# US 2023/0410282 A1 · Vehicle self-inspection apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0410282 A1 - Document ID: US20230410282A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/230,796 - Filed: 2023-08-07 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-22 - Assignees: Openlane, Inc. - Applicants: OPENLANE, Inc. - Inventors: Scott Nei; William Doyle; Michelle Kaiser Bray - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230410282A1 ## CPC - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 10/08: Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management - G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance - G06Q 30/0283: Price estimation or determination - G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] - G06T 2207/30108: Industrial image inspection - G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system and method for self-inspection of a vehicle is disclosed. The self-inspection may be performed by an application executed on a mobile device, with the application being configured to determine excessive wear and use. The mobile device may obtain images from a plurality of predetermined views of the vehicle, with damage input being determined for the plurality of predetermined views. In turn, a cost estimate may be output for repair or replacement due to the damage for each of the plurality of predetermined views as well as a total cost for repair or replacement, which may be dynamically updated as additional damage is input for the plurality of predetermined views. ## Claims ### Claim 1 At least one mobile device comprising: at least one camera configured to generate images; at least one display; at least one memory; and at least one processor in communication with the at least one camera, the at least one display, and the at least one memory, the at least one processor configured to: for a first damage report, iterate for each of a plurality of predetermined views of a vehicle by obtaining images generated by the at least one camera in order to identify an image for a respective predetermined view, wherein the first damage report is indicative of inputting damage regarding the vehicle at a first time; and for a second damage report, iterate for each of the plurality of predetermined views of the vehicle by obtaining the image generated by the at least one camera in order to identify the image for the respective predetermined view, wherein the second damage report is indicative of inputting the damage regarding the vehicle at a second time, the second time being later chronologically than the first time; and output one or more discrepancies between the first damage report and a second damage report, wherein the output of the one or more discrepancies is based on an analysis of the first damage report and the second damage report in order to identify the one or more discrepancies between the first damage report and the second damage report in at least one specific predetermined view; and wherein the output comprises a modification of the image of the at least one specific predetermined view from one or both of the first damage report or the second damage report in order to highlight the one or more discrepancies in the at least one specific predetermined view. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more discrepancies between the first damage report and the second damage report are indicative of damage to the vehicle; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output a cost estimate for repair or replacement due to the damage for the at least one specific predetermined view. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein the one or more discrepancies between the first damage report and the second damage report are indicative of damage to the vehicle; wherein the one or more discrepancies between the first damage report and the second damage report are in multiple of the predetermined views; wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: for each of the multiple of the predetermined views, output a cost estimate for repair or replacement due to the damage for the one or more discrepancies associated with a respective one of the multiple of the predetermined views. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The at least one mobile device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: output a total cost for the repair or the replacement of the damage for the one or more discrepancies for the multiple of the predetermined views of the vehicle, the total cost being based on a tally of the cost estimate for each of the multiple of the predetermined views. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein a single mobile device is configured to: obtain the images for the first damage report; obtain the images for the second damage report; and output the one or more discrepancies. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The at least one mobile device of claim 5, wherein the single mobile device is configured to obtain the images for the first damage report when beginning use of the vehicle; and wherein the single mobile device is configured to obtain the images for the second damage report when ending use of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The at least one mobile device of claim 6, wherein the vehicle is a rental vehicle; wherein beginning the use of the vehicle is when a person picks up the rental vehicle from a rental vehicle company; and wherein ending the use of the vehicle is when the person drops off the rental vehicle at the rental vehicle company. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein a first mobile device is configured to obtain the images for the first damage report; and wherein a second mobile device is configured to obtain the images for the first damage report. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The at least one mobile device of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is a leased vehicle; wherein the first mobile device is associated with a lessee of the vehicle; and wherein the second mobile device is associated with a lessor of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein, for the first damage report, the at least one processor is configured to identify the image generated by the at least one camera as the image for a respective predetermined view; wherein, for the second damage report, the at least one processor is configured to identify the image generated by the at least one camera as the image for the respective predetermined view; wherein the at least one mobile device is configured to input damage from each of the plurality of predetermined views serially; wherein, for each iteration of the plurality of predetermined views, the at least one processor is configured to generate a cost for repair or replacement for the damage or to receive the cost for repair or replacement for the damage from a back-end server; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output a total cost for the repair or the replacement of the damage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The at least one mobile device of claim 10, wherein the damage associated with the respective predetermined view is determined based on manual input from a user of the mobile device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The at least one mobile device of claim 10, wherein the damage associated with the respective predetermined view is determined based on automatic analysis of the image of the respective predetermined view. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The at least one mobile device of claim 1, wherein the modification of the image comprises superimposing an overlay on the image. ### Claim 14 A method for identifying images for a plurality of predetermined views of a vehicle and for identifying one or more discrepancies between a first damage report and a second damage report, the method comprising: for a first damage report, iterating for each of a plurality of predetermined views of a vehicle to identify an image generated by at least one camera for a respective predetermined view, wherein the first damage report is indicative of inputting damage regarding the vehicle at a first time; for a second damage report, iterating for each of the plurality of predetermined views of the vehicle to identify the image generated by the at least one camera for the respective predetermined view, wherein the second damage report being indicative of inputting the damage regarding the vehicle at a second time, the second time being later chronologically than the first time; determining, for at least one predetermined view, one or more discrepancies between the image for the at least one predetermined view in the first damage report and the image for the at least one predetermined view in the second damage report; modifying at least one of the image for the at least one predetermined view in the first damage report or the image of the at least one predetermined view in the second damage report in order to highlight the one or more discrepancies in the at least one predetermined view; and outputting on a display the modified at least one of the image for the at least one predetermined view in the first damage report or the at least one predetermined view in the second damage report. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein modifying the at least one of the image for the at least one predetermined view in the first damage report or the image for the at least one predetermined view in the second damage report comprises superimposing an overlay on the at least one of the image for the at least one predetermined view in the first damage report or the image for the at least one predetermined view in the second damage report. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating a cost estimate for repair or replacement due to damage for the at least one predetermined view; and outputting the cost estimate on the display. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a single mobile device: uses the at least one camera resident on the single mobile device to generate the images for the first damage report; uses the at least one camera resident on the single mobile device to generate the images for the second damage report; and uses at least one display resident on the single mobile device to output the one or more discrepancies. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the single mobile device generates the images for the first damage report when beginning use of the vehicle; and wherein the single mobile device generates the images for the second damage report when ending use of the vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is a rental vehicle; wherein beginning the use of the vehicle is when a person picks up the rental vehicle from a rental vehicle company; and wherein ending the use of the vehicle is when the person drops off the rental vehicle at the rental vehicle company. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein a first mobile device uses the at least one camera resident on the first mobile device to generate the images for the first damage report; and wherein a second mobile device uses the at least one camera resident on the second mobile device to generate the images for the first damage report. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the vehicle is a leased vehicle; wherein the first mobile device is associated with a lessee of the vehicle; and wherein the second mobile device is associated with a lessor of the vehicle.