WO2014155100A1 - Inputting and displaying data - Google Patents

Inputting and displaying data Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014155100A1
WO2014155100A1 PCT/GB2014/050947 GB2014050947W WO2014155100A1 WO 2014155100 A1 WO2014155100 A1 WO 2014155100A1 GB 2014050947 W GB2014050947 W GB 2014050947W WO 2014155100 A1 WO2014155100 A1 WO 2014155100A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
capture system
data
data capture
server
database
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2014/050947
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Steve Latham
Original Assignee
Vas System Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Vas System Ltd filed Critical Vas System Ltd
Priority to EP14719811.3A priority Critical patent/EP2979202A1/en
Publication of WO2014155100A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014155100A1/en

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Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06TIMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
    • G06T13/00Animation
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F40/00Handling natural language data
    • G06F40/10Text processing
    • G06F40/166Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
    • G06F40/174Form filling; Merging
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/90Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
    • G06F16/95Retrieval from the web
    • G06F16/958Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
    • G06F16/972Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06QINFORMATION 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
    • G06Q10/00Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/10Office automation; Time management
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06QINFORMATION 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
    • G06Q40/00Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
    • G06Q40/08Insurance

Definitions

  • This invention relates to improvements in and relating to data input and display methods.
  • a data capture system comprising a web- accessible server and a client computer
  • the web accessible server comprising a database for storing data
  • the client computer comprising an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface for inputting data into, and for interrogating data stored in, the database
  • the said application additionally comprising an object-based animation program permitting a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects in the graphical user interface
  • the server and client computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the said database to enable the animation to be re-rendered reproducibly on a second client computer comprising the said application which is operatively interconnected to the server.
  • the invention thus overcomes a number of problems associated with paper- or telephone-based data input methods, and similar animation based simulators.
  • the object-based animation program provides a convenient and intuitive platform for quickly and accurately producing an animation of an event.
  • the animation is object-based, as opposed to being a frame-based animation, it is possible to manipulate the object property data stored in the database to re-render or adjust the animation.
  • the bandwidth requirements of the system can be greatly reduced.
  • the data capture system is suitably useable as a data capture, review and analysis platform for use in legal claims management.
  • the web-accessible server suitably comprises access control modules to restrict access to data by unauthorised users.
  • the access control where provided, is suitably configurable to identify interested parties to a particular matter and to grant them access to selected other party's data.
  • the server comprises a database for storing data, but may additionally comprise further databases, which may be local databases or remote databases.
  • the server is suitably configured to allow data to be imported from an external database into the main database, or to provide hyperlinks between data sets in various databases to reduce the data storage requirements on the main database by cross-referring to repeat, and/or lookup data in another database.
  • the client computer comprises an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface.
  • the application may be a stand-alone program or a web browser plugin, either of which may be downloadable from a, or the, server via an internet connection.
  • the application on the client computer facilitates the inputting of data into the database. This may suitably be accomplished by providing lookup and drop-down input fields that auto- populate using historical data, or lookup data from one or more databases associated with the server.
  • the object-based animation program enables a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects in the graphical user interface.
  • the animation program is suitably layer-based, allowing a background scene to be overlaid by objects moving relative to features in the background scene.
  • the server's database suitably comprises a set of pre-defined background scenes corresponding to different scenarios, which a client computer user is able to choose from.
  • Objects to be animated are suitably provided on-screen, which can be placed by a user at desired locations.
  • the properties of the objects for example vehicle sizes, colours, velocities, occupancies etc. are suitably user-configurable, but most preferably configurable using lookup data obtained from one or more of the server's databases.
  • the server and client computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the database.
  • Such a configuration allows the animation to be rendered and/or re-rendered reproducibly any one of a number of client computers comprising the object-based animation software.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic system diagram representative of the invention.
  • Figures 2 to 7 are schematic screen shots of a GUI of the application on the client computer of Figure 1.
  • a system 10 comprises a web-accessible server 12 having a communications port 14 accessible via an access protocol 16 by a web-enabled client computer 18.
  • the access protocol 16 provides a security firewall and access control enabling only pre-authorised client computers 18 to access the server 12 via a username & password login, or another security mechanism, e.g. smart card access.
  • the server 12 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 20 that interfaces with a data controller 22 that controls the flow of data from one or more databases 24, located on the server, or remotely 26, e.g. on another connected server.
  • CPU central processing unit
