Enhanced image capture and analysis of damaged tangible objects

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for the usage of enhanced pictures (e.g., photos) of tangible objects (e.g., property, cars, etc.) damaged in an accident and answers to questions about the accident to better assess the effect of the damage (e.g., repair expenses and accompanying changes to an insurance policy). A pre-FNOL system may receive responses to one or more questions regarding an accident and one or more enhanced pictures of the tangible property damaged in the accident. The pre-FNOL system may use the responses to the one or more questions and the one or more enhanced pictures to determine repair costs associated with the damaged property and accompanying changes to the insurance policy if an insurance claim were to be filed to cover the determined repairs costs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a first computing device, that a vehicle has been involved in an accident;   activating a camera of a mobile device;   generating, on a display of the mobile device, a semi-translucent overlay corresponding to a first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident;   causing the mobile device to capture, with the activated camera, one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident and corresponding to the semi-translucent overlay;   discarding image data outside of an outer boundary of the semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and   calculating, based on the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and expected insurance policy premium changes if an insurance claim is filed to cover the calculated repair costs.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the mobile device to capture the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident comprises causing the mobile device to capture image data corresponding to an entire area of the display of the mobile device,
 wherein discarding the image data outside of the semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident comprises discarding portions of a second area of the vehicle not included in the first area, and   wherein the method further comprises storing remaining, non-discarded image data, the stored image data is smaller in size than the captured image data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device, wherein the one or more sensors collect the vehicle operation sensor data during the accident. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising providing, to emergency personnel, an alert that the accident has occurred, wherein the alert includes the vehicle operation sensor data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising responsive to receiving a request to file the insurance claim, further applying the expected insurance policy premium changes to an insurance policy associated with a driver of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a second area of the vehicle comprises a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, a front of the vehicle, or a rear of the vehicle, and
 wherein the first area of the vehicle comprises a tire, a door, a tire well, a headlight, hood, a bumper, a windshield, or a taillight.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle to one or more stored images; and   providing, to the mobile device and based on determining that the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle do not correspond to any of the one or more stored images, a notification to re-capture an image of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 detect that a vehicle has been involved in an accident; 
 activate a camera of a mobile device; 
 generate, on a display of the mobile device, a semi-translucent overlay corresponding to a first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident; 
 cause the mobile device to capture, with the activated camera, one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident and corresponding to the semi-translucent overlay; 
 discard image data outside of an outer boundary of the semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and 
 calculate, based on the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and expected insurance policy premium changes if an insurance claim is filed to cover the calculated repair costs. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 generate, on the display of the mobile device, a second semi-translucent overlay corresponding to a second area of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and   cause the mobile device to capture, with the activated camera, one or more pictures of the second area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, wherein an outer boundary of the one or more pictures of the second area of the vehicle damaged in the accident traces the second semi-translucent overlay.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a second area of the vehicle comprises a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, a front of the vehicle, or a rear of the vehicle, and
 wherein the first area of the vehicle comprises a tire, a door, a tire well, a headlight, hood, a bumper, a windshield, or a taillight.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 compare the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle to one or more stored images; and   provide, to the mobile device and based on determining that the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle do not correspond to any of the one or more stored images, a notification to re-capture an image of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device; and   receive additional vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle or one or more sensors associated with a telematics device associated with the vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to provide, to emergency personnel, an alert that the accident has occurred, wherein the alert includes the vehicle operation sensor data. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the vehicle operation sensor data includes at least an indication of airbag deployment. 
     
     
         15 . A computing system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:   detect that a vehicle has been involved in an accident;   activate a camera of a mobile device;   generate, on a display of the mobile device, a semi-translucent overlay corresponding to a first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident;   cause the mobile device to capture, with the activated camera, one or more pictures of the vehicle damaged in the accident and corresponding to the semi-translucent overlay;   discard image data outside of an outer boundary of the semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident; and   calculate, based on the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident, repair costs for the vehicle damaged in the accident and expected insurance policy premium changes if an insurance claim is filed to cover the calculated repair costs.   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:
 cause the mobile device to capture the one or more pictures the vehicle damaged in the accident by causing the mobile device to capture image data corresponding to an entire area of the display of the mobile device;   discard the image data outside of the semi-translucent overlay corresponding to the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident by discarding portions of a second area of the vehicle not included in the first area; and   store remaining, non-discarded image data, wherein the stored image data is smaller in size than the captured image data.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:
 compare the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle to one or more stored images; and   provide, to the mobile device and based on determining that the one or more pictures of the first area of the vehicle do not correspond to any of the one or more stored images, a notification to re-capture an image of the first area of the vehicle damaged in the accident.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein a second area of the vehicle comprises a driver side of the vehicle, a passenger side of the vehicle, a front of the vehicle, or a rear of the vehicle, and
 wherein the first area of the vehicle comprises a tire, a door, a tire well, a headlight, hood, a bumper, a windshield, or a taillight.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to:
 receive vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors of the mobile device, wherein the vehicle operation sensor data includes at least an indication of airbag deployment; and   receive additional vehicle operation sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle or one or more sensors associated with a telematics device associated with the vehicle.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one memory stores further computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to provide, to emergency personnel, an alert that the accident has occurred, wherein the alert includes the vehicle operation sensor data.