Patent Publication Number: US-2021192638-A1

Title: Vehicle Repair Cost Estimate Acquisition System and Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/356,592, filed on Jun. 19, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 13/164,714, filed on Jun. 20, 2011. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to vehicle repair. More particularly, the present invention relates to network-based vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition systems and methods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is readily apparent to an observer of the vehicle repair industry that the traditional way of securing repair cost estimates for minor vehicle damage is outdated, inefficient, timely, and costly. When faced with this type of repair, many consumers struggle with a fundamental choice, i.e., whether to submit an insurance claim for the repair or pay the cost of the repair themselves. 
     If the consumer decides to submit a claim to the insurance company, traditionally the consumer will have to wait for three different estimates before the repairs actually begin. First, the consumer waits for the insurance company to dispatch an adjuster to estimate the cost of repairs. Generally, the consumer must then blindly decide which shop will complete the repairs. When the consumer does decide on a shop, a second estimate is written by the repair shop. This estimate is often times drastically different from the estimate written by the insurance adjuster. In this case, the shop contacts the insurance adjuster for another inspection of the vehicle. Finally, when an agreed cost to repair is reached between the insurance company and the shop, a third estimate is written and repairs to the consumer&#39;s vehicle begin. 
     Since this traditional method also results in higher operating expenses for the insurance company, ultimately all consumers who own insurance policies are indirectly impacted as these costs are often passed onto the policyholder in the form of increased policy premiums. Even when the consumer decides not to report the minor damage to the insurance company, many vehicle repair shops inflate the estimated cost to repair presumably in order recoup losses in the lower, negotiated repair rates with insurance companies. Consequently, a customer who desires to pay the repair cost himself is often at the mercy of the local repair shop, and securing estimates from several local repair shops usually involves unreasonable outlays of time and effort because the damaged vehicle must be driven to each repair shop so that the vehicle can be inspected prior to the quote. An improved process, addressing these issues, is long overdue. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide a computer-based method for obtaining repair cost estimates for a vehicle, as well as a related network server. 
     In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a vehicle identification number (VIN) over a network from a customer computer, retrieving vehicle information, associated with the VIN, from a database, sending the vehicle information and a graphical representation of the vehicle, including a plurality of selectable vehicle damage locations, over the network to the customer computer, receiving a selection of at least one vehicle damage location over the network from the customer computer, receiving at least one image of the vehicle over the network from the customer computer, storing the vehicle information, the selected damage location and the vehicle image as a repair job in a non-volatile memory or the database, and sending a notification, indicating that the new repair job is available for review, over the network to at least one repair provider computer. 
     In another embodiment, a network server comprises a processor coupled to a network and a database, and a memory, coupled to the processor, storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method for estimating repair costs for a vehicle as outlined above. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of a network-based vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition system, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of a vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition network server, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a representation of the software executed by a vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition network server, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  presents a flow chart of a computer-based method for obtaining vehicle repair cost estimates for a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  presents a supplemental flow chart for the method depicted in  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 6, 7 and 8  illustrate partial screen shots of a graphical user interface associated with at least a portion of the method depicted in  FIG. 4 , in accordance with a web-based embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate partial screen shots of a graphical user interface associated with at least a portion of the method depicted in  FIG. 5 , in accordance with a web-based embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
     Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide the customer and the insurance company with a computer-based method for obtaining repair cost estimates. By incorporating this new technology, consumers and insurance companies are able to receive and review repair cost estimates from an unlimited number of shops prior to deciding who will complete the repair. The present invention advantageously overcomes the problems associated with the traditional method of obtaining repair cost estimates as it increases efficiency, reduces costs, and improves repair cycle time. Also, the general population as a whole benefits from the present invention as it allows for a significant reduction in drive time resulting in less pollution and dependency on our already strained system of transportation. 
     The inventive systems and methods described herein advantageously allow consumers to obtain competitive estimate quotes and quality repairs without driving from shop to shop or searching website after website for the “right” vehicle repair shop. If an insurance claim is contemplated, consumers do not need to wait for their insurance company representatives to inspect, negotiate and decide what, when and how the repairs will be undertaken using the inventive systems and methods described herein. 
     Additionally, smaller vehicle repair shops, who may not be able to afford advertising and marketing costs but still provide reputable vehicle service and repairs, are able to effectively compete with industry leaders, expand their customer base, and improve profits without incurring massive advertising and marketing fees. In other words, these smaller vehicle repair providers are no longer penalized simply for being small. On the other hand, vehicle insurance professionals can grow their businesses independently, rather than consolidating, using the inventive systems and methods described herein. 
     It is noted that online marketplaces for physical goods and services have generally enabled consumers to compare prices and make such purchases more efficiently and often times less costly. However, none of the known online marketplaces embody the many advantageous features of the present invention. 
