WO2022269089A1

WO2022269089A1 - Intelligent auto repair system

Info

Publication number: WO2022269089A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/067458
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel ZAMMIT
Original assignee: Huriya Private Fzlle; Prebensen Mads
Current assignee: Huriya Private Fzlle; Prebensen Mads
Priority date: 2021-06-24
Filing date: 2022-06-24
Publication date: 2022-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2023-12-24

Abstract

The present invention relates to intelligent auto repair system and a method for intelligent auto repair. It is an object of the invention to provide an intelligent auto repair system and a method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repairing to reduce costs and repair time and at the same time provide a transparent overview for the driver to keep track of each step of the damage assessment and repairing processes. The present invention addresses this by providing a computer-implemented method for an intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process comprising a computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system and a damage assessment and repair database related to the controlled damage assessment and repair system, wherein a capturing system captures at least one piece of image data information of the at least one damaged part of a damaged vehicle using at least one capturing device, wherein said method performs following acts of: - retrieving said at least one piece of image data information related to the damaged vehicle, - identifying said vehicle model from said at least one piece of image data information, - analysing and/or assessing said at least one damaged part, - identifying at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier to replace the damaged part or parts, - generating a quote and sending the quote to at least one person related to the vehicle, - receiving an approval from the person through a user interface, - generating a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle, - saving a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle in said damage assessment and repair database such that the person is capable of accessing at least one piece of repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair when accessing said damage assessment and repair database using said user interface.

Description

[INTELLIGENT AUTO REPAIR SYSTEM]

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to intelligent auto repair system and a method for intelli- gent auto repair process.

Background of the Invention

One of the biggest inconveniences of getting in a vehicle accident concerns vehicle re pairs. If the vehicle is not a total loss, the vehicle must be repaired. This process can be complicated, problematic and time-consuming for the driver of the damaged vehicle.

This auto repair process will likely begin with an appraisal of the damage to the vehicle. The driver must contact the insurance company to report the vehicle damage and/or file a claim. A lot of time goes into filing accident claims and paperwork following an al ready traumatic experience. The insurance company will supply a list of vehicle dealers and car repair workshops that are within its network and are geographically close to the driver. If the driver already has a favourite mechanic or car repair workshop, the driver may be allowed to use that favourite mechanic or car repair workshop, depending on the agreement, the insurance packages, with the insurance company. The insurance company may send someone on site to evaluate the damage, and/or the vehicle can be picked up and brought to a location where a representative, preferably from a workshop, will evaluate the damage. Once the repair of the vehicle is finished, the insurance com pany will either pay the workshop directly or will reimburse any payments made.

While the vehicle is in the workshop, the driver is without a vehicle. It might take some time for the workshop to first identify, then order and receive spare part or parts required for repairing the vehicle.

Not all vehicle insurance packages include coverage for rental vehicles, but many driv ers might want or need to have access to a vehicle in the meantime. Rental vehicle coverage includes rental reimbursement for a vehicle while the driver’ s vehicle is in the car repair workshop. Various insurance companies have different daily maximums that drivers can spend on a rental vehicle, which are extra costs for the insurance company. When the vehicle repair work is completed, the vehicle needs to be painted. Vehicle paint instructions or restrictions for the new paint have to be identified. For example, applying wax to a recently repaired vehicle can damage the new paint, and therefore, a vehicle paint may require special treatment.

The repair of the vehicle undergoes many processes before the repair is fully completed. Many of the processes are handled manually such as identifying the vehicle model, or dering spare parts from one or more manufacturers, paint work and contact between the driver, insurance company and/or workshop. It is a long and complicated process that is both time-consuming and costly.

Object of the Invention

Consequently, it is an objective of the invention to provide an intelligent auto repair system and a method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repairs to reduce costs and repair time and at the same time provide a transparent overview for the user or users to keep track of each step of the damage assessment and repairing processes.

Description of the Invention

The present invention addresses this by providing a computer-implemented method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process, comprising a computer-con- trolled damage assessment and repair system and a damage assessment and repair data base related to the controlled damage assessment and repair system, wherein the damage assessment and repair system comprises processing means and communication means, wherein the computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system is in data com munication with one or more supplier databases, wherein the computer-controlled dam- age assessment and repair system is configured to retrieve at least one information re lated to a vehicle model and at least one spare part related to the vehicle model, wherein a capturing system captures at least one image data information of the at least one dam aged part of a damaged vehicle, using at least one capturing device, wherein said method performs following acts of: - retrieving said at least one image data information from the capturing device related to the damaged vehicle,

- identifying said vehicle model from said at least one image data information and/or other data information - analysing and/or assess said at least one damaged part,

- identifying said at least one spare part related to the damaged vehicle from at least one supplier database to replace or repair the damaged part or parts,

- generating a repair schedule using processing means, wherein the repair schedule com prises at least one repair information for each stage of the vehicle repair process related to the repair of the vehicle,

- optionally, saving a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle in said damage assessment and repair database, such that the person is capable of accessing said at least one repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair, when accessing said damage assessment and repair database using said user interface,

- optionally, generating a quote using processing means and sending the quote to a user interface to at least one person related to the vehicle,

- receiving an approval from said person through said user interface.

