Mobile Inspection Facility for On-Site Vehicle Damage Assessment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Assessing damage to vehicles after collisions is time-consuming and resource-intensive, often requiring vehicles to be towed to repair facilities or having assessors travel to the location, especially when vehicles are undriveable or multiple vehicles are involved.

Innovation Solution

A mobile inspection facility equipped with sensing devices that can be driven to the location of the damaged vehicle, allowing for on-site damage assessment and data collection while the vehicle is positioned within the facility, which then generates and analyzes sensor data to identify damage and estimate repair costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If vehicles are taken to a repair facility for damage assessment, then the inspection can be performed in a controlled environment, but the time and resources required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime for damage assessment

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of transporting the vehicle to a fixed inspection facility, the patent inverts the approach by bringing the inspection facility to the vehicle's location. The mobile inspection facility includes a chamber with sensing devices that can be positioned at the accident scene, eliminating the need to move the damaged vehicle and significantly reducing assessment time while maintaining inspection accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mobile inspection facility as an intermediary between the damaged vehicle and the fixed repair facility. This mobile unit serves as a temporary inspection station that can be deployed to various locations, providing professional assessment capabilities without requiring vehicle transport to a centralized facility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a damage assessor is dispatched to the vehicle location, then on-site inspection is enabled, but the process remains resource intensive and time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveon-site inspection capabilityVSAvoidassessment system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile inspection facility is equipped with automated sensing devices including cameras, lasers, and sensors that can independently capture and analyze vehicle damage without requiring manual measurement tools or complex human assessment procedures. The system performs self-diagnosis through automated image processing and data analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical assessment methods with automated electronic sensing devices. Instead of assessors using physical tools to measure damage, the system employs cameras, laser scanners, and other electronic sensors to automatically capture and analyze vehicle condition, simplifying the operational process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Quantity of substance

If multiple damaged vehicles are involved, then the scale of damage increases, but the assessment process becomes exponentially more resource intensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of vehicles inspectedVSAvoidassessment throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile inspection facility is designed as a universal platform that can inspect multiple types of vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles) using the same chamber and sensing devices. The facility can service different vehicle categories without requiring specialized equipment for each type, enabling efficient handling of multiple damaged vehicles at a single location

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary damage assessment at the accident scene using the mobile facility, capturing all necessary data before vehicles need to be moved to repair facilities. This preliminary inspection completes the assessment process upfront, allowing multiple vehicles to be evaluated quickly without repeated transport and inspection cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUSRE47686E1Mobile inspection facility

Publication Date: 2019.11.05 ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY

AI summary

Aspects of the disclosure describe a wheeled vehicle having a structure attached thereto and configured to acquire within the interior of the structure a vehicle to be inspected. The structure is configured to receive the vehicle within its interior. In example implementations, the structure is located relative to the wheeled vehicle such that the vehicle to be inspected is loaded into and received within the structure during travel of the wheeled vehicle past the vehicle to be inspected. Having loaded the vehicle into the structure, the vehicle may be inspected. Once inspection is complete, the vehicle may be unloaded from the structure. In example implementations, the structure is located relative to the wheeled vehicle such that the inspected vehicle is unloaded from the structure during travel of the wheeled vehicle past the inspected vehicle. The wheeled vehicle may transport the structure to the site of another vehicle to be inspected.