Patent Issued for Total loss evaluation and handling system and method (USPTO 11348175): Allstate Insurance Company

2022 JUN 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors DeWall, Joel (Libertyville, IL, US), Ejupi, Jamin (Libertyville, IL, US), Hanson, Randall M. (Lake Ozark, MO, US), filed on April 12, 2021, was published online on May 31, 2022.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 11348175 is Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Handling insurance claims can be a time-consuming and complex process for both the claimant and the claims processor. The claimant often starts the process with a first notice of loss to a claims processing office associated with an insurance company. Usually, a claims adjuster within the claims processing office is assigned to the case to assess the damage for which compensation is sought. The claims adjustment process can involve paperwork processing, telephone calls, and potentially face-to-face meetings between claimant and adjuster. In addition, time can elapse between a first notice of loss from the claimant and the final settlement of the claim.

“From these claims adjustment efforts insurance companies may compile large volumes of information regarding the circumstances that led to a loss and determinations of whether an estimated cost to repair a damaged item exceeds the value of the item. From this information insurance companies may be able to derive statistics that correlate the circumstances resulting in a loss with the determination of whether the damaged item should be repaired or simply replaced. Therefore a need exists for new approaches that leverage such information to streamline claims processing.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosures. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

“A first aspect described herein provides a computer-implemented method of handling a loss involving an insured vehicle. A total loss evaluation and handling system may receive vehicle telematics data from a vehicle telematics device that monitors an insured vehicle. The total loss evaluation and handling system may determine that a loss involving the vehicle has occurred, and a total loss evaluator may select a set of total loss rules that are configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss. The total loss evaluator may apply the total loss rules selected to the vehicle telematics data received and determine whether the loss is a total loss based on the total loss rules applied. A total loss handler may obtain an estimated value of the vehicle and generate a settlement amount based on the estimated value. The total loss handler may then initiate a payment corresponding to the settlement amount to an individual associated with the insured vehicle as settlement for the total loss.

“A second aspect described herein provides a total loss evaluation and handling system. The total loss evaluation and handling system may include at least one processor and a vehicle telematics data store that stores vehicle telematics data received from a vehicle telematics device that monitors an insured vehicle. A total loss evaluator may determine that a loss involving the insured vehicle has occurred and select a set of total loss rules configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss. The total loss evaluator may apply the total loss rules selected to the vehicle telematics data received and determine that the loss is a total loss based on the total loss rules applied. A total loss handler may be configured to obtain an estimated value of the insured vehicle and generate a settlement amount based on the estimated value. The total loss handler may then initiate a payment corresponding to the settlement amount to an individual associated with the insured vehicle as settlement for the total loss.

“A third aspect described herein provides another computer-implemented method of handling a loss involving an insured vehicle. A total loss evaluation and handling system may receive vehicle telematics data from a vehicle telematics device that monitors an insured vehicle and determine that a loss involving the vehicle has occurred. The total loss evaluation and handling system may also receive, from a computing device operated by an individual associated with the insured vehicle, vehicle condition information that identifies damage that has occurred to one or more portions of the insured vehicle. A total loss evaluator may select a set of total loss rules configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss and apply the total loss rules selected to the vehicle telematics data and vehicle condition information received. The total loss evaluator may determine that the loss is a total loss based on the total loss rules applied. A total loss handler may obtain an estimated value of the vehicle, generate a settlement amount based on the estimated value, and initiate a payment corresponding to the settlement amount to the individual as settlement for the total loss. The total loss handler may also submit a car rental request to a car rental system and a tow service request to a tow service system. The car rental request and the tow service request may identify the geographic location of the vehicle as indicated in the vehicle telematics data received. The tow service request may also identify a unique identifier associated with the vehicle.

“The details of these and other embodiments of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. Other features and advantages of aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A telematics-based method of detecting and processing a loss involving an insured vehicle comprising: determining, by a total loss evaluation and handling system, that a loss involving the insured vehicle has occurred based on at least deceleration data detected by a vehicle telematics device; applying, by the total loss evaluator, at least one total loss rule of a set of total loss rules to at least a portion of the deceleration data, wherein the at least one total loss rule is configured to determine that the loss is a total loss when a deceleration of the insured vehicle exceeded a predetermined deceleration threshold when the loss occurred and wherein the deceleration data is detected at a time when the loss occurred; determining, by the total loss evaluator, that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule applied, wherein determining that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule applied comprises determining that the deceleration data when the loss occurred exceeded the predetermined deceleration threshold; generating, by the total loss evaluation and handling system and based on determining that the loss is a total loss, a settlement amount; and initiating, by the total loss evaluation and handling system, a payment corresponding to the settlement amount to an individual associated with the insured vehicle as settlement for the total loss.