  • a first one of the databases 24 is configured to store data inputted by users of the system 10, and provides a central repository of information that can be shared between client computers 18 according to pre-defined security access controls.
  • a firewall and access control module (not shown) is suitably provided to control access to shared data on the database 24.
  • the database 24 additionally comprises a client data store containing user information, which client store is configured to cross-reference individual users' credentials using identifiers. For example, a claim may be assigned a docket reference, which is shared between two or more users, e.g. the parties to a dispute, a claims handler and one or more legal teams. Access to certain, e.g. confidential, information can be restricted or shared as appropriate using access controls built into the system.
  • the various parties to a particular case can upload, share and access data relevant to that case, whilst also being able to access data pertaining to different, or inter-related cases, depending on the access controls that have been applied.
  • a second one of the databases 26 suitably contains lookup information that can be used to rapidly populate the main database 24.
  • an external database may contain address, contact and vehicle details facilitating the input of large amounts of data.
  • a user could input their vehicle's registration number via a client computer 18, and the server 12 interrogates the external databases 26 to determine the registered owner's name and address, the vehicle specifications, etc. These data can be imported into the main database 24 for the user to approve/accept as is, or to modify/override, as appropriate. Thus, the amount of manual data inputting required is reduced.
  • Client users are provided with a URL of a web portal of the server 12, and access credentials, for example, appended to an insurance policy schedule. Client users are therefore able to access the server 12 and to log in using the supplied credentials.
  • the server 12 offers the option to proceed using an application that is loaded into the client's web browser, e.g. as a plugin, or to download an application from the server 12 which provides enhanced functionality. Either way, an application or plugin is loaded on the client computer 18 that provides a GUI for the server's main database 24.
  • a user will first be prompted to input their name 30, address 32 and date of birth 34, which is preferably facilitated by using lookup data and drop-down boxes 31, 33, 35 as previously described, thus reducing, as far as is practicably possible, the amount of direct user input.
  • the user clicks "next" 36 in the GUI 28.
  • the process then proceeds, as shown in Figure 3, whereby the user inputs a vehicle registration number 41, and the server provides an image of the vehicle 40 and some technical data 42 that can be approved by the user.
  • Each vehicle has a specific seat layout, which is shown in the vehicle image 40, and the user is asked to identify the seat that he or she occupied by clicking as appropriate 44, before moving on to the next step 36.
  • the system 10 is configured to use heuristics, so that it can ignore minor discrepancies, such as an incorrect name spelling, but which does flag-up major discrepancies, for example, if two or more claimants claim to have been in the same seat position at the time of the accident.
  • a matching score is used to identify cases with significant differences, and to flag them up for manual review by a system administrator, or in a report that is circulated to selected other users of the system.
  • the client computer application runs an animation by moving the objects through their various indicated positions.
  • the user is able to refine the animation by adjusting the speed and direction of the vehicles, by pausing the animation, and by dragging the vehicles/objects to altered positions, which positions are stored in the main database 24.
  • the user can approve the animation and exit the system, or add additional comments according to various on-screen prompts.
  • the system thus enables a user to readily provide an account of an incident, and to review it in a comprehensible manner, that is to say, by way of watching an animation of the incident, and to approve or correct it at will.
  • the system 10 is configured such that the animation is rendered on the client computer 18 using the application or plugin, based on the data points (locations of the various objects relative to the standardised road layouts) and object descriptions (type of vehicle etc.) stored in the main database 24.
  • the client computer's 18 web browser is able to render the animation using, for example, a media player, embedded object, applet, or snap-in such as Macromedia 1 TM Flash R TM or Java R TM.
  • Other RTA "simulators” render an animation on the server side of the system, or render the animation in a "fixed” format, such as a movie file.
  • the amount of data that needs to be stored on the server 12 is greatly reduced, and since only the data points and object definitions need to be sent over the internet between the server 12 and client computer 18, the bandwidth requirements are vastly reduced, compared with video streaming technology.
  • the animation and processing is done on the client computer side using an application or plugin, rather than on the server.
  • the users are able to modify and update their data at a later time, without having to transfer large amounts of video files etc.
  • the firth party's account can be updated to include the missing data.
  • a user may recall something at a later date, such as a swerve, and this can be superimposed into the account of the incident, without having to re-render everybody's version of the animation.
  • object- and vector-based animation techniques allows different user's accounts of an incident to be objectively compared. For instance, discrepancies in start or end positions, or estimated speeds can be readily identified by calculating the differences between the user's vectors, etc.
  • the use of vector- and object-based animation in such a situation enables the server to learn from past experiences.
  • the outcomes of claims can be recorded in the main database, alongside party and vehicle data, which has many uses. For example, it may be possible to pre-determine a probability of liability or fault by comparing instant case records with previously-decided cases, and/or to separate simpler cases from more complex ones.
  • the party's details and their representative's details are logged in a common database, it may be possible to identify, for different types of claim, e.g. a rear end shunt, which representatives (lawyers) tend to perform best in claimant and court roles. This type of data is very useful to claims handlers and insurance companies as it enables them to assess more readily the likely outcome of a dispute, whether the case is likely to be contested, and which