Simply said by a computer-implemented method for an intelligent vehicle damage as sessment and repair process comprising a computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system and a damage assessment and repair database related to the controlled damage assessment and repair system, wherein the damage assessment and repair sys tem comprise means for sending and receiving one or more data information, means for analysing, means for assessing, and means for generating a repair schedule, wherein a capturing system is capturing at least one image data information of the at least one damaged part of a damaged vehicle using at least one capturing device, wherein said method performs one or more of the following acts of:

- retrieving said at least one image data information related to the damaged vehicle,

- identifying said vehicle model from said at least one image data information,

- analysing and/or assessing said at least one damaged part,

- identifying at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier to replace and/or repair the damaged part or parts,

- receiving an approval based on the quote from the person through a user interface,

- generating said repair schedule related to the repair of the damaged vehicle,

- optionally, generating a quote related to the repair of the damaged vehicle and sending the quote to at least one person related to the vehicle,

- optionally, saving a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle in said damage assessment and repair database, such that the person is capable of accessing at least one repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair, when accessing said damage as sessment and repair database using said user interface.

The invention provides a method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair, which is provided by an intelligent damage assessment and repair system. Often, a ve hicle is damaged or has scratches, dents, rust and/or breakages. This repair has been optimised, such that the costs and the repair time have been reduced.

The computer-implemented method for vehicle damage assessment and repair process, comprises i.e. may rely on, interact with, use, control and/or be in communication with a computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system.

The damage assessment and repair system may comprise functions of initialising the repair schedule and operating the repair schedule during the repair process, step by step, for example by retrieving image data information of a vehicle, providing information to the driver and/or others, analysing the image data information etc. The repair schedule may comprise a repair workflow comprising a management and control system. The data information regarding the vehicle may be stored in a damage assessment and repair database. The damage assessment and repair database may be accessed through one or more user interfaces.

The damage assessment and repair system may be configured for handling a priority of processes which are capable of reducing the cost and repair time. At the same time, the system and method provide a transparent overview for the user to keep track of each step of the damage assessment and repair processes. The damage assessment and repair system is easy accessible and agile to use.

The damage assessment and repair system is capable of receiving at least one image data information from a capturing system comprising one or more capturing devices. A capturing device may be a camera or cameras or similar. An image can be a picture or a sequence of pictures or a video. The driver/owner of the vehicle may provide the pic tures. Alternatively or in combination, a service advisor in the workshop is taking the pictures of the damaged vehicle. Alternatively or in combination with the above options for the capturing device, the damage assessment and repair system is configured to take pictures automatically of the damaged vehicle. A capturing device may comprise means of sensors capable of determining the object which is damaged such as the vehicle. I.e. in some embodiments the capturing device may be or may comprise means for receiving one or more images, videos etc from a user. At least one piece of image data information is used synonymously with at least one image data information herein and may be used interchangeably

Based on the data information from the capturing system, the damage assessment and repair system may be capable of identifying a specific vehicle model. The damage as- sessment and repair system is furthermore identifying and/or assessing one or more damaged part(s) related to the vehicle. The system may use algorithms comprising ma chine learning, ML, and/or artificial intelligence (AI) to assess the damaged part which is visible and/or the damaged spare parts within the vehicle which is not visible. The damage assessment and repair system may access the databases of one or more supplier(s) of the spare part or parts. By the term spare part is also meant wheel, tyre, paint etc. using the term supplier may also mean manufacturers or other companies dealing in spare parts. The system is capable of retrieving information regarding the spare parts from the supplier or supplier’ s database. For example, the retrieved infor- mation may concern spare part costs, availability and/or delivery time. The system may even seek out the lowest price of the spare part or parts and/or the shortest delivery time or costs of the spare part or parts from different suppliers. The system may choose the most preferable spare part or parts from a supplier to reach the optimal repair process. Based on the cost, availability and/or delivery time of the spare parts, the system is capable of generating a quote which is sent to at least one person related to the vehicle, such as the driver or owner. The person could also be the insurance company which has to approve the cost of repairing the vehicle. A quote may comprise cost of the spare part or spare parts and the costs of the hourly rate etc. Once the person has received the quote, the person must accept or refuse repair of the vehicle. If the cost is too high, the repair of the vehicle may be refused. If the cost is not so high the person may accept, and the vehicle will be repaired. The system may also generate a repair schedule relating to the vehicle. The repair sched ule may comprise information regarding the time span of each process, step by step. The person is capable of accessing the repair schedule through a user interface. The user interface or user interfaces are in data communication with the system.

The system may be configured to receiving data information identifying and/or as sessing the vehicle model and damage, spare parts, retrieving information and/or order ing, allocating and/or checking availability of spare parts from the supplier’s database, and/or sending and receiving information from users of the system preferably without any interference from service crew or car repair workshop and is thus saving time in repair working hours and thereby also costs. As mentioned above, the method is capable of performing the acts in alternative order. The method is directed towards the system such that the system in a given set up is most efficient. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise an image recognition algo rithm. The image recognition may be used to classify the damage of the vehicle, wherein the damage assessment and repair system is configured to identify spare parts and esti mate costs of the repair. Furthermore, the damage assessment and repair system may be configured to work out claims for the insurance. Automatic assessment of the damages through image analysis is much faster and more accurate than manual inspection.

The damage inspection of the vehicle may be the very first step of the vehicle insurance claim process. The damage assessment and repair system can automatically detect scratches, dents, rust and/or breakages. The damage assessment and repair system can also detect which part of the vehicle is damaged and with what severity. The vehicle can be automatically inspected using images or video feeds by creating an overview of the vehicle. After the damage inspection, a report can be generated with a list of dam aged parts and estimate of cost of repair etc. In an advantageous method of the invention, the method comprises further acts of:

- ordering said at least one vehicle spare part from said supplier or suppliers,

- receiving one or more delivery dates of said at least one vehicle spare part, - inserting the delivery date or dates of said at least one vehicle spare part in said repair schedule. It may also optionally generate a spare part order list comprising said at least one spar part using processing means. The method may comprise acts of ordering the vehicle spare part from said supplier or suppliers. When ordering the spare part, the spare parts may be ordered directly from the suppliers or through a workshop. The method may comprise acts of receiving the delivery dates of the vehicle spare parts. The method may comprise acts of updating the repair schedule by inserting the delivery date or dates of the vehicle spare part into the repair schedule. The information is retrieved from the supplier or through the car repair workshop. This information may be analysed and the repair schedule will make the information available to the user of the system and the users will then be presented with the updated information. The supplier database may be a database comprising infor mation of spare parts available at a car repair workshop cabin.

