Web based repair cost estimating system
A web based insurance estimating system. The system includes a client computer that can launch client-side integrated processing software through a web-based application. The system also includes a server that generates information for a repair cost estimate web page. The repair cost estimate web page is displayed at the client computer. The repair cost estimate web page has properties that can be configured by a user at the client computer. The server can automatically populate fields of one or more web pages in response to a vehicle identification number entered by the user.
1. A system that provides at least one repair cost estimate web page through a broadband network, comprising:
a client computer that can receive a vehicle identification number entered by a user and transmit the vehicle identification number through the broadband network, said client computer displays a graphical user interface that graphically depicts a graphical vehicle and identifies on the graphical vehicle a physical location of a paint code plate on a vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, the paint code late comprising a paint code of the vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, said client computer displays a web page that provides a first selectable identifier that when selected provides a vehicle information web page and a second selectable identifier that when selected provides an estimate web page; and,
a server that automatically populates in response to entry of the vehicle identification number a repair cost estimate web page displayed by said client computer with vehicle feature data, including engine type, transmission and vehicle option feature data, that corresponds to the vehicle identification number and provides at least one web page that allows a user to select at least one vehicle part and provides a repair cost estimate, that includes a cost to perform a repair, based on said selected vehicle part after auto-population, said server provides a web page with an insured policy number field and a claim number field.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle feature data includes a type of engine.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page provides a list of selectable paint codes.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page includes validation controls.
5. A system that provides at least one repair cost estimate web page through a broadband network, comprising:
client computer means for receiving a vehicle identification number entered by a user and transmitting the vehicle identification number through the broadband network, said client computer means displays a graphical user interface that graphically depicts a graphical vehicle and identifies on the graphical vehicle a physical location of a paint code plate on a vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, the paint code plate comprising a paint code of the vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, said client computer means displays a web page that provides a first selectable identifier that when selected provides a vehicle information web page and a second selectable identifier that when selected provides an estimate web page; and,
server means for automatically populating in response to entry of the vehicle identification number a repair cost estimate web page that is displayed by said client computer means with vehicle feature data, including engine type, transmission and vehicle option feature data, that corresponds to the vehicle identification number and provides at least one web page that allows a user to select at least one vehicle part and provides a repair cost estimate, that includes a cost to perform a repair, based on said selected vehicle part after auto-population, said server means provides a web page with an insured policy number field and a claim number field.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein vehicle feature data includes a type of engine.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page provides a list of selectable paint codes.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page includes validation controls.
9. A non-transitory computer program storage medium that creates at least one repair cost estimate web page that is transmitted through a broadband network, comprising:
a computer program storage medium that includes a program that causes a server computer to automatically populate in response to an entry of a vehicle identification number a repair cost estimate web page with vehicle feature data, including engine type, transmission and vehicle option feature data, that corresponds to the vehicle identification number received by the server from a client computer and provides at least one web page that allows a user to select at least one vehicle part and provides a repair cost estimate, that includes a cost to perform a repair, based on said selected vehicle part after auto-population, said program causes said server computer to provide a web page with an insured policy number field and a claim number field, and cause a client computer to display a graphical user interface that graphically depicts a graphical vehicle and identifies on the graphical vehicle a physical location of a paint code plate on a vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, the paint code plate comprising a paint code of the vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, said client computer displays a web page that provides a first selectable identifier that when selected provides a vehicle information web page and a second selectable identifier that when selected provides an estimate web page.
10. The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein said vehicle feature data includes a type of engine.
11. The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page provides a list of selectable paint codes.
12. The storage medium of claim 9 , wherein said repair cost estimate web page includes validation controls.
13. A method for providing a least one repair cost estimate web page through a broadband network, comprising:
displaying a web page that provides a first selectable identifier that when selected provides a vehicle information web page and a second selectable identifier that when selected provides an estimate web page;
displaying a web page with an insured policy number field and a claim number field; entering a vehicle identification number into a client computer that displays a repair cost estimate web page;
transmitting through a broadband network the vehicle identification number;
receiving the vehicle identification number at a server;
correlating vehicle feature data with the vehicle identification number by the server; transmitting the vehicle feature data through the broadband network;
populating automatically in response to the entry of the vehicle identification number the repair cost estimate web page with the vehicle feature data, including engine type, transmission and vehicle option feature data, at the client computer;
displaying a plurality of selectable vehicle parts after auto-population;
selecting at least one vehicle part;
displaying a repair cost estimate, that includes a cost to perform a repair, based on said selected vehicle part; and,
displaying at a client computer a graphical user interface that graphically depicts a graphical vehicle and identifies on the graphical vehicle a physical location of a paint code plate on a vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle, the paint code plate comprising a paint code of the vehicle that corresponds to said graphical vehicle.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the vehicle feature data includes a type of engine.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising selecting one of a plurality of selectable paint codes.