Abstract

A data capture system (10) comprising a web-accessible server (12) and a client computer (18), the web accessible server (12) comprising a database (24) for storing data and the client computer(18) comprising an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface (28) for inputting data into, and for interrogating data stored in, the database (24), the said application additionally comprising an object-based animation program permitting a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects (55) in the graphical user interface (28), and wherein the server (12) and client computer (18) are operatively interconnected such that the properties (41, 42, 44) attributed to objects (55) in the animation are stored in the said database (24) to enable the animation to be re-rendered reproducibly on a second client computer (18) comprising the said application which is operatively interconnected to the server(12).

Description

INPUTTING AND DISPLAYING DATA
Description: This invention relates to improvements in and relating to data input and display methods.
In many situations, it is necessary and/or desirable for people to be able to input data into electronic databases. It has become customary, in recent years, for various service providers to make web-based data input portals available to their users. Such systems offer a number of advantages over paper-based or telephone-based systems insofar as it enables the user to input data at their convenience and can reduce the number of data input operatives that the service provider needs to employ.
One service sector where data input is of paramount importance is legal services whereby claims data often needs to be made available to, and shared between, various parties to a dispute. One of the key stages in the management and prosecution of legal disputes has been identified as being the initial capture of data by the parties to a dispute, that is to say, the data forming the basis of the claim. Capturing all of the relevant data in a timely and accurate manner is often an important factor in engaging and retaining the parties to the dispute.
In the case of road traffic accidents ( TAs), say, there is usually more than one party to a dispute, for example: a driver and an injured pedestrian; or the drivers of two vehicles involved in a collision etc.. In determining fault and liability, it is often necessary to compare the accounts of the various parties to determine which facts are undisputed, which facts are in dispute, and/or which parts of the parties' accounts differ materially, giving rise to suspicion of falsehood.
The mere existence of disparities in the parties' accounts does not necessarily mean that one of the parties is not telling the truth, however: there may be legitimate reasons for discrepancies, such as different viewpoints, imperfect recollection, and any significant hiatus between the incident and the account of it being taken. In order to address this issue, in particular, it is often desirable to attempt to capture the parties' accounts as soon as possible after the incident giving rise to the claim or complaint.
Furthermore, and specifically in relation to RTA cases, many accident report forms that the parties are asked to complete are provided in paper form: it being up to the individual parties to attempt to record their recollections of events in the form of a drawn "storyboard". Unfortunately, people's artistic abilities differ enormously, as do their abilities to think in three-dimensional space, and so the act of recording the incident presents serious difficulty to some people who are unable to either record a sequence of events in a meaningful form, or to be able to verify that what they have included in their report accurately reflects the events as they recall them. Moreover, differences in peoples' perception abilities means that different interpretations can arise even when standardised recording procedures are used.
A need therefore exists for an improved data input method that addresses one or more of the above problems.
According to the invention, there is provided a data capture system comprising a web- accessible server and a client computer, the web accessible server comprising a database for storing data and the client computer comprising an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface for inputting data into, and for interrogating data stored in, the database, the said application additionally comprising an object-based animation program permitting a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects in the graphical user interface, and wherein the server and client computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the said database to enable the animation to be re-rendered reproducibly on a second client computer comprising the said application which is operatively interconnected to the server.
Suitably, the invention thus overcomes a number of problems associated with paper- or telephone-based data input methods, and similar animation based simulators. Specifically, the object-based animation program provides a convenient and intuitive platform for quickly and accurately producing an animation of an event. Also, because the animation is object-based, as opposed to being a frame-based animation, it is possible to manipulate the object property data stored in the database to re-render or adjust the animation. Also, by only sharing object property data, rather than video footage, the bandwidth requirements of the system can be greatly reduced.
The data capture system is suitably useable as a data capture, review and analysis platform for use in legal claims management.
The web-accessible server suitably comprises access control modules to restrict access to data by unauthorised users. The access control, where provided, is suitably configurable to identify interested parties to a particular matter and to grant them access to selected other party's data.