In a still advantageous method of the invention, the method comprises further acts of:

- sending a quote to a second person,

- receiving said acceptance from the second person. The system may be capable of sending the data information to a second person. The second person could be the driver of the vehicle or the owner of the vehicle. The second person could alternatively be an insurance company. The second person could also be a person working in the car repair workshop. The second person may be capable of entering information regarding the repair process or assessment process through a user interface. Alternatively, the second person may enter information which can be added to the assessment of the damaged spare parts or the damaged vehicle.

The quote may be sent to a second person. The second person may be a person from the car repair workshop, where the person in the car repair workshop has to accept the es- timated cost of spare part or parts and repair time. The repair time comprises a number of repair working hours, which is used to repair the vehicle. The second person could also be the insurance company who has to approve the cost of repairing the vehicle. The quote that is sent to the first person, for example the driver of the vehicle, may have one set of data information. The quote that is sent to the second person or persons, for example the person in the workshop or the insurance company, may have another set of data information. The driver of the vehicle may be presented with the total cost of the repair. The insurance company may be presented with information regarding cost of spare parts and cost of hourly rate.

In a still further advantageous method of the invention, the invention comprises a further act of:

- accessing said repair schedule and entering said repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair.

The information received by the different persons may be of various characters, such that the repair schedule is presented in different ways. The repair schedule presented to the driver is not necessarily the same repair schedule presented to the insurance com pany or the workshop. The access to the system is therefore predefined. Accessing the repair schedule is simple and fast and the information is accurate, which leads to a cost- effective system.

The invention is also directed at a damage assessment and repair system comprising means for carrying out the acts of the method mentioned above and otherwise described herein, wherein the system is in data communication with at least one user interface. The driver/owner may use a first user interface, which is in communication with the damage assessment and repair system. The insurance company may use a second user interface, which is in communication with the damage assessment and repair system. The workshop may use a third user interface, which is in communication with the dam age assessment and repair system etc. The user of the system may be accessing the system with different entrance levels, depending on the information, which must be accessible to each user. The user interface or interfaces may be related to an application for a mobile device. The user interface or interfaces may alternatively relate to an ap plication for a stationary device.

Most of these acts can be performed automatically with a minimum of interaction from the driver/costumer, working staff, insurer, dealer, provider and/or service crew.

Due to the minimum of interactions, the method provides a time- and cost-efficient pro cess, which provides reliable and updated information. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the damage assessment and repair system further comprises means of data communication with at least one repair database such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of accessing and retriev- ing information.

The damage assessment and repair system comprises means of data communication with at least one repair database. The damage assessment and repair system is capable of accessing and retrieving data information such as status, prices and/or delivery time of an internal or external stock.

In a still advantageous embodiment of the invention, said damage assessment and repair system comprises further means of data communication with external databases such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of retrieving spare part infor- mation from suppliers.

The process of assessing damage is both effort- and time-consuming with multiple par- ties/persons involved. While an insurer is obviously responsible for covering the repair cost, the estimation itself is usually done by a car repair workshop. The damage assess- ment and repair system handles most of the communication between the cos tumer/owner of the vehicle, the car repair workshop and the insurance company which reduces the effort and time in the repair process.

The damage assessment and repair system may be in data communication with a car repair workshop cabin such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of retrieving and/or sending data information from/to a car repair workshop cabin. One or more acts may be provided for a computer-implemented method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process related to a workshop cabin. A workshop cabin may be a repair and/or paint/spraying cabin. The workshop cabin may be a moveable car repair workshop cabin. The car repair workshop cabin may comprise at least one light source. The workshop cabin may comprise a computer-con- trolled damage assessment and repair system. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise a capturing system. The capturing system is configured to capture at least one image data information of the at least one damaged part of a vehicle, using at least one capturing device. The capturing device may comprise a camera and/or sensors. The damage assessment and repair system may be configured to retrieve at least one image data information. The damage assessment and repair system is configured to identify a vehicle model from said at least one image data information. The damage assessment and repair system may identify the vehicle model from the image data information or from other data information supplied e.g. by the driver, e.g. the vehicle ID data infor mation. The vehicle ID data information may be the vehicle’s registration number, num ber plate information, VIN code or similar. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means of recognition and/or identification. The means of recognition is configured to identify a vehicle model from the image data information by comparing the image data information to a vehicle model data information in a database related to the damage assessment and repair system. The damage assessment and repair system may analyse said vehicle and/or assess one or more damaged part(s) related to the vehicle. The damage assessment and repair sys tem comprises a function based on a machine learning, ML or artificial intelligence, AI algorithm configured to analyse and/or assess the damaged part or parts related to the vehicle. Alternatively, the function comprising ML or AI algorithm may be configured to analyse and/or assess the colour of the damaged part or parts related to the vehicle such that the correct paint can be ordered from the relevant supplier if needed.

The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means for access to paint codes from all relevant manufacturers. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means for identifying at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier to replace the damaged part or parts. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means for generating a quote which is send to at least one person related to the vehicle. The damage assessment and repair system can be configured to receive an acceptance from a person, a user, a driver, an owner, an insurer and/or car repair work- shop crew. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means for gener ating a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle which may be accessible for one or more of following: a person, a user, a driver, an owner, an insurer and/or work shop crew etc. Through a user interface, the person, user, driver, owner, insurer and/or workshop crew etc. may access at least one repair information related to one or to each stage of the vehicle repair process.

