Insurance claims estimate, text, and graphics network and method

摘要

A communications network for processing insurance claims of objects. The communications network including claim terminals and repair terminals, each having a processor, a display monitor, and a mass storage device, for inputting and sending object-identification data, parts graphics images, and images from the claims terminals to the repair terminals through a communications channel. The repair terminals compute repair and replacement estimates and send the estimates to the claim terminal. The object-identification data include information stored in digital form for a multiplicity of objects. The sum of the costs for repairing an object or a part of an object versus the cost for replacing the object or the part of a object is compared. An imaging device may be used for capturing an electronic image in digital form of the damaged object. The display monitor displays the electronic image along with lists of parts of the damaged object, a parts description, or with a selected first part and a parts graphics image. A method for processing insurance claims of objects is also provided.