The server comprises a database for storing data, but may additionally comprise further databases, which may be local databases or remote databases. The server is suitably configured to allow data to be imported from an external database into the main database, or to provide hyperlinks between data sets in various databases to reduce the data storage requirements on the main database by cross-referring to repeat, and/or lookup data in another database.
The client computer comprises an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface. The application may be a stand-alone program or a web browser plugin, either of which may be downloadable from a, or the, server via an internet connection.
The application on the client computer facilitates the inputting of data into the database. This may suitably be accomplished by providing lookup and drop-down input fields that auto- populate using historical data, or lookup data from one or more databases associated with the server.
The object-based animation program enables a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects in the graphical user interface. The animation program is suitably layer-based, allowing a background scene to be overlaid by objects moving relative to features in the background scene. To simplify the user experience, the server's database suitably comprises a set of pre-defined background scenes corresponding to different scenarios, which a client computer user is able to choose from. Objects to be animated are suitably provided on-screen, which can be placed by a user at desired locations. The properties of the objects, for example vehicle sizes, colours, velocities, occupancies etc. are suitably user-configurable, but most preferably configurable using lookup data obtained from one or more of the server's databases.
The server and client computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the database. Such a configuration allows the animation to be rendered and/or re-rendered reproducibly any one of a number of client computers comprising the object-based animation software.
A preferred embodiment of the invention shall now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic system diagram representative of the invention; and
Figures 2 to 7 are schematic screen shots of a GUI of the application on the client computer of Figure 1.
In Figure 1, a system 10 according to the invention comprises a web-accessible server 12 having a communications port 14 accessible via an access protocol 16 by a web-enabled client computer 18. The access protocol 16 provides a security firewall and access control enabling only pre-authorised client computers 18 to access the server 12 via a username & password login, or another security mechanism, e.g. smart card access.
The server 12 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 20 that interfaces with a data controller 22 that controls the flow of data from one or more databases 24, located on the server, or remotely 26, e.g. on another connected server.
A first one of the databases 24 is configured to store data inputted by users of the system 10, and provides a central repository of information that can be shared between client computers 18 according to pre-defined security access controls. A firewall and access control module (not shown) is suitably provided to control access to shared data on the database 24. The database 24 additionally comprises a client data store containing user information, which client store is configured to cross-reference individual users' credentials using identifiers. For example, a claim may be assigned a docket reference, which is shared between two or more users, e.g. the parties to a dispute, a claims handler and one or more legal teams. Access to certain, e.g. confidential, information can be restricted or shared as appropriate using access controls built into the system. Thus, the various parties to a particular case can upload, share and access data relevant to that case, whilst also being able to access data pertaining to different, or inter-related cases, depending on the access controls that have been applied.
A second one of the databases 26 suitably contains lookup information that can be used to rapidly populate the main database 24. For example, an external database may contain address, contact and vehicle details facilitating the input of large amounts of data. In one example, a user could input their vehicle's registration number via a client computer 18, and the server 12 interrogates the external databases 26 to determine the registered owner's name and address, the vehicle specifications, etc. These data can be imported into the main database 24 for the user to approve/accept as is, or to modify/override, as appropriate. Thus, the amount of manual data inputting required is reduced.
Client users are provided with a URL of a web portal of the server 12, and access credentials, for example, appended to an insurance policy schedule. Client users are therefore able to access the server 12 and to log in using the supplied credentials. The server 12 then offers the option to proceed using an application that is loaded into the client's web browser, e.g. as a plugin, or to download an application from the server 12 which provides enhanced functionality. Either way, an application or plugin is loaded on the client computer 18 that provides a GUI for the server's main database 24.
Referring now to Figure 2, in the case of a typical insurance claim, say, a user will first be prompted to input their name 30, address 32 and date of birth 34, which is preferably facilitated by using lookup data and drop-down boxes 31, 33, 35 as previously described, thus reducing, as far as is practicably possible, the amount of direct user input. The user then clicks "next" 36 in the GUI 28.
The process then proceeds, as shown in Figure 3, whereby the user inputs a vehicle registration number 41, and the server provides an image of the vehicle 40 and some technical data 42 that can be approved by the user. Each vehicle has a specific seat layout, which is shown in the vehicle image 40, and the user is asked to identify the seat that he or she occupied by clicking as appropriate 44, before moving on to the next step 36.
