IP Library Granted Patent US 12,450,666
Granted Patent B2
US 12,450,666 · App. 18/658,330 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Deep learning image processing method for determining vehicle damage

Inventors: He Yang (The Colony, TX); Bradley A. Sliz (Normal, IL); Carlee A. Clymer (Atlanta, GA); Jennifer Malia Andrus (Champaign, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
G06Q40/08G06F16/583G06F18/214G06F18/22G06N3/08G06V10/761G06V10/82G06V2201/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,450,666
App. No.
18/658,330
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a computer-implemented method and associated tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, an image of a damaged vehicle may be analyzed to generate a repair estimate. A dataset populated with digital images of damaged vehicles and associated claim data may be used to train a deep learning neural network to learn damaged vehicle image characteristics that are predictive of claim data characteristics, and a predictive similarity model may be generated. Using the predictive similarity model, one or more similarity scores may be generated for a digital image of a newly damaged vehicle, indicating its similarity to one or more digital images of damaged vehicles with known damage level, repair time, and/or repair cost. A repair estimate may be generated for the newly damaged vehicle based on the claim data associated with images that are most similar to the image of the newly damaged vehicle.

Claims (41)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a first digital image of a first damaged vehicle;

determining one or more characteristics of the first digital image;

identifying, using an image search engine, from a database of digital images of damaged vehicles, one or more digital images of one or more additional damaged vehicles, having one or more same characteristics as the first digital image; and

predicting one or more of a damage level, a repair time, or a repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the one or more additional damaged vehicles, and based on a degree for each of the one or more same characteristics, wherein the degree for each of the one or more same characteristic is assigned to each corresponding same characteristic based on how well the corresponding same characteristic accurately predicts the damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving input from a user including a selection of one of the one or more additional damaged vehicles; and

wherein predicting the one or more of the damage level, the repair time, or the repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the selected one or more additional damaged vehicles.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on a similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on the similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images, when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle, exceeding a similarity score threshold.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining, using a predictive similarity model, the similarity score for the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle and another image from the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles, wherein the predictive similarity model is trained using a historical training dataset populated with digital images of historical damaged vehicles and historical claim data related to the historical damaged vehicles, to identify damaged vehicle image characteristics that are predictive of one or more of damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising: displaying the one or more digital images of one or more additional damaged vehicles.

7. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:

receiving a first digital image of a first damaged vehicle;

determining one or more characteristics of the first digital image;

identifying, using an image search engine, from a database of digital images of damaged vehicles, one or more digital images of one or more additional damaged vehicles, having one or more same characteristics as the first digital image; and

predicting one or more of a damage level, a repair time, or a repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the one or more additional damaged vehicles, and based on a degree for each of the one or more same characteristics, wherein the degree for each of the one or more same characteristic is assigned to each corresponding same characteristic based on how well the corresponding same characteristic accurately predicts the damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , the actions further comprising:

receiving input from a user including a selection of one of the one or more additional damaged vehicles; and

wherein predicting the one or more of the damage level, the repair time, or the repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the selected one or more additional damaged vehicles.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on a similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on the similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images, when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle, exceeding a similarity score threshold.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the actions further comprising:

determining, using a predictive similarity model, the similarity score for the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle and another image from the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles, wherein the predictive similarity model is trained using a historical training dataset populated with digital images of historical damaged vehicles and historical claim data related to the historical damaged vehicles, to identify damaged vehicle image characteristics that are predictive of one or more of damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , the actions further comprising:

displaying the one or more digital images of one or more additional damaged vehicles.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:

receiving a first digital image of a first damaged vehicle;

determining one or more characteristics of the first digital image;

identifying, using an image search engine, from a database of digital images of damaged vehicles, one or more digital images of one or more additional damaged vehicles, having one or more same characteristics as the first digital image; and

predicting one or more of a damage level, a repair time, or a repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the one or more additional damaged vehicles, and based on a degree for each of the one or more same characteristics, wherein the degree for each of the one or more same characteristic is assigned to each corresponding same characteristic based on how well the corresponding same characteristic accurately predicts the damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , the actions further comprising:

receiving input from a user including a selection of one of the one or more additional damaged vehicles; and

wherein predicting the one or more of the damage level, the repair time, or the repair cost for the first damaged vehicle based on one or more of a known damage level, a known repair time, or a known repair cost for the selected one or more additional damaged vehicles.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on a similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein identifying the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles using the image search engine is based on the similarity score associated with each of the one or more digital images, when compared to the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle, exceeding a similarity score threshold.

17. The computer system of claim 15 , the actions further comprising:

determining, using a predictive similarity model, the similarity score for the first digital image of the first damaged vehicle and another image from the one or more digital images of the one or more additional damaged vehicles, wherein the predictive similarity model is trained using a historical training dataset populated with digital images of historical damaged vehicles and historical claim data related to the historical damaged vehicles, to identify damaged vehicle image characteristics that are predictive of one or more of damage level, repair time, or repair cost.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2024
From: YANG, HE; SLIZ, BRADLEY A.; CLYMER, CARLEE A.; ANDRUS, JENNIFER MALIA
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069340/0193 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 18110510 · Feb 16, 2023
Continuation 16937318 · Jul 23, 2020
Continuation 16023414 · Jun 29, 2018
Provisional Application 62526879 · Jun 29, 2017
Related Publication 20240289891A1 · Aug 29, 2024
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