“2. The telematics-based method of claim 1 wherein: the at least one total loss rule in the set of total loss rules is selected based on a make, a model, and a year of the insured vehicle.

“3. The telematics-based method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, at the total loss evaluation and handling system from a computing device, vehicle damage information identifying damage that has occurred to one or more portions of the insured vehicle, wherein the vehicle damage information corresponds to a user input received at the computing device via user interface.

“4. The telematics-based method of claim 3 wherein: the at least one total loss rule in the set of total loss rules is configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss based on at least a portion of the vehicle damage information received.

“5. The telematics-based method of claim 3 wherein: the at least one total loss rule in the set of total loss rules is configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss based on a combination of at least a portion of the deceleration data received and at least a portion of the vehicle damage information received.

“6. The telematics-based method of claim 3 wherein: the at least one total loss rule in the set of total loss rules is configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss based solely on at least a portion of the deceleration data received.

“7. The telematics-based method of claim 1 wherein another one of the total loss rules in the set of total loss rules is configured to determine that the loss is a total loss when an impact force at the insured vehicle exceeded a predetermined impact force threshold when the loss occurred, wherein another portion of the deceleration data corresponds to impact force data when the loss occurred and indicates one or more portions of the insured vehicle that experienced the impact force, and wherein determining that the loss is a total loss based on the other one of the total loss rules applied comprises determining that the impact force data when the loss occurred exceeded the predetermined impact force threshold.

“8. The telematics-based method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing a wireless data connection with one or more third party maintenance systems; receiving, while the wireless data connection is established and from the one or more third party maintenance systems, maintenance information; and applying the at least one total loss rule to at least a portion of the maintenance information received.

“9. The telematics-based method of claim 8, wherein determining that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule further comprises determining that the loss is a total loss based on the maintenance information.

“10. A telematics-based total loss detection and processing system comprising: at least one processor; a vehicle telematics data store; a total loss evaluator configured to: determine that a loss involving an insured vehicle has occurred based on at least acceleration data detected by a vehicle telematics device, apply at least one total loss rule of a set of total loss rules to at least a portion of the acceleration data, wherein the at least one total loss rule is configured to determine that the loss is a total loss when an acceleration of the insured vehicle exceeded a predetermined acceleration threshold when the loss occurred and wherein the acceleration data is detected at a time when the loss occurred, and determine that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule applied, wherein determining that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule applied comprises determining that the acceleration data when the loss occurred exceeded the predetermined acceleration threshold; and a total loss handler configured to: generate a settlement amount based determining that the loss is a total loss, and initiate a payment corresponding to the settlement amount to an individual associated with the insured vehicle as settlement for the total loss.

“11. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 10 wherein: the total loss evaluator is configured to select the at least one total loss rule based on a make, a model, and a year of the insured vehicle.

“12. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 10 wherein: the total loss handler is further configured to receive, from a computing device operated by the individual, vehicle damage information identifying damage that has occurred to one or more portions of the insured vehicle.

“13. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 12 wherein the total loss handler is further configured to: apply the at least one total loss rule to at least a portion of the vehicle damage information received, wherein the at least one total loss rule is configured to determine that the loss is a total loss when a predetermined combination of vehicle components of the insured vehicle were damaged when the loss occurred and wherein the portion of the vehicle damage information received indicates a combination of components of the insured vehicle that were damaged when the loss occurred.

“14. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 13 wherein determining that the loss is a total loss based on the at least one total loss rule applied comprises determining that the combination of components damaged when the loss occurred correspond to the predetermined combination of vehicle components.

“15. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 10 wherein: at least one of the total loss rules in the set of total loss rules is configured to determine whether the loss is a total loss based solely on at least a portion of the acceleration data received.

“16. The telematics-based total loss detection and processing system of claim 10 wherein the total loss handler is further configured to: submit, to a car rental system, a car rental request that identifies a geographic location of the insured vehicle indicated in a portion of the acceleration data received, and submit, to a tow service system, a tow service request that identifies the geographic location of the insured vehicle and that identifies a unique identifier associated with the insured vehicle indicated in a portion of the acceleration data received.”

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

For additional information on this patent, see: DeWall, Joel. Total loss evaluation and handling system and method. U.S. Patent Number 11348175, filed April 12, 2021, and published online on May 31, 2022. 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=11348175.PN.&OS=PN/11348175RS=PN/11348175

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