In Figure 4, the user is asked to answer whether there were any other passengers in the vehicle, and if the answer is "yes", then the user is asked to input data for a person in each seating position as previously described 45. For each new passenger, a record set is created in the main database 24 and allocated to this case in question. Thus, another user can log in to upload their details and the two cases will be matched and linked to one another in the main database 24. Such a system facilitates comparison of user data, for example, to check whether the parties' stories correspond, or whether there are any material discrepancies.
Suitably, the system 10 is configured to use heuristics, so that it can ignore minor discrepancies, such as an incorrect name spelling, but which does flag-up major discrepancies, for example, if two or more claimants claim to have been in the same seat position at the time of the accident. A matching score is used to identify cases with significant differences, and to flag them up for manual review by a system administrator, or in a report that is circulated to selected other users of the system.
Once all the relevant vehicle and personnel data has been entered, the user is asked to describe the incident, as they recall it. This is the main problem in existing accident report forms, whereby a user has to sketch the scene and correctly place the vehicles and indicate their relative positions and movements. To facilitate this process, the user is asked to select from a number of pre-defined road layouts 47, as shown in Figure 5, and then to drag and drop the vehicles 55 into position, as shown in Figure 6. The vehicles are presented graphically as icons in a menu bar 49, and can be dragged, dropped and rotated to establish their starting positions. The user then clicks "next" 36 and is prompted to move the vehicles on the road plan to a second position, as shown in Figure 7, which process can be repeated until the "end positions", i.e. after the incident, have been indicated. The user then clicks "next" 36 and the client computer application runs an animation by moving the objects through their various indicated positions. The user is able to refine the animation by adjusting the speed and direction of the vehicles, by pausing the animation, and by dragging the vehicles/objects to altered positions, which positions are stored in the main database 24. When the user is happy that the animation correctly reflects the incident as they recall it, they can approve the animation and exit the system, or add additional comments according to various on-screen prompts.
The system thus enables a user to readily provide an account of an incident, and to review it in a comprehensible manner, that is to say, by way of watching an animation of the incident, and to approve or correct it at will.
The system 10 is configured such that the animation is rendered on the client computer 18 using the application or plugin, based on the data points (locations of the various objects relative to the standardised road layouts) and object descriptions (type of vehicle etc.) stored in the main database 24. Alternatively, the client computer's 18 web browser is able to render the animation using, for example, a media player, embedded object, applet, or snap-in such as Macromedia1™ FlashR™ or JavaR™. Other RTA "simulators", by contrast, render an animation on the server side of the system, or render the animation in a "fixed" format, such as a movie file. The advantages of using object- and vector-based animation techniques are as several:
Firstly, the amount of data that needs to be stored on the server 12 is greatly reduced, and since only the data points and object definitions need to be sent over the internet between the server 12 and client computer 18, the bandwidth requirements are vastly reduced, compared with video streaming technology. In other words, the animation and processing is done on the client computer side using an application or plugin, rather than on the server. Secondly, the users are able to modify and update their data at a later time, without having to transfer large amounts of video files etc. Thus, if one party to a dispute does not recall the vehicle registration number or model of the other vehicle involved in an TA, when the other party uploads their data, the firth party's account can be updated to include the missing data. Alternatively, a user may recall something at a later date, such as a swerve, and this can be superimposed into the account of the incident, without having to re-render everybody's version of the animation.
Thirdly, the use of object- and vector-based animation techniques allows different user's accounts of an incident to be objectively compared. For instance, discrepancies in start or end positions, or estimated speeds can be readily identified by calculating the differences between the user's vectors, etc.
Fourthly, it is possible to readily overlay different users' accounts of the incident to facilitate visual comparisons to be made, thus facilitating the identification of obvious or subtle discrepancies.
It will also be appreciated that the use of vector- and object-based animation in such a situation enables the server to learn from past experiences. In one example, the outcomes of claims can be recorded in the main database, alongside party and vehicle data, which has many uses. For example, it may be possible to pre-determine a probability of liability or fault by comparing instant case records with previously-decided cases, and/or to separate simpler cases from more complex ones. Also, since the party's details and their representative's details are logged in a common database, it may be possible to identify, for different types of claim, e.g. a rear end shunt, which representatives (lawyers) tend to perform best in claimant and defendant roles. This type of data is very useful to claims handlers and insurance companies as it enables them to assess more readily the likely outcome of a dispute, whether the case is likely to be contested, and which
representatives might be best suited to handling a particular dispute.