The car repair workshop cabin may comprise means for painting and/or spraying. The repair schedule may comprise a repair workflow comprising a management and control system. The damage assessment and repair system may control and/or prescribe one or more of the processes in the cabin such as the paint process, the pressure, the air flow, operation modes and filter conditions etc. The damage assessment and repair system may monitor the cabin’s conditions such as all emissions, ventilation, energy consump- tion, spraying time, heat and light etc.

The damage assessment and repair system and method may comprise means for as sessing a damage based on at least one image data information of the at least one dam aged part of a damaged vehicle and based on the assessment, the damage assessment and repair system generates a repair schedule. Wherein the repair schedule comprises an instruction whether to repair said damage in the car repair workshop cabin or if al ternative resources is needed.

In various embodiments, the car repair workshop cabin comprises a paint booth. The assessment of the damage and/or generating the repair schedule provided by the damage assessment and repair system and/or method may comprise one or more steps of:

■ Identifying the severity of the damage and/or the extent of the damage.

■ Calculating and/or estimating a criticality parameter value in form of or corre sponding to one or more of the following: spray time, paint consumption, YOC generation, health impact, environmental impact.

■ Assessing if the criticality parameter value is within a predetermined allowed range for at least one of the critically parameters specific for the paint booth

■ Generating the repair schedule with an instruction whether to repair said damage in the car repair workshop cabin or if alternative repair resources are needed.

The identification of the severity of the damage and/or extent may be based on type of damage, position of damage and/or area of damage. The criticality parameters may be calculated and/or estimated based on the severity of the damage and/or extend. The damage is assessed and/or identification of severity of the damage and/or extend may be cal cul ated/ generated from at least one piece of image data information. The image information may be provided by capturing devices in form of photos or videos provided by a user e.g. the vehicle owner on site of the car repair workshop cabin, at home, on the site of damage etc. The image information may be also be provided/rec orded on the site of the car repair workshop cabin e.g. by capturing devices in relation to the workshop cabin

The criticality parameter(s) may also or in combination be based on information on vehicle model (vehicle information) from at least one piece of image data information and/or other data information such as YIN code or similar.

The vehicle information may e.g. provide information about the right type and colour of paint based on damage assessment and repair system and method identifying at least one spare part such as glue, paint, coatings, epoxy and/or solvent(s) related to the dam aged vehicle from at least one supplier database to replace or repair the damaged part or parts. The supplier database may be a database comprising information of spare parts available at and/or for the car repair workshop cabin. A car repair workshop cabin such as a paint booth may be registered with one or more predetermined, precalculated allowed ranges for at least one of the criticality parame ters. Said criticality parameters may be selected or determined to ensure that the work shop cabin can be used safely and in a manner complying with health and safety and/or environmental regulations, recommendations and/or instructions.

The allowed ranges may be stored in the damage assessment and repair system and/or according to the method and/or in the system.

If the Calculated and/or estimated criticality parameter value(s) is outside or close to the limits of the allowed range(s), the repair schedule may be generated to comprise warnings and/or instructions e.g. regarding health, safety and/or environmental impact.

If the Calculated and/or estimated criticality parameter value(s) is outside or close to the limits of the allowed range(s), the repair schedule may be generated with instruc tions to have the repair of the vehicle carried out at an alternative workshop which is capable of repairing the vehicle while keeping criticality parameter values inside rec ommended ranges.

The damage assessment and repair system and method may be configured to calculate and/or control booth parameters and/or devices to ensure specific conditions in the workshop cabin such as ventilation, suction, exhaust, temperature. The damage assess ment and repair system and method may be configured to control the booth parameters and/or devices to optimize the working of the workshop booth within the critically pa rameters during a repair job according to a repair schedule generated using the pro- cessing means of the damage assessment and repair system and method.

Booth devices may be e.g. filters, paint guns, exhaust, heaters, air con, fans etc.

Data from booth devices may be provided to the damage assessment and repair system and method thereby allowing the damage assessment and repair system and method to learn (ML), recalibrate, predict failure of devices and/or adjust the generated repair schedule based on the data from one or more booth devices.

Damages may by repaired manually and/or by robots in the workshop cabin.

Paint jobs of all sizes of vehicles are traditionally carried out in relatively large facilities with extensive exhaust systems, filters, detectors etc.

The present damage assessment and repair system and method may thus allow for re- pairs of damages in a car repair workshop cabin if the repair release a limited amount of unwanted fumes, required work times within a certain time frame etc and/or may safely be carried out in a workshop cabin, such as a paint booth based on the criticality parameter value as calculated and/or estimated The limits on fumes, work times etc may be determined based on the substances needed for the repair such as glue, paint, coat- ings, epoxy and/or solvent(s) and/or based on the identified severity of the damage and/or the extent of the damage. I.e. in some embodiments, the damage assessment and repair system and computer- implemented method for vehicle damage assessment and repair process comprises and/or or is in communication with a workshop cabin, such as a paint booth. In some embodiments with a workshop cabin the computer-implemented method for vehicle damage assessment and repair process comprises a computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system and a damage assessment and repair database related to the controlled damage assessment and repair system, wherein the damage assessment and repair system comprises processing means and communication means, wherein the computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system is in data communication with one or more supplier databases, wherein the computer-controlled damage assess ment and repair system is configured to retrieve at least one piece of information related to a vehicle model and at least one spare part such as glue, paint, coatings, epoxy and/or solvent(s) related to the vehicle model and repair of the specific damage, wherein a capturing system captures at least one image data information of the at least one dam aged part of a damaged vehicle, using at least one capturing device, wherein said method performs following acts of:

