a model of the physical scene surrounding the vehicle from the remote server, wherein the model of the vehicle and the model of the physical scene are based on the transmitted second video images captured by the camera, wherein the model of the vehicle and the model of the physical scene are generated by the remote server from the second video images; automatically identify an auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle, comprising: (i) extracting one or more features from the model of the vehicle, wherein the extracted one or more features are selected from color, texture, brightness, contrast, edge detection, corner detection, text, coordinates relative to coordinate system of the model of the vehicle, coordinates relative to a coordinate other than that of the model of the vehicle, depth/surface mapping, (ii) analyzing the one or more extracted features and identifying portions of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle where the one or more extracted features are irregular or not in alignment with reference object data; display on the handheld device the model of the vehicle included in the model of the physical scene of the physical surroundings of the vehicle; receive a user input via the touch screen display indicating a user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the model of the vehicle corresponding to a damaged portion of the vehicle; provide an indication corresponding to the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle; display on the handheld device the indication corresponding to the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle; receive data associated with the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle, the associated data comprising at least one of a force of impact on the vehicle, a force of impact on an occupant of the vehicle, an identity of a damaged vehicle component, and an identity of a candidate damaged component of the vehicle; transmit the user-indicated portion of the vehicle and the data associated with the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle to the remote server; receive an updated model of the vehicle from the remote server, wherein the updated model of the vehicle is based on the data associated with the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle; display on the touch screen display both the auto-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the updated model of the vehicle and the user-indicated damaged portion of the vehicle in the updated model of the vehicle; determine a cost of repair based on at least one of the identity of the damaged vehicle component and the identity of the candidate damaged vehicle component; and provide an initial assessment when the cost of repair is less than a threshold repair cost.

“13. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the associated data further includes at least one of text data, voice data, and video image data.

“14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the model of the vehicle received from the remote server is a three dimensional model.”

For more information, see this patent: Tofte, Nathan Lee; Gish, Kristina Renee; Chizmar, Jennifer. Mobile Computing Device For Real-Time Accident Documentation And Claim Submission. U.S. Patent Number 10,217,168, filed February 27, 2013, and published online on March 11, 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=10,217,168.PN.&OS=PN/10,217,168RS=PN/10,217,168

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