System for capturing an image of a damaged vehicle
View Patent ↗A device and method that assists a user in photographing a vehicle for documenting a condition of the vehicle for a vehicle insurance estimate. The device is a camera that captures images of the vehicle. The camera includes a screen that displays an image of the vehicle and a graphical arrow that indicates a direction in which a plurality of vehicle images are to be captured. The camera also includes a memory that stores a plurality of captured vehicle images of the vehicle each captured from a different vantage point. The camera transmits the plurality of captured vehicle images that are reviewed at an insurance estimate computer.
1. A camera device that assists a user in photographing a vehicle for use in a vehicle insurance estimate, comprising:
a camera that captures images of the vehicle, said camera includes a screen that displays an image of the vehicle and a graphical arrow that indicates a direction in which a plurality of vehicle images are to be captured and provides an indication of a rate that said captured vehicle images are being captured, said camera includes a memory that stores a plurality of captured vehicle images of the vehicle each captured from a different vantage point, said camera transmits said plurality of captured vehicle images that are reviewed at an insurance estimate computer.
2. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein said screen displays a graphic overlay shaped like the vehicle and utilized to capture the plurality of captured vehicle images.
3. The camera device of claim 2 , wherein said camera matches at least one reference point of the vehicle with at least one reference point of the graphical overlay.
4. The camera device of claim 2 , wherein said captured vehicle images are reviewed at a rate that provides a 3-D visual representation of the vehicle.
5. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein said screen displays a graphical bullseye that provides a focal point for said camera.
6. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein said screen displays a graphical indication that allows a user to select an area of the vehicle to captured said captured vehicle images.
7. A non-transitory computer program storage medium, comprising computer-readable instructions for assisting a user in photographing a vehicle for use in a vehicle insurance estimate, execution of said computer-readable instructions by at least one processor of a camera device performs the steps:
displaying an image of the vehicle and a graphical arrow that indicates a direction in which a plurality of vehicle images are to be captured on a screen of a camera device and provides an indication of a rate that said captured vehicle images are being captured;
capturing a plurality of captured vehicle images at different vantage points with the camera device;
storing in memory of the camera device the plurality of captured vehicle images;
transmitting the plurality of captured vehicle images; and,
reviewing the captured vehicle images at an insurance estimate computer.
8. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 7 , wherein said screen displays a graphic overlay shaped like the vehicle and utilized to capture the plurality of captured vehicle images.
9. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising matching at least one reference point of the vehicle with at least one reference point of the graphical overlay.
10. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 8 , wherein said captured vehicle images are reviewed at a rate that provides a 3-D visual representation of the vehicle.
11. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 7 , wherein said screen displays a graphical bullseye that provides a focal point for said camera.
12. The non-transitory computer program storage medium of claim 7 , wherein said screen displays a graphical indication that allows a user to select an area of the vehicle to captured said captured vehicle images.
13. A method for assisting a user in photographing a vehicle for use in a vehicle insurance estimate, comprising;
displaying an image of the vehicle and a graphical arrow that indicates a direction in which a plurality of vehicle images are to be captured on a screen of a camera device and provides an indication of a rate that said captured vehicle images are being captured;
capturing a plurality of captured vehicle images at different vantage points with the camera device;
storing in a memory of the camera device the plurality of captured vehicle images;
transmitting the plurality of captured vehicle images; and,
reviewing the captured vehicle images at an insurance estimate computer.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising displaying on the screen a graphic overlay shaped like the vehicle and utilized to capture the plurality of captured vehicle images.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising matching by the camera at least one reference point of the vehicle with at least one reference point of the graphical overlay.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the captured vehicle images are reviewed at a rate that provides a 3-D visual representation of the vehicle.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the screen displays a graphical bullseye that is a focal point for the camera.