Patent Issued for Systems and methods for early identification of a total loss vehicle (USPTO 11144996): Allstate Insurance Company

2021 NOV 01 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Galant, Alan D. (Grayslake, IL, US), Kane, Michael Sinclair (Bartlett, IL, US), Woirol, Angela K. (Gumee, IL, US), filed on July 16, 2008, was published online on October 12, 2021, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11144996 is assigned to Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “When a vehicle has been involved in an incident, a claims adjuster typically inspects the vehicle in the field. The inspection, however, may not occur for several days after the accident has been reported to the insurance company.

“If the adjuster determines that the cost to repair the vehicle comes close to or exceeds the cash value of the vehicle, the adjuster deems the vehicle a total loss. He then works with the vehicle owner to reach a settlement, and secures the required paper work so the insurance company will issue payment to the owner for the loss. This process is often time consuming and expensive. Furthermore, the length of time spent may decrease the customer’s satisfaction with the level of service provided by the insurance company.

“One reason for the length of time spent in this process is that the insurance company does not know the extent of damage to the vehicle until an adjuster can inspect the vehicle, and the adjuster may be unable to do so immediately. Upon learning that a vehicle has been damaged or involved in an accident, the insurance company normally assigns the vehicle to a repair shop or to an adjuster that will inspect the vehicle at a location agreed to by the insured. The inspection may occur days or weeks after the vehicle is in the repair shop or storage lot. In addition, this conventional procedure may cause the insurance company to incur storage and other operation costs, such as the cost to transport the vehicle.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Consistent with the present invention, a method is provided for identifying a likely total loss vehicle. The method comprises: receiving data for criteria that describe the condition of a vehicle; analyzing the data using a data processor to determine whether the data meets a threshold of likelihood of total loss; and generating a notification if the data meets the threshold.

“Also consistent with the present invention, a system is provided for identifying a likely total loss vehicle. The system comprises: a network; a server coupled to the network that receives data for criteria that describe the condition of a vehicle; and a decision engine running on the server to analyze the data received for the criteria to determine whether the data meets a threshold of likelihood of total loss, and to generate a notification if the data meets the threshold.

“Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not restrict the scope of the invention. Embodiments consistent with the invention may include features in addition to or different from those set forth in the following description.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. An apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing non-transitory computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: select, from a predetermined plurality of preliminary questions for evaluating the status of vehicles involved in accidents, one or more preliminary questions associated with a status of a vehicle that has been in an accident; display, via a graphical user interface of a web browser application executing on a computing device, at least one of the one or more preliminary questions; receive, based on one or more user selections received via the graphical user interface, one or more preliminary answers to the at least one of the one or more preliminary questions; determine, by a decision engine and based on the one or more preliminary answers, whether additional information is required about the status of the vehicle; based on determining that additional information is required about the status of the vehicle, query, using information identifying an insured individual associated with the vehicle and via a network, a database to determine identity data corresponding to the vehicle, wherein the identity data comprises: a make of the vehicle; a model of the vehicle; and a year associated with the vehicle; determine, based on the identity data, a representation of the vehicle; display, by the graphical user interface of the web browser application executing on the computing device, the representation of the vehicle, wherein the displayed representation is configured to permit a user to select one or more portions of the vehicle to indicate a status of the selected one or more portions of the vehicle; receive, via the graphical user interface, accident data by: receiving, via a pointing device, first input corresponding to one or more portions of the representation of the vehicle; and receiving second input indicating a degree of damage to one or more portions of the vehicle corresponding to the one or more portions of the representation of the vehicle; determine, using the decision engine and based on the accident data and the one or more preliminary answers, a follow-up question, wherein the follow-up question is configured to elicit third input indicating a condition of the vehicle; display, by the graphical user interface, the follow-up question; receive, via the graphical user interface, the third input; and automatically determining, using the decision engine and based on the accident data, whether a type of the accident belongs to a plurality of predetermined accident types to be excluded from automatic processing; in response to determining that the type of the accident does not belong to the plurality of predetermined accident types: determine, based on the identity data, a damage threshold for the vehicle, wherein the damage threshold corresponds to a total loss of the vehicle; identify weights based on a history of damage reports, wherein the weights are periodically revised based on historical claims decisions; receive repair estimate data comprising one or more estimated costs of repair corresponding to the accident data; generate modified weights by modifying, based on the one or more estimated costs of repair corresponding to the accident data, the weights; weight, based on the identity data, the modified weights, and one or more past accident reports, the accident data; send, based on comparing the weighted accident data to the damage threshold, a first notification to a user associated with the vehicle, wherein the first notification comprises inspection instructions for a method of inspection; receive, after sending the first notification and from a computing device associated with the method of inspection, inspection data corresponding to the vehicle; and send, based on comparing the weighted accident data to the damage threshold, without intervention by a claims adjuster, and based on the inspection data, a second notification to the user associated with the vehicle.