     While there is no limitation with respect to who can use the present invention, it should be realized that the inventive systems and methods described herein will be of most beneficial to vehicle owners and auto insurance professionals, such as, for example, vehicle repair and/or body shops, insurance adjusters, attorneys, salvage yards, rental car agencies, etc. As noted above, the customer may be a vehicle owner who does not want to submit a claim to an insurance company, and, instead, wishes to directly manage the repairs, or, alternatively, a customer who only wishes to perform partial repairs to the vehicle. For purposes of the present invention, the term “vehicle repair” is also intended to include all aspects of vehicle repairs resulting from a vehicle accident, loss, collision, vandalism, natural disaster, etc. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a block diagram of a network-based vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition system  100 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Customer computer  110 , repair provider computer  120  and network server  200  are connected to network  102  through various network connections  104 ,  106  and  108 , respectively. In a preferred embodiment, network  102  is the Internet, however, in other embodiments, network  102  may be a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a cellular network, a wireless (WiFi) network, etc., or any combinations of networks. Generally, network connections  104 ,  106  and  108  may be any of these networks or combinations thereof; other connection mechanisms are also contemplated, such as, for example, dial-up, ADSL, cable modems, PPP, fiber, etc. Regardless of the type of network or method of connection, customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120  are coupled to network server  200  via one or more networks or network connections in order to exchange data, as is well known in the art. In several embodiments, customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120  can also exchange data over network  102 . 
     Customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120  are preferably personal desktop or laptop computers (PCs), or, more generally, network-capable computers or digital devices, such as, for example, personal digital assistants, smart phones, tablet computers, etc. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of a vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition network server  200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Network server  200  includes, inter alia, a processor  202  coupled to volatile memory  204 , nonvolatile memory  206 , a network interface  208 , an external data storage interface  210 , etc., by one or more internal data buses  212 . Other components may also be provided. Database  220 , generally representing one or more databases, data structures, file storage systems, etc., is stored on one or more hard disks, RAID arrays, disk farms, etc., internal or external to network server  200 . Alternatively, database  220  may be hosted by a separate network database server  230 , e.g., a database management system (DBMS), etc., coupled to network  102  and/or network connection  108  via network connection  112 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts a representation of the network server software  300  executed by the network server  200 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Network server software  300  may include, inter aka, a real time communication module  310 , which provides various communications functionalities, such as real time messaging, chat, mobile alerts, email alerts, bulletin board access, etc., an image processing module  320 , which manipulates damage photos, repair photos, estimate images, etc., a data storage module  330 , which manages database access, private files, shared files, etc., and a main processing module  340 , which may include web page hosting software, enterprise software, server software, etc., as well as implementations of the inventive methods described herein. This description is not intended to be exhaustive or all-inclusive, and other software modules, components, etc. may be, and are, included within network server software  300 , as known in the art. 
     In a preferred embodiment, network-based vehicle repair cost estimate acquisition system  100  is world-wide-web (www) based, and network server  200  is a web server delivering HTML, XML, etc., web pages to customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120 . In other embodiments, a traditional client-server architecture may be implemented, in which network server  200  executes enterprise and custom software, exchanging data with custom client applications running on customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120 . 
       FIG. 4  presents a flow chart of a computer-based method  400  for obtaining repair cost estimates for a vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. This method executes on network server  200 , and, in a preferred embodiment, network server  200  primarily interacts with customer computer  110  and repair provider computer  120  via web pages delivered to web browsers executing on each computer. Additional communication methods are also contemplated, including, for example, text messages over one or more cellular networks, email messages over network  102 , etc. In a preferred embodiment, the customer launches a web browser on customer computer  110  and enters the network address (e.g., URL) for network server  200  in the address line; in response, network server  200  provides an initial web page over network  102  for display on customer computer  110 . 
       FIGS. 6, 7 and 8  illustrate partial screen shots  600 ,  700 ,  800  of a graphical user interface associated with at least a portion of the method depicted in  FIG. 4 , in accordance with a web-based embodiment of the invention, and will be referred to during the description of the method. 
     In one embodiment, network server  200  first authenticates ( 401 ) customer computer  110  by requesting a username/password combination, which may be created ( 402 ) beforehand or contemporaneously, as is well known in the art. After authentication, the initial web page described above is sent over network  102  for display on customer computer  110 , which includes, inter alia, an input field  610  for the vehicle identification number (VIN). The customer enters the VIN in input field  610  and selects a send or submit button  620 , labeled as “Show My Car” in  FIG. 6 . Network server  200  then receives ( 410 ) the VIN over network  102  from customer computer  110 . 
     In response to receiving the VIN, network server  200  retrieves ( 420 ) vehicle information, associated with the VIN, from database  220 , which may be directly connected to network server  200  using data storage interface  210 , connected to network server  200  over a local area network or indirectly connected to network server  200  by an optional database server  230  over network connection  112 . The vehicle information includes the year, make and model of the vehicle, as well as other, optional information, such as, for example, a digital image of the vehicle. 
     Network server  200  then creates a graphical representation of the vehicle  710  that includes including a plurality of selectable vehicle damage locations. In a preferred embodiment, the graphical representation of the vehicle  710  includes an overhead image of the vehicle  715  and a plurality of selectable icons  720  surrounding, and/or superimposed on, the image  715 . The vehicle information and the graphical representation of the vehicle  710  are sent ( 430 ) over network  102  to customer computer  110  for display. In one embodiment, the customer may modify the year, make or model of the vehicle information  640  via pull down menus  641 ,  642 ,  643 . In another embodiment, a digital image of the vehicle  630  is also sent and displayed with the vehicle information  640 . 
