Remote Vehicle Damage Assessment With Image-Based Repair Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of determining vehicle damage repair costs often requires travel by the vehicle owner or appraiser, which can be inefficient and impractical, especially when repair shops lack capacity or the damage is extensive, necessitating a need for automation to reduce travel and improve speed.
Innovation Solution
A network-based system and method that includes a repair assistant computer system, user devices, insurer network devices, and repair facility devices, enabling users to request repairs, search for authorized repair facilities, and schedule appointments through a user interface, facilitating the transfer of vehicle information and photographs to authorized repair facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the owner transports the vehicle to the appraiser for inspection, then the damage can be reviewed and repair cost determined, but the owner must travel which increases time loss and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote communication system as an intermediary between the appraiser and the vehicle owner. The appraiser can remotely access the vehicle through the communication system without requiring physical travel to the vehicle location, thereby eliminating travel time while maintaining the ability to conduct damage assessments accurately
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical travel-based inspection process with an electronic remote inspection system. Instead of the appraiser physically traveling to the vehicle, the system uses electronic communication to transmit vehicle data, images, and diagnostic information, substituting mechanical travel with electronic information transfer
2Measurement precision
If the appraiser travels to the vehicle for inspection, then the damage can be reviewed, but the appraiser must travel which increases time loss and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The remote communication system acts as an intermediary that enables the appraiser to conduct inspections without physical travel. The system handles all communication and data transfer automatically, reducing the complexity of coordinating appraiser travel while maintaining assessment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the appraisal process to occur automatically through remote access, where the vehicle's communication system automatically provides necessary information to the appraiser without requiring manual coordination of travel schedules or physical presence
3Reliability
If repair shops are required to have capacity to repair the vehicle at the time of appraisal, then the repair can be performed, but this limits the available repair facilities and requires additional travel or waiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary remote appraisal and estimation of repair costs before the vehicle arrives at the repair facility. This preliminary action allows the repair facility to prepare for the vehicle's arrival, schedule appointments in advance, and ensure capacity is available, thereby reducing waiting time and improving repair availability
Data Source
AI summary
A system for instructing a user on repairing a vehicle configured to (i) receive, from the user computing device, a request to repair a vehicle, the vehicle including a damaged portion, (ii) prompt the user by displaying a prompt on a user interface of the user computing device to transmit one or more images of the damaged portion of the vehicle; (iii) execute a machine learning model by inputting the one or more images of the damaged portion of the vehicle, the machine learning model configured to determine damage to the vehicle based on at least the one or more images of the vehicle and to determine one or more repair facilities capable of performing repairs to the damage to the vehicle; and (iv) cause the one or more repair facilities to be displayed on the user computing device.