RFID Tagged Building Materials for Automated Repair Cost Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for determining repair or replacement information in damaged homes are inaccurate and inefficient, relying on human judgment and not leveraging smart home technology to quickly assess damage extent and material requirements.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing smart home devices with RFID tags on building materials, allowing mobile devices to scan and transmit information to a server for precise determination of damage extent and material needs, enabling accurate and efficient estimation of repair or replacement costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods using human judgment are used to assess damage, then flexibility in assessment is maintained, but accuracy and efficiency of damage assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical human assessment process with an automated electronic system comprising mobile devices, servers, and databases. The system automatically captures images, identifies damaged materials through image recognition, queries material information from databases, and generates repair estimates without human intervention in the core assessment process, thereby simultaneously improving both accuracy and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the damaged structure itself to provide assessment information through embedded RFID tags and data matrices. When scanned by mobile devices, these tags automatically supply material type, color, and other identification information, eliminating the need for manual material identification and enabling the structure to 'assess itself'
2Measurement precision
If manual assessment by adjusters or contractors is used, then adaptability to various damage scenarios is maintained, but measurement precision and consistency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding RFID tags and data matrices in building materials during the manufacturing or construction phase. This pre-positioning of identification elements ensures that when damage occurs, the material information is already available for immediate automated recognition, eliminating the need for manual material identification and ensuring consistent accuracy across all assessments
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces RFID tags and data matrices as intermediaries between the physical material and the assessment system. These tags serve as mediators that encode material information (type, color, specifications) in machine-readable formats, enabling automated mobile devices to accurately identify materials without requiring human expertise or complex manual inspection procedures
3Loss of information
If smart home technology is integrated into building materials, then information accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing RFID tags and data matrices that serve multiple functions: they identify material type, color, specifications, and damage extent. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single integrated solution, providing complete material information without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by creating digital replicas of material information through RFID tags and data matrices. Instead of physically analyzing the actual material properties, the mobile device scans and copies the encoded information from these tags, obtaining complete material data (type, color, specifications) instantly without complex physical measurement equipment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate and efficient determination of repair or replacement costs by leveraging smart home technology, ensuring that repaired areas match surrounding materials and reducing human error in assessment.
Implementation Method 1
A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on the building material stores a set of values that identify the color of the building material and the type of building material
Data Source
AI summary
System, methods, and apparatus for obtaining repair or replacement related information are described. For example, a mobile device is configured to scan RFID tags or other identifiers located on or in studs behind a wall of a house, obtain an identifier of at least one RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags, determine a number of RFID tags scanned, generate and send, to a server, a message comprising the identifier of the at least one RFID tag, the number of RFID tags scanned, and an account identifier. The server can be configured to receive the message, determine a distance between two adjacent studs based on the identifier of the at least one RFID tag, determine a total distance of a scanned region of the wall based on the number of RFID tags scanned and the distance between the two adjacent studs, and determine an estimate of a cost of replace or repair based at least on the total distance.