Patent Issued for Systems and methods for light detection and ranging (lidar) based generation of a homeowners insurance quote (USPTO 11734767): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2023 SEP 11 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Bates, Paul (Mesa, AZ, US), Harrison, Michael Scott (Chandler, AZ, US), Madsen, Stacee (Mesa, AZ, US), Marotta, Nicholas Carmelo (Scottsdale, AZ, US), Rowley, Austin (Mesa, AZ, US), Uphoff, Laura A. (Normal, IL, US), Wheet, Jared (Mesa, AZ, US), Willingham, Jd Johnson (Phoenix, AZ, US), filed on February 25, 2021, was published online on August 22, 2023.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 11734767 is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “LIDAR is a technology that measures distance to a target by illuminating the target (e.g., using laser light) and then measuring the reflected light with a sensor (e.g., measuring the time of flight from the laser signal source to its return to the sensor). Digital 3D representations of the target may then be made using differences in laser return times and wavelengths. LIDAR may be used to measure distances (e.g., the distance from a LIDAR camera to an object, the distance between objects, and so forth).”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present embodiments may be related to LIDAR technology, including applications of LIDAR technology to insurance policies and applications of LIDAR technology to assist an impaired individual. The LIDAR technology may be used to produce an insurance quote or insurance claim. The LIDAR technology may also be used to provide navigation directions to assist an impaired individual.

“In accordance with the described embodiments, the disclosure herein generally addresses, inter alia, systems and methods for applying LIDAR technology to insurance quote generation (e.g., a quote for home insurance). A server may receive preexisting architecture data, create baseline architecture data using the preexisting architecture data, receive LIDAR data generated from a LIDAR camera, combine the baseline architecture data with the LIDAR data to create an architecture profile, and generate an insurance quote based upon the architecture profile. According to some aspects, the LIDAR data comprises a 3D point cloud, and may include information of both an interior and an exterior of a house. The server may also receive information from other sources, such as drones.

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for generating an insurance quote may be provided. The computer-implemented method may include, via one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, sensors, and/or servers, (1) receiving preexisting architecture data; (2) creating baseline architecture data using the preexisting architecture data; (3) receiving LIDAR data generated from a LIDAR camera; (4) combining the baseline architecture data with the LIDAR data to create an architecture profile; and/or (5) generating an insurance quote based upon the architecture profile. The method may include additional, less, or alternate actions, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, an electronic device for generating an insurance quote may be provided. The electronic device may be configured to, via one or more processors, transceivers, and/or sensors, (1) receive preexisting architecture data; (2) create baseline architecture data using the preexisting architecture data; (3) receive LIDAR data generated from a LIDAR camera; (4) combine the baseline architecture data with the LIDAR data to create an architecture profile; and/or (5) generate an insurance quote based upon the architecture profile. The electronic device may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“In yet another aspect, a computer system for generating an insurance quote may be provided. The system may include a LIDAR camera, a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions and configured to interface with a processor and/or associated transceiver. The processor may be configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor and/or associated transceiver to (1) receive preexisting architecture data; (2) create baseline architecture data using the preexisting architecture data; (3) receive LIDAR data generated from a LIDAR camera; (4) combine the baseline architecture data with the LIDAR data to create an architecture profile; and/or (5) generate an insurance quote based upon the architecture profile. The system may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method of generating an electronic homeowners insurance quote, the method comprising, via one or more processors, transceivers, sensors, and/or servers: generating light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data with one or more LIDAR cameras; receiving the LIDAR data generated from the one or more LIDAR cameras; analyzing the LIDAR data to determine or identify one or more features or characteristics of a home including a number and a size of rooms of the home; and generating an electronic homeowners insurance quote based upon, at least in part, the one or more features or characteristics of the home determined or identified from the LIDAR data including the number and the size of rooms of the home.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising, via the one or more processors, transceivers, sensors, and/or servers, transmitting the electronic homeowners insurance quote to a mobile device of a customer via wireless communication and/or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links for the customer’s review, modification, and/or approval.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising, via the one or more processors, transceivers, sensors, and/or servers, generating an electronic inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of the LIDAR data.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising, via the one or more processors, transceivers, sensors, and/or servers, generating an electronic inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of (i) the LIDAR data, and (ii) one or more additional sources of data, the one or more additional sources of data including: mobile device data and/or images; smart home sensor data and/or images; drone sensor data and/or images; vehicle sensor data and/or images; and/or smart infrastructure data and images.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the LIDAR data is received via wireless communication or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links.

“6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving preexisting architecture data; creating baseline architecture data using the preexisting architecture data; and combining the baseline architecture data with the LIDAR data to create an architecture profile; and wherein the electronic homeowners insurance quote is further based upon the architecture profile.

“7. A computer system configured to generate a homeowners insurance quote, the system comprising one or more processors configured to: generate light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data with one or more LIDAR cameras; receive the LIDAR data generated from the one or more LIDAR cameras; analyze the LIDAR data to determine or identify one or more features or characteristics of a home including a number and a size of rooms of the home; and generate an electronic homeowners insurance quote based upon, at least in part, the one or more features or characteristics of the home determined or identified from the LIDAR data including the number and the size of rooms of the home.

“8. The computer system of claim 7, the system further configured to, via the one or more processors, transmit the electronic homeowners or renters insurance quote to a mobile device of a customer via wireless communication and/or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links for customer review, modification, and/or approval.

“9. The computer system of claim 7, the system further configured to, via the one or more processors, generate an electronic inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of the LIDAR data.

“10. The computer system of claim 7, the system further configured to, via the one or more processors, generate an inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of (i) the LIDAR data, and (ii) one or more additional sources of data, the one or more additional sources of data including at least one of: mobile device data and/or images; smart home sensor data and/or images; drone sensor data and/or images; vehicle sensor data and/or images; and/or smart infrastructure data and images.

“11. The computer system of claim 7, the system further configured to, via the one or more processors, receive the LIDAR data via wireless communication or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links.

“12. A computer system configured to generate a homeowners insurance quote, comprising: one or more processors; and a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to: generate light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data with one or more LIDAR cameras; receive the LIDAR data generated from the one or more LIDAR cameras; analyze the LIDAR data to determine or identify one or more features or characteristics of a home including a number and a size of rooms of the home; and generate an electronic homeowners insurance quote based upon, at least in part, the one or more features or characteristics of the home determined or identified from the LIDAR data including the number and the size of rooms of the home.

“13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to transmit the electronic homeowners or renters insurance quote to a mobile device of a customer via wireless communication and/or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links for customer review, modification, and/or approval.

“14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to generate an electronic inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of the LIDAR data.

“15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to generate an inventory of home features or characteristics including several features or characteristics identified from processor analysis of (i) the LIDAR data, and (ii) one or more additional sources of data, the one or more additional sources of data including at least one of: mobile device data and/or images; smart home sensor data and/or images; drone sensor data and/or images; vehicle sensor data and/or images; and/or smart infrastructure data and images.”

For additional information on this patent, see: Bates, Paul. Systems and methods for light detection and ranging (lidar) based generation of a homeowners insurance quote. U.S. Patent Number 11734767, filed February 25, 2021, and published online on August 22, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11734767)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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