Method for Efficient Processing of Insurance Claims

Abstract

Rooms, structures, vehicles, and other objects can be accurately diagrammed, often without performing a physical on-site inspection. Photographs of a room, structure, vehicle, or other object are uploaded to a computer having a processor. A base calibration measure is determined for a room, structure, vehicle, object, or component thereof, depicted in the photographs using at least one known dimension for items observable in the photographs. The base calibration measure is then used to determine dimensions of other areas, items, or objects depicted in such photographs, and to create at least one scale diagram of the subject matter of the photographs. Damages areas of the structure/vehicle/object can be assessed from the scale diagram. The scale diagram can then be used to calculate appropriate insurance payment amounts for damage claims.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for assessing a damage value of at least one area of damage comprising:
 a) creating digital image of an internal portion of a structure including said at least one area of damage using a camera or optical scanner;   b) providing a computerized device, comprising:
 (i) a processing circuit 
 (ii) a memory circuit; 
 (iii) a display device; 
 (iv) a user-controlled data entry device; 
 (v) a computer program that executes on said processing circuit; 
   c) storing said digital image data in said memory circuit;   d) graphically drawing a first line that corresponds to a particular dimension of an object that appears in said image data using said user-controlled data entry device, wherein said first line serves as a base calibration measure;   e) assigning an actual distance in engineering units to said base calibration measure;   f) storing said base calibration measure in said memory circuit;   g) graphically drawing a second line having a second distance as its length using said user-controlled data entry device, wherein said second line spans a different particular dimension on said image than said first line;   h) converting said second distance measure into a distance that is in terms of engineering units using said base calibration measure;   i) scaling said image into engineering units, and thereby creating a scale diagram of said internal portion of said structure;   j) selecting at least one area of damage that is visible in said image using said user-controlled data entry device;   k) calculating said at least one area of damage in terms of engineering units, and storing results of said calculations in said memory circuit; and   l) assessing a damage value of said at least one area of damage.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said actual distance in engineering units assigned to said base calibration measure comprises a known value. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said known value is selected from a database. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said database contains predetermined dimensions corresponding to a plurality of objects. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of assessing a damage value of said at least one area of damage further comprises:
 a) reviewing said results to identify an insured property;   b) inspecting stored information about said insured property to determine a value of said insured property; and   c) preparing a proposal for settling a property damage claim using said damage value.   
     
     
         6 . A method for assessing a damage value of at least one area of damage comprising:
 a) providing a first computerized device, comprising:
 (i) a first processing circuit 
 (ii) a first memory circuit; 
 (iii) a first communications circuit; 
 (iv) a first user-controlled data entry device; 
 (v) a first computer program that executes on said first processing circuit; 
   b) providing a second computerized device, comprising:
 (i) a second processing circuit 
 (ii) a second memory circuit; 
 (iii) a second communications circuit; 
 (iv) a second user-controlled data entry device; 
 (v) a second computer program that executes on said second processing circuit; 
   c) providing at least one communications network connecting said first and second communications circuits of said first and second computerized devices, that allows said first and second communications circuits to transfer data to and from external computer devices;   d) creating a digital image of at least one area of damage within an internal portion of a structure using a camera or optical scanner;   e) storing said digital image data in said first memory circuit in terms of GUI coordinate data;   f) graphically drawing a first line that corresponds to a particular dimension of an object that appears in said image data using said first user-controlled data entry device, wherein said first line serves as a base calibration measure;   g) storing said base calibration measure in said first memory circuit;   h) graphically drawing a second line having a second distance as its length using said first user-controlled data entry device, wherein said second line spans a different particular dimension on said image than said first line;   i) storing a measure of said second line in said first memory circuit, wherein said second line measure is in terms of GUI coordinate data;   j) assigning an actual distance in engineering units to said base calibration measure;   k) converting said second distance measure into engineering units;   l) scaling said entire image into engineering units, and thereby creating a scale diagram of said internal portion of said structure;   m) using said first user-controlled data entry device to select a first area that corresponds to a total area of a specific structure that appears in said image;   n) using said first user-controlled data entry device to select a second area that corresponds to at least one area of damage that is visible in said image;   o) calculating said first area in terms of engineering units, calculating said second area in terms of engineering units, and storing results of said first area and second area calculations in said first memory circuit; and   p) transmitting said results over said communications circuit to said second computerized device;   q) assessing a damage value of said at least one area of damage using said second computer program that executes on said second processing circuit.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said step of assessing a damage value of said at least one area of damage further comprises:
 a) reviewing said results to identify an insured property using said second processing circuit;   b) inspecting information about said insured property stored on said second memory circuit to determine a value of said insured property; and   c) preparing a proposal for settling a property damage claim using said damage value.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said actual distance in engineering units assigned to said base calibration measure comprises a known value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said known value is selected from a database. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said database contains predetermined dimensions corresponding to a plurality of objects.