     Generally, the customer now selects at least one of the possible vehicle locations that may be damaged, and provides at least one digital image of the damaged locations. For example, the customer selects at least one icon  720 , and, in the illustrated embodiment, identifies one or two digital images  650 ,  660 , e.g., a wide shot and/or a close up shot, respectively, that are stored on customer computer  110 . The selected damage locations and digital images are sent to network server  200  when the send or submit button  830  is selected, labeled as “Get Bids Now!” in  FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, network server  200  receives ( 440 ) the selection of damage locations and receives ( 450 ) the digital images of the vehicle at the same time, along with other, optional information provided by the customer, such as, for example, the mileage  810  of the vehicle, customer contact info  820 , etc. 
     In a preferred embodiment, each selection of an icon  720  is immediately transmitted from customer computer  110 , over network  102 , and received ( 440 ) by network server  200 , which then retrieves a list of components associated with the selected damage location from nonvolatile memory  206  or database  220 . Network server  200  then sends ( 442 ) the list of components over network  102  to customer computer  110 , which is displayed to the customer. As depicted in  FIG. 7 , for example, the driver side door  722 , rear  724  and front  726  have been selected, and the respective component lists  730 , including side components  732 , rear components  734  and front components  736 , have been retrieved, transmitted and displayed to the customer, who then selects one or more components from each list. The component selections and digital images are sent to network server  200  when the send or submit button  830  is selected, labeled as “Get Bids Now!” in  FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, network server  200  receives ( 444 ) the selection of components and receives ( 450 ) the digital images of the vehicle at the same time, along with other, optional information provided by the customer, such as, for example, the mileage  810  of the vehicle, customer contact info  820 , etc. 
     Network server  200  then stores ( 460 ) the vehicle information, the selected damage locations (and components, if any), and the digital images of the vehicle as a new repair job in a non-volatile memory  206  or database  220 . 
     Finally, network server  200  sends ( 470 ) a notification, indicating that the new repair job is available for review, over network  102  to the repair provider computer  120 . The notification can be an email message, a pop-up browser window or alert message on the repair provider computer  120 , a text message to the repair provider&#39;s cell phone or smart phone, etc. 
       FIG. 5  presents a supplemental flow chart for the method depicted in  FIG. 4 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the repair provider launches a web browser on repair provider computer  120  and enters the network address (e.g., URL) for network server  200  in the address line; in response, network server  200  provides an initial web page over network  102  for display on repair provider computer  120 . 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate partial screen shots  900 ,  1000  of a graphical user interface associated with at least a portion of the method depicted in  FIG. 5 , in accordance with a web-based embodiment of the invention, and will be referred to during the description of the method. 
     In one embodiment, network server  200  first authenticates ( 501 ) repair provider computer  120  by requesting a username/password combination, which may be created ( 502 ) beforehand, as is well known in the art. After authentication, the initial web page described above is sent ( 510 ) over network  102  for display on repair provider computer  120 , which includes, inter aka, at least one repair job  910 .  FIG. 9  depicts three (3) repair jobs, each one including relevant information, such as, for example, a digital image  912  of the vehicle damage location, vehicle information  914 , a description, a location, an urgency, etc., as well as one or more selectable icons including a prepare bid  916  icon and a send message  918  icon. 
     Generally, the repair provider now selects one of the repair jobs, and provides a bid amount  1010 , estimated time to complete  1020 , and optional questions/comments  1020 . The bid is sent to network server  200  when the send or submit button  1040  is selected, labeled as “Send!” in  FIG. 10 . In this embodiment, network server  200  receives ( 520 ) the repair job selection and receives ( 530 ) the bid amount  1010  and estimated time to complete  1020  at the same time, along with optional questions/comments  1030 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the repair provider can request additional information by selecting the send message  918  icon. Network server  200  then receives the request for additional information over network  102  from repair provider computer  120 , and sends ( 522 ) the request for additional information over network  102  to customer computer  110 . After the additional information is received ( 524 ) from customer computer  110 , network server  200  sends the additional information to repair provider computer  120 . The bid amount  1010 , estimated time to complete  1020 , and optional questions/comments  1020  are sent ( 530 ) to network server  200  when the send or submit button  1040  is selected, labeled as “Send!” in  FIG. 10 . 
     Network server  200  then stores ( 540 ) the bid amount  1010  and estimated time to complete  1020  as a new repair bid in a non-volatile memory  206  or database  220 . 
     Network server  200  then sends ( 550 ) a notification, indicating that the new repair bid is available for review, over network  102  to the customer computer  110 . The notification can be an email message, a pop-up browser window or alert message on the repair provider computer  120 , a text message sent to the customer&#39;s cell phone or smart phone, etc. 
     The customer then accepts ( 560 ) the repair bid, using the customer computer  110  or a digital device, and, finally, network server  200  sends ( 570 ) a notification, indicating that the repair bid has been accepted, over network  102  to the repair provider computer  120 . 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the invention.