- retrieving said at least one image data information from the capturing device related to the damaged vehicle, - identifying said vehicle model from said at least one image data information and/or other data information such as YIN code or similar

- analysing and/or assessing said at least one damaged part,

- identifying said at least one spare part such as glue, paint, coatings, epoxy and/or sol vents) related to the damaged vehicle from at least one supplier database to replace or repair the damaged part or parts,

- generating a repair schedule using processing means, wherein the repair schedule com prises at least one piece of repair information for each stage of the vehicle repair process related to the repair of the vehicle,

The damage assessment and repair system and method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process may be used in connection with an Automatic Vehicle Inspection Systems(AVIS) which captures visual inspection of vehicles, while the ve hicle under inspection is driving through AVIS using a special scanning and verification process deployed on multi -stationary camera technology with integrated artificial intel ligence.

The Scanning and verification process is active up to a drive through speeds of e.g. 10 Km/hour and may take into account outside and inside lighting conditions as well as vehicle interior inspections using poloid technology to avoid light reflections. The scan ning and verification process may be capable of zooming, focusing, reimaging on areas where damage has been detected for capturing further detail. Preferably, said zooming and/or focusing and/or reimaging is initiated automatically by the AVIS based on pre- set factors, ML data classifiers etc.

The AVIS can be deployed as a supplement to “intelligent auto repair system” in at least the following cases:

1. Vehicle owner parks the vehicle in a valid parking area e.g. in relation to a car repair shop where AVIS are deployed, the vehicle is scanned for damage at entrance and an automatic quote is send to the vehicle owner based on information gathered from the vehicle license plate. Repair is offered accounting to “intelligent auto repair system” using paint cabin and can be performed while the vehicle is in the parking lot area.

2. Vehicle owner parks the vehicle in a parking area and get an inspection at the entrance and when leaving, a comparison is produced that might come up with a differ ence. If damages are detected, an automatic investigation of “who is at fault” can be done using surveillance cameras. Based on the outcome, the “intelligent auto repair sys tem” can initiate a claim against the insurance company of “who is at fault” with ap proval from vehicle owners. 3. Integrated in “intelligent auto repair system” to document vehicle state before and after repair.

4. Point 3) can be used for auction and other vehicle dealer scenarios too.

5. Point 3) can be used in leasing scenarios where a hand-over are required. The cabin may comprise filters in spraying booths such as active carbon filters, for cleaning and removing e.g. chemicals such as organic solvents from inks, coatings and paints used in the spraying booths. The cabin may comprise at least one filter with at least one VOC detector. The invention is also directed at a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out one or more acts of the method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process. For example by one or more of following acts:

- retrieving said at least one image data information.

- Identifying said vehicle model from said at least one image data information.

- Analysing said vehicle and/or assessing one or more damaged part(s) related to the vehicle. - Identifying at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier to replace the damaged part or parts.

- Generating a quote and sending the quote to at least one person related to the vehicle.

- Receiving an approval from the person.

- Generating a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle such that the person is capable of accessing at least one piece of repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair.

- Ordering said at least one vehicle spare part from said supplier or suppliers.

- Receiving one or more delivery dates of said at least one vehicle spare part.

- Inserting the delivery date or dates of said at least one vehicle spare part in said repair schedule.

- Sending said at least one piece of image data information to a second person.

- Sending a quote to a second person.

- Receiving said acceptance from the second person.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the computer program product com prises instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer in a car repair workshop cabin or related to a car repair workshop cabin, causes the computer to carry out one or more acts of the method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process.

In addition, the damage assessment and repair system may be configured for enabling, predicting, calculating measuring and/or documenting the VOC level in the spraying booth. The damage assessment and repair system may be configured for controlling one or more of frequency-controlled motors, controlling/measuring/data recording of the spraying workshop, lighting, motors, emergency stop causing all movable parts to stop, air renewal in the spraying booth, filtering systems, ventilation systems, control- ling/measuring/data recording of other consumption units hereby controlling/measur ing/data recording other data from the spraying booth such as e.g. pressure, temperature, spraying times and drying times.

The workshop cabin may comprise at least one filter with at least one YOC detector in the suction inlet or related to the suction inlet. The car repair workshop cabin may fur ther comprise at least one filter with at least one YOC detector in the suction outlet or related to the suction outlet.

The damage assessment and repair system may be configured to apply an air pressure in the car repair workshop cabin which is lower than the air pressure in the air surround ing the car repair workshop cabin. The damage assessment and repair system may be configured to control the air flow such that the air is filtered when entering the workshop cabin and that the air passes through filters when the air leaves the workshop cabin, wherein the filters comprise a so-called paint stop, a particle filter and an active carbon filter after which the VOC contents of the air may be measured.

The present also relates to a workshop cabin, such as a paint booth in communication with a damage assessment and repair system and/or method as described herein. I.e. the system and/or method may be provided as part of the workshop cabin. The computer, database(s), storage means, capturing means, means of data communication and/or one or more interfaces etc of the system and method may be physical part of the workshop cabin, arranged near the workshop cabin and/or may be at least partly arranged remotely from the workshop cabin. The system and method including the work shop cabin, i.e. in communication with the workshop cabin, may be an at least partly centralized system such as a system having a central computer or a cloud solution hav- ing at least part of the means (e.g. database(s), calculating means, ML classifiers, com munication means etc) for carrying out the present method. The at least partly central ized system or centralized system may be in communication with one or more workshop cabins. The invention is also directed at a computer-readable storage medium comprising in structions which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out one or more acts of the method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process.