Claims

Claims:
1. A data capture system comprising a web-accessible server and a client computer, the web accessible server comprising a database for storing data and the client computer comprising an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface for inputting data into, and for interrogating data stored in, the database, the said application additionally comprising an object-based animation program permitting a user of the client computer to create and/or render an animation by positioning and moving objects in the graphical user interface, and wherein the server and client computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the said database to enable the animation to be re-rendered reproducibly on a second client computer comprising the said application which is operatively interconnected to the server.
2. A data capture system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web-accessible server comprises an access control module.
3. A data capture system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the access control is configurable identify related parties to a particular matter and to grant them access to selected other party's data.
4. A data capture system as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the server comprises a database.
5. A data capture system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the database comprises a remote
database.
6. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the server is configured to allow data to be imported from an external database into a main database.
7. A data capture system as claimed in any of claims 4, 5 or 6, wherein the server is configured to provide hyperlinks between data sets in various databases.
8. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the client computer
comprises an application adapted to provide a graphical user interface.
9. A data capture system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the application comprises a stand-alone program.
10. A data capture system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the application comprises a web browser plugin.
11. A data capture system as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the application is
downloadable from a, or the, server via an internet connection.
12. A data capture system as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the Graphical User Interface comprises lookup and drop-down input fields that auto-populate using historical data.
13. A data capture system as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the Graphical User Interface comprises lookup and drop-down input fields that auto-populate using pre-stored date in one or more databases associated with the server.
14. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the animation program is layer-based and is configured to allow a background scene to be overlaid by objects moving relative to features in the background scene.
15. A data capture system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the server's database comprises a set of pre-defined background scenes corresponding to different scenarios.
16. A data capture system as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the server's database
comprises a set of pre-configured objects that can be animated relative to the background scene.
17. A data capture system as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one property of each object is user-configurable.
18. A data capture system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the user-configurable properties are selectable, in use, from lookup data stored in one or more of the server's databases.
19. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the server and client
computer are operatively interconnected such that the properties attributed to objects in the animation are stored in the database.
20. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the web-accessible server comprises: a communications port accessible via an access protocol by the web-enabled client computer; the access protocol providing a security firewall and access control enabling only pre- authorised client computers to access the server; a central processing unit that interfaces with a data controller that controls the flow of data from one or more databases, located on the server, or remotely, a first one of the databases being configured to store data inputted by users of the system and to provide a central repository of information that can be shared between client computers according to the access controls.
21. A data capture system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the access protocol comprises a
username and password login, or smart card access controls.
22. A data capture system as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the database additionally comprises a client data store containing user information, which client store is configured to cross-reference individual users' credentials using identifiers.
23. A data capture system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the identifier comprises a file reference shared by two or more users.
24. A data capture system as claimed in any of claims 20 to 23, wherein a second one of the
databases contains lookup information for populating fields in the main database.
25. A data capture system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the second one of the databases
comprises address, contact and/or vehicle details.
26. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system is configured to use heuristics adapted to ignore minor discrepancies.
27. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system is configured to use heuristics adapted to identify pre-designated discrepancies.
28. A data capture system as claimed in claim 26 or claim 27, wherein the system is configured to analyse and rank the discrepancies to adduce matching score for identifying cases with significant differences.
29. A data capture system as claimed in claim 28 adapted output and transmit a report of significant differences.
30. A data capture system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the animation is rendered on the client computer using an application or plugin, based on the data points being locations of various objects relative to a standardised road layout, and object descriptions stored in a main database.
31. A data capture system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the animation adjustable on the client computer by updating the data points and object descriptions.
32. A data capture system as claimed in claim 30 or claim 31, wherein two or more animations are renderable simultaneously on the client computer, the two or more animations being based on multiple sets of data points and object descriptions provided by different users.
33. A data capture system as claimed in claim 32, further comprising an algorithm for subtracting one set of data points from another for objectively assessing the differences in different user's accounts of an incident.
34. A data capture system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.
PCT/GB2014/050947 2013-03-26 2014-03-25 Inputting and displaying data WO2014155100A1 (en)

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EP2979202A1 (en) 2016-02-03
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