Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Processing Insured Items Hollistically With Mobile Damage Assessment And Claims Processing”, for Approval (USPTO 20200402178)

2021 JAN 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventors Brandmaier, Jennifer A. (Chicago, IL); Faga, Mark E. (Evanston, IL); Johnson, Robert H. (Hoffman Estates, IL); Koza, Daniel (Hinsdale, IL); Loo, William (Arlington Heights, IL); Marlow, Clint J. (Barrington, IL); Stricker, Kurt M. (Northfield, IL), filed on September 27, 2019, was made available online on December 24, 2020.

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

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Conventional insurance claims processing is a complex process that starts with a first notification of loss related to an insured item. Upon notification of loss, the claim may be routed to multiple claims adjusters that analyze different aspects of the damage associated with the insured item in order to determine whether compensation for the loss is appropriate.

“In general, conventional claims adjustment can involve paperwork processing, telephone calls, and potentially face-to-face meetings between claimant and adjuster. In addition, a significant amount of time can elapse between a first notice of loss from the claimant and the final settlement of the claim.

“In addition, while consumers may take advantage of conventional claims processing to determine if they will receive any compensation for loss associated with an item, consumers have traditionally had very few options for obtaining advice associated with loss prior to submission of an insurance claim.”

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As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “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 disclosure. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

“Aspects of the disclosure involve a streamlined and efficient process for claims management and disclose methods, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for automating the processing and settling of claims related to an insured item. A mobile device may transmit data (e.g., images, video, etc.) related to damage associated with an insured item to an enhanced claims processing server. The enhanced claims processing server may manage analysis of damage associated with the insured item and settlement of a claim related to the damage.

“In another aspect of the disclosure, an enhanced claims processing server may analyze damage data received from a mobile device to generate a repair cost estimate for repairing the insured item.

“In another aspect of the disclosure, an enhanced claims processing server may receive damage data associated with damage to an insured item, prior to submission of a claim for the damage. This data may be analyzed along with other data related to terms of an insurance policy that insures the insured item to provide advice to insurance consumers on the overall monetary valuation of submitting an insurance claim for damage to the insured item.

“In another aspect of the disclosure, a user device may be used as a portal that enables a third party entity such as a repair agency to view and learn more about damage associated with an insured item while the damage is still being assessed through a claims adjustment process.

“Further aspects of the disclosure may be provided in a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer, user terminal, or other apparatus to at least perform one or more of the processes described herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A mobile computing device comprising: a processor; a wireless network interface; a camera; a display screen; and a memory in signal communication with the processor and storing computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device at least to: present, on the display screen, a viewfinder that depicts a real-time image of a damaged object captured by the camera; display, within the viewfinder, a graphical visual aid overlaid on the real-time image, wherein the graphical visual aid indicates the real-time image of the damaged object is properly positioned within the viewfinder based on a portion of the damaged object aligning with at least a portion of the graphical visual aid; capture, via the camera, a first image of the damaged object; send, via the wireless network interface and to an insurance claim processing server, the first image; receive, via the wireless network interface, from the insurance claim processing server and in response to the insurance claim processing server determining that the first image is not acceptable, a request for a second image of the damaged object, the request comprising instructions associated with the requested second image; present, on the display screen and within the viewfinder, a second graphical visual aid that indicates a different position for the damaged object within the viewfinder based on the instructions; capture, via the camera and in response to the request, a second image of the damaged object; automatically process the second image by analyzing a blurriness level of the second image; and send, via the wireless network interface and to the insurance claim processing server, based on a result of the processing, the second image of the damaged object.

“2. (canceled)

“3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile computing device to: present, on the display screen, an instruction describing a type of image to be captured.

“4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the damaged object is a lateral side of the damaged object.

“5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the mobile computing device to: present, on the display screen, a summary of one or more insurance claims initiated by a user.

“6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the damaged object is a front side of the damaged object.

“7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the damaged object comprises a vehicle.

“8-20. (canceled)

“21. A method comprising: presenting, by a mobile computing device and on a display screen of the mobile computing device, a viewfinder that depicts a real-time image of a damaged object captured by a camera of the mobile computing device; displaying, by the mobile computing device and within the viewfinder, a graphical visual aid overlaid on the real-time image, wherein the graphical visual aid indicates the real-time image of the damaged object is properly positioned within the viewfinder based on a portion of the damaged object aligning with at least a portion of the graphical visual aid; capturing, by the mobile computing device and via the camera, a first image of the damaged object; sending, by the mobile computing device and via a wireless network interface of the mobile computing device, and to an insurance claim processing server, the first image; receiving, by the mobile computing device and via the wireless network interface, from the insurance claim processing server and in response to the insurance claim processing server determining that the first image is not acceptable, a request for a second image of the damaged object, the request comprising instructions associated with the requested second image; presenting, by the mobile computing device, on the display screen and within the viewfinder, a second graphical visual aid that indicates a different position for the damaged object within the viewfinder based on the instructions; capturing, by the mobile computing device, via the camera and in response to the request, a second image of the damaged object; automatically process the second image by analyzing a blurriness level of the second image; and sending, by the mobile computing device, via the wireless network interface and to the insurance claim processing server, based on a result of the processing, the second image of the damaged object.

“22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: presenting, by the mobile computing device and on the display screen, an instruction describing a type of image to be captured.

“23. The method of claim 21, wherein the portion of the damaged object is a lateral side of the damaged object or a front side of the damaged object.

“24. The method of claim 21, further comprising: presenting, by the mobile computing device and on the display screen, a summary of one or more insurance claims initiated by a user.

“25. The method of claim 21, wherein the damaged object comprises a vehicle.

“26. A system comprising: an insurance claim processing server configured to receive one or more images from a mobile computing device; and the mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to: present, on a display screen, a viewfinder that depicts a real-time image of a damaged object captured by a camera of the mobile computing device; display, within the viewfinder, a graphical visual aid overlaid on the real-time image, wherein the graphical visual aid indicates the real-time image of the damaged object is properly positioned within the viewfinder based on a portion of the damaged object aligning with at least a portion of the graphical visual aid; capture, via the camera, a first image of the damaged object; send, via a wireless network interface of the mobile computing device, and to an insurance claim processing server, the first image; receive, via the wireless network interface, from the insurance claim processing server and in response to the insurance claim processing server determining that the first image is not acceptable, a request for a second image of the damaged object, the request comprising instructions associated with the requested second image; present, on the display screen and within the viewfinder, a second graphical visual aid that indicates a different position for the damaged object within the viewfinder based on the instructions; capture, via the camera and in response to the request, a second image of the damaged object; automatically process the second image by analyzing a blurriness level of the second image; and send, via the wireless network interface and to the insurance claim processing server, based on a result of the processing, the second image of the damaged object.

“27. The system of claim 26, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to: present, on the display screen, an instruction describing a type of image to be captured.

“28. The system of claim 26, wherein the portion of the damaged object is a lateral side of the damaged object or a front side of the damaged object.

“29. The system of claim 26, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to: present, on the display screen, a summary of one or more insurance claims initiated by a user.

“30. The system of claim 26, wherein the damaged object comprises a vehicle.”

For additional information on this patent application, see: Brandmaier, Jennifer A.; Faga, Mark E.; Johnson, Robert H.; Koza, Daniel; Loo, William; Marlow, Clint J.; Stricker, Kurt M. Processing Insured Items Hollistically With Mobile Damage Assessment And Claims Processing. Filed September 27, 2019 and posted December 24, 2020. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220200402178%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20200402178&RS=DN/20200402178

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