The damage assessment and repair system may comprise at least one internal database and/or at least one external database. One or more of the external database or databases may be cloud-based. Cloud-based, cloud-computing or the cloud are terms that cover delivery of software and services via the internet, providing easy and flexible access and simple administration. Besides, it is possible to scale the cloud server in order to provide enough capacity if the need arises. This may minimise the expenses for hard ware. Finally, it is possible to adapt the individual interface for the individual user. The damage assessment and repair system may be accessed through a cloud-based solution. A repair-related report may be generated and directed to the insurance company and/ or the driver and/or the workshop. The repair-related report may comprise different data information related to person and/or company who is the recipient of the report. The repair-related report may comprise at least one or more of the information regarding the vehicle data information, the repair schedule, the workflow, the workstation, the work- station operator or work crew etc. The data information may also be used in a statistic report for the workshop. The data information may be used in a statistic report for the insurance company or others. The repair-related report may also comprise information related to a satisfaction survey form to be completed by the customer. The damage assessment and repair system and the method can add value to the user of the system. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and improved processes and management. The damage assessment and repair system and the method provide accu racy as the system relies on constant evaluation and a clear overview presented by the repair schedule. This also eliminates human bias and errors.

Features herein in context of the damage assessment and repair system may also relate to the method and vice versa. The invention has now been explained with reference to a few embodiments which have only been discussed in order to illustrate the many possibilities and varying design pos sibilities achievable with the damage assessment and repair system and the method thereof according to the present invention.

Description of the Drawing

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings and/or flowcharts.

Fig. 1 shows a principle of an integrated platform.

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of acts in the repair process.

Fig. 3 illustrates a damage assessment and repair system.

In the explanation of the figures, identical or corresponding elements will be provided with the same designations in different figures. Therefore, not all details arw explaned in connection with each single figure/embodiment.

Detailed Description of the Invention

An embodiment or method of the invention is explained in the following detailed de scription. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the fol lowing description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and acts related to the method and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

Fig. 1 shows a principle of a damage assessment and repair system 1. The damage as sessment and repair system 1 comprises functions of initialising the repair schedule and operating the repair schedule during the repair process by retrieving image data infor mation of a vehicle, providing information to the driver or others, analysing the image data information etc. An example of a simple method is described below:

Retrieving data information function:

The damage assessment and repair system receives at least one piece of image data information retrieved from said at least one image data information captur ing system. For example, the driver/owner uses a camera and takes pictures of the vehicle from different directions. The driver/owner uploads the pictures to the damage assessment and repair system upon request. The driver/owner may alternatively upload information related to the vehicle to the damage assessment and repair system. The information regarding insurance company and/or policy identification may be provided by the driver/owner.

Once the system receives a request from driver/owner to upload the pictures and/or information, the damage assessment and repair system generates an ID related to a repair schedule, wherein the repair schedule is related to the dam aged vehicle.

The damage assessment and repair system identifies the vehicle model from the image data information or from other data information supplied by the driver, e.g. registration number of the vehicle. The damage assessment and repair sys tem may comprise means of recognition. The means of recognition is configured to identify a vehicle model from the image data information by comparing the image data information to a vehicle model data information in a database related to the damage assessment and repair system.

The damage assessment and repair system receives information regarding driver’ s/owner’s insurance company and/or policy identification. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means of communication to a data base related to the insurance company. The damage assessment and repair sys tem is configured to retrieve the policy information, the insurer and/or other in formation needed in the repair process based on the information received from the driver/owner of the vehicle. The information may be retrieved from the driver/owner directly or from the registration ID of the vehicle.

Once the insurance company has been identified, the insurance company will get information regarding the damaged vehicle. Furthermore, the insurance company may be receiving an invitation to the system, wherein the insurance company will be allowed to access the relevant data information in the repair schedule related to the damaged vehicle.

Selecting car repair workshop function:

Selecting car repair workshop function provides a list of car repair workshops to the driver. The insurance company may provide a list of car repair workshops to be chosen or the driver may choose a garage. The list of car repair workshops may be retrieved by the damage assessment and repair system such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of handling the following repair process, including the communication with the driver/owner and the chosen car repair workshop. The damage assessment and repair system may comprise means of identifying the location of the driver/owner such that the car repair workshop or car repair workshops suggested to the driver/owner is located in a nearby area. The driver/owner may choose the preferred workshop among oth ers.

Once the driver has chosen a car repair workshop, the car repair workshop will get information regarding the reservation or invitation to access the system. The car repair workshop will then be allowed to access the relevant data information in the repair schedule related to the damaged vehicle. The damage assessment and repair system may be in communication with the car repair workshop sys tem.

Alternatively, the driver/owner may also choose the preferred car rental com- pany etc. The insurance company may provide a list of places to rent a vehicle or the driver may choose a car rent. Preferably, the car rental company is selected among others such that the car rental company is located in a nearby area. It may even be possible that the car repair workshop has a vehicle for rent. The damage assessment and repair system may be configured to handle the communication to and from the car rent and the driver/owner.

Damaged capture function:

The damaged capture function comprises an algorithm comprised in the da mage assessment and repair system which is capable of analysing the image data information and/or other types of information available from inspecting the damaged vehicle to identify the damaged parts. The damage capture function may comprise an ML or AI model. The time of identifying the damaged parts may depend on the vehicle’s damage, the quality of the image(s) available and the capacity of the system. - The damaged capture function identifies at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier to replace the damaged part or parts. The damage assessment and repair system is configured to access the suppliers’ list of parts. Alterna tively, the damage assessment and repair system is configured to access the list of parts through the car repair workshop. The damage capture function may also be capable of retrieving information on the costs of at least one spare part.