“2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores additional non-transitory computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to weight the accident data based on the year associated with the vehicle.

“3. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to: select, from a predetermined plurality of preliminary questions for evaluating the status of vehicles involved in accidents, one or more preliminary questions associated with a status of a vehicle that has been in an accident; display, via a graphical user interface of a web browser application executing on a computing device, at least one of the one or more preliminary questions; receive, based on one or more user selections received via the graphical user interface, one or more preliminary answers to the at least one of the one or more preliminary questions; determine, by a decision engine and based on the one or more preliminary answers, whether additional information is required about the status of the vehicle; based on determining that additional information is required about the status of the vehicle, query, using information identifying an insured individual associated with the vehicle and via a network, a database to determine identity data corresponding to the vehicle, wherein the identity data comprises: a make of the vehicle; a model of the vehicle; and a year associated with the vehicle; determine, based on the identity data, a representation of the vehicle; display, by the graphical user interface of the web browser application executing on the computing device, the representation of the vehicle, wherein the displayed representation is configured to permit a user to select one or more portions of the vehicle to indicate a status of the selected one or more portions of the vehicle; receive, by the graphical user interface, accident data by: receiving, via a pointing device, first input corresponding to one or more portions of the representation of the vehicle; and receiving second input indicating a degree of damage to one or more portions of the vehicle corresponding to the one or more portions of the representation of the vehicle; determine, using the decision engine and based on the accident data and the one or more preliminary answers, a follow-up question, wherein the follow-up question is configured to elicit third input indicating a condition of the vehicle; display, by the graphical user interface, the follow-up question; receive, via the graphical user interface, the third input; and automatically determining, using the decision engine and based on the accident data, whether a type of the accident belongs to a plurality of predetermined accident types to be excluded from automatic processing; in response to determining that the type of the accident does not belong to the plurality of predetermined accident types: determine, based on the identity data, a damage threshold for the vehicle, wherein the damage threshold corresponds to a total loss of the vehicle; identify weights based on a history of damage reports, wherein the weights are periodically revised based on historical claims decisions; receive repair estimate data comprising one or more estimated costs of repair corresponding to the accident data; generate modified weights by modifying, based on the one or more estimated costs of repair corresponding to the accident data, the weights; weight, based on the identity data, the modified weights, and one or more past accident reports, the accident data; send, based on comparing the weighted accident data to the damage threshold, a first notification to a user associated with the vehicle, wherein the first notification comprises inspection instructions for a method of inspection; receive, after sending the first notification and from a second computing device associated with the method of inspection, inspection data corresponding to the vehicle; and send, based on comparing the weighted accident data to the damage threshold, without intervention by a claims adjuster, and based on the inspection data, a second notification to the user associated with the vehicle.

“4. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to receive the first input by: displaying, via the graphical user interface, a question regarding an operating condition of the vehicle; and receiving a response to the question.

“5. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 3, the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to weight the accident data by: weighting the accident data based on estimated costs associated with repairing the one or more portions of the vehicle.

“6. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to: send, based on comparing the weighted accident data to the damage threshold, a second notification to an entity assigned to inspect the vehicle.

“7. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the computing device to: receive, from the user, at least a portion of the identity data; and store, in the database, the identity data.

“8. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the accident data comprises information associated with fluid leaks of the vehicle.”

There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.

URL and more information on this patent, see: Galant, Alan D. Systems and methods for early identification of a total loss vehicle. U.S. Patent Number 11144996, filed July 16, 2008, and published online on October 12, 2021. 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=11144996.PN.&OS=PN/11144996RS=PN/11144996

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