The damage capture function may also be configured to retrieve information regarding the delivery costs and delivery time of at least one spare part.

The damaged capture function may also be configured to generate a total quo tation of reparation of the damaged vehicle based on the costs of spare parts, delivery costs, painting costs and the workshop’s hourly rate, rent of vehicle etc. The damaged capture function identifies a critical level of the damage to the vehicle based on the analysed and assessed damaged parts etc. The damage cap ture function assesses the state of the damaged vehicle. The state of the damaged vehicle may be categorised. The severity of the damaged vehicle is crucial for the assessment of the vehicle made by for example the insurance company. The insurance company may have to accept the repair based on the quotation and/or the state of the damaged vehicle before the repair process continues.

Workshop schedule function:

- Based on the information available from the retrieving data information func tion, the selecting workshop function and the damaged capture function, the workshop schedule function then generates a repair schedule related to the repair of the damaged vehicle. The repair schedule is configured to handle information related to the repair of the damaged vehicle such that the driver/owner of the vehicle, the workshop and/or the insurance company are capable of accessing at least one piece of repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair process.

Workshop tracking function:

The workshop tracking function comprises means of tracking the vehicle during the repair process. Means of tracking may be based on IoT-devices used in the repair process and/or manual observation. The IoT-devices may be sensors and robots etc.

The workshop tracking function is in communication with the workshop sched ule, configured to update the workshop schedule in real time or approximately in real time such that the information in the work schedule is correct and reliable and constantly updated with the newest information available. Completion function:

Once the repair process is completed, the damaged vehicle is repaired. The driver/owner, the insurance company and the workshop are informed accord ingly. The completion may also comprise generating a repair process and/or sta- ti sties report.

Another example is described below:

The customer drops the vehicle for service. A service advisor checks in the vehicle and enters the vehicle data information into the damage assessment and repair system. Al- ternatively, the vehicle is identified by the damage assessment and repair system upon arrival at the car repair workshop with the use of images from cameras. The system generates an ID related to a repair schedule, wherein the repair schedule is related to the vehicle. The service advisor uploads the pictures and/or further information into the damage assessment and repair system. The damage capture function analyses the image data information and/or other information available for scratches, dents, rust and/or breakages etc. The damage capture function identifies the damaged parts and generates a total quotation comprising the costs and/or time of repair. The quote is sent to the customer. The customer may approve the quote using a user interface. The service ad visor receives the approval and the repair process starts and the repair schedule is acti- vated. Each action of the process in repairing the vehicle is entered in the repair sched ule, for example the ordering and receiving of spare parts and paint. The costumer may receive updates at each stage of the repair. When the repair is completed, the customer collects the vehicle and makes payment. The customer may also fill in a satisfaction survey form.

Retrieving data information function:

- The damage assessment and repair system receives at least one piece of image data information retrieved from said at least one image data information captur ing system. For example, the driver/owner uses a camera to take pictures of the vehicle from different angles. The driver/owner uploads the pictures. Most of these actions can be performed automatically with a minimum of interaction from the driver/costumer 2a, working staff, dealer 2d, insurer 2c, provider 2d and/or service crew 2e.

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of acts of the repair process. First act is the driver con tacting the workshop 10, for following reasons:

- the insurance company has informed the driver to take the vehicle to the car repair workshop for inspection, or

- the insurance company has informed the driver to take the vehicle to the car repair workshop for approved repairs, or

- the driver has automatically been informed by the car repair workshop that is available for service.

If the insurance company has informed the driver to take the vehicle to the car repair workshop for inspection, the car repair workshop may perform an assessment of the repair costs to be approved by the insurance company or the driver.

If the insurance company has informed the driver to take the vehicle to the workshop for approved repairs, the repair costs have already been estimated and approved.

The driver is automatically informed by the car repair workshop that is available for service. The workshop may perform an evaluation of the repair costs to be approved by the driver.

The driver is provided with a number of time slots to choose from, wherein the driver can get the vehicle repaired. The driver confirms the allocated time slot or calls the car repair workshop to get another time slot. The driver’s expectation is to get the vehicle serviced according to a predefined repair schedule, wherein the vehicle is undergoing predefined repairs. Because the repair schedule is planned, the driver is expected to get the vehicle within a limited time and for a minimum cost.

The second act is a vehicle check-in 11 to check in the vehicle automatically or manu ally and to start the repair process. The vehicle is automatically or manually checked into the damage assessment and repair system. The automatic check is performed by using a capturing device which identifies the vehicles ID data information, for example using a camara and image recognition system and/or a receiver configured to receive the vehicles VIN code or similar. The manual check-in is performed using a user inter face, wherein the driver or a service advisor is entering the data information directly into the damage assessment and repair system. The ID data information may be data information related to the vehicle such as the driver ID and/or vehicle ID. The vehicle ID data information may be the vehicle’s registration number, number plate infor mation, YIN code or similar.

Third acts is performing a damage inspection 12. The damage assessment and repair system is configured to identify spare parts and estimate the costs of the repair. The system captures at least one image data information of the at least one damaged part of a damaged vehicle using at least one capturing device. The damage assessment and repair system performs following acts, wherein the system receives image data infor mation related to the damaged vehicle. The damage assessment and repair system iden- tifies said vehicle model from said at least one image data information or from other pieces of information identifying the vehicle. The damage assessment and repair system analyses and/or assesses the damaged part or parts when comparing the images to the image data information which is accessible for the damage assessment and repair sys tem. Automatic assessment of the damages through image analysis is much faster and more accurate than a manual inspection. Once the damaged part or parts has been ana lysed and assessed, the spare part or parts related to the damaged part or parts are iden tified from the relevant supplier or suppliers.

The damage assessment and repair system classifies the damage of the vehicle. The damage may be categorised. Furthermore, the damage assessment and repair system is configured to work out claims for the insurance. The damage assessment and repair system has means for generating a quote and/or claims and sending the quote and/or claims to the insurance company or the driver. The system awaits approval from the insurance company or the driver. After the system has received the approval, the system is generating a repair schedule and saving said repair schedule in said damage assess ment and repair database. The driver may access the repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair. The fourth act is generating a workflow 13 related to the repair schedule of the vehicle. The workflow identifies each repair step relevant for each workstation when repairing the vehicle. The information for the workflow may be derived from the suppliers’ de livery time/dates. Each step can then be planned such that the repair time is optimised.

The fifth act is performing each step of the repair process 14 such that the time and/or costs is estimated and then tracked. The workflow information is provided in the repair schedule. The driver or others related to the vehicle can access the information. The driver is able to follow the workflow. For example, waiting for spare parts, repairing the damaged part with the spare part, the vehicle is painted, cleaned and washed, qual ity-checked etc.

The sixth act is completing 15 the repair process. The service advisor goes over the repair process with the driver if needed. A repair process report may be generated for the insurance company and/ or the driver. The repair process report may comprise dif ferent data information related to person who shall receive the report. The repair report may comprise at least one or more of the information regarding the vehicle data infor mation, the repair schedule, the workflow, the workstation, the workstation operator or work crew etc. The data information may be used in a statistics report for the workshop. The data information may be used in a statistics report for the insurance company or others. The customer may also fill out a satisfaction survey form.

Fig. 3 illustrates a damage assessment and repair system 1. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes the com- puter to carry out the acts of the method for the intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process. The damage assessment and repair system 1 comprises means for data communication between internal and/or external databases 3,4, the user interfaces 2, and workshops 5. Internal databases 3 may comprise one or more types of data information regarding vehicle, driver/owner, insurer, dealer, provider, supplier, damaged parts, spare parts, image data information, sensor data information, risk assessment, repair schedule and/or workflow etc. Internal databases 3 may also be a cloud solution. The internal database 3 may also comprise a damage assessment and repair program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the acts of the method for intelligent vehicle damage assessment and repair process. External databases may be databases 4 comprising data information related to the repair process. Such databases may be related to insurance companies, banks, car rentals, workshops, suppliers, vehicle dealers, manufacturers and/or other providers etc.

User interfaces 2 may be one or more user interfaces of/for costumers, drivers, owners, insurance companies, banks, car rentals, workshops, suppliers, vehicle dealers, manu facturers, other provider, service and/or work staff etc.

Workshops 5 may be one or more of workshops, workstations, painting and/or cabin, damage inspection cabin, car repair workshop cabin and/or workstations in workshops etc. The workstations and/or cabins may be partially or fully automatically driven, using a capturing system and/or a controlling system. The capturing system may comprise cameras and/or sensors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for vehicle damage assessment and repair process comprising a computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system and a damage assessment and repair database related to the controlled damage assessment and repair system, wherein the damage assessment and repair system comprises processing means and communication means, wherein the computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system is in data communication with one or more supplier databases, wherein the computer-controlled damage assessment and repair system is configured to retrieve at least one piece of information related to a vehicle model and at least one spare part related to the vehicle model, wherein a capturing system captures at least one piece of image data information of the at least one damaged part of a damaged vehicle using at least one capturing device, wherein said method performs following acts of:

- retrieving said at least one image data information from the capturing device related to the damaged vehicle, - identifying said vehicle model from said at least one piece of image data information and/or other data information

- analysing and/or assessing said at least one damaged part,

- identifying said at least one spare part related to the damaged vehicle from at least one supplier database to replace or repair the damaged part or parts, - generating a repair schedule using processing means, wherein the repair schedule com prises at least one piece of repair information for each stage of the vehicle repair process related to the repair of the vehicle,

- optionally, saving a repair schedule related to the repair of the vehicle in said damage assessment and repair database such that the person is capable of accessing said at least one repair information at each stage of the vehicle repair, when accessing said damage assessment and repair database using said user interface,

- receiving an approval from said person through said user interface,

2. Computer-implemented method according to claim 1 comprising further acts of:

- generating a spare part order list comprising said at least one spare part using pro cessing means,

- ordering said at least one vehicle spare part from at least one supplier database, - receiving one or more delivery dates of said at least one spare part,

3. Computer-implemented method according to claim 1 or 2 comprising further act of:

- sending a quote to a second person,

- receiving said acceptance from the second person.

4. Computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 1 - 3 comprising a further act of:

5. A damage assessment and repair system comprising means for carrying out the acts of the method of claims 1-4, wherein the system is in data communication with at least one user interface.

6. damage assessment and repair system according to claim 5, wherein the damage as sessment and repair system further comprises means of data communication with at least one database such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of accessing and retrieving information such as status of an internal stock.

7. damage assessment and repair system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said damage assessment and repair system comprises further means of data communication with ex- ternal databases such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of re trieving spare part information from suppliers.

8. damage assessment and repair system according to any one of claims 5 -7, wherein the said damage assessment and repair system is in data communication with a car repair workshop cabin such that the damage assessment and repair system is capable of re trieving data information from and/or sending information to a car repair workshop cabin.

9. A workshop cabin, such as a paint booth comprising a damage assessment and repair system according to any one of claim 5 -8.

10. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the acts of the method of claims 1-4.

11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when exe cuted by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the acts of the method of claims 1-4.