Insurance processing system and method using mobile devices for proof of ownership

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836793-B2
Application number	US-87778410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2010
Priority date	Dec 31, 2009
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for creating, analyzing and updating a property inventory are disclosed which include receiving, from a user operating a mobile device, a request to add a new item of property to an insurance inventory associated with an insurance policy, the request including information identifying the new item, at least a first image of the new item, and information identifying a location of the new item. An insurance inventory system is operated to add the new item to an insurance inventory associated with the insurance policy, the updating including computing a total current value of the insurance inventory including the new item. A coverage engine is operated to compare coverage limits associated with the insurance policy to the total current value of the insurance inventory to determine if the total current value is within a coverage limit of the insurance policy. A response is transmitted to the user based on the determination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, comprising:
a mobile device, coupled to a sensor for determining quality of items, and configured to execute an application program to capture an image of a first item, generate an interface prompting a user for data relating to the first item, activate the sensor to determine quality of the first item, perform an analysis based on data from the sensor, prompt the user to capture, via a camera of the mobile device, an image of one or more of a bar code, serial number or product code of the first item, receive in response to the prompt an image of one or more of a bar code, serial number or product code of the first item, communicate with one or more comparison services to obtain comparative pricing information associated with the first item employing the at least one of bar code, serial number or product code, and automatically transmit a record including the captured image data, data entered via the user interface, location information automatically captured via a GPS receiver of the mobile device, time information, the image of one or more of a bar code, serial number or product code of the first item, the obtained comparative pricing information, quality data received from the sensor and data resulting from the analysis; the application program being further configured to, responsive to receipt of a response to a request to add an item, automatically display the received response on an interface of the mobile device;
a data storage device storing, updating and providing access to data defining a plurality of insurance coverage;
a computer processor for executing program instructions and for retrieving said data defining a plurality of insurance coverage rules from the data storage device;
a memory, coupled to the computer processor, storing program instructions for execution by the computer processor to:
receive, from the mobile device, the transmitted record;
analyze stored property inventory data including said received record information, including said comparative pricing information, to determine a current total value of a property inventory including a value of said at least first item to be added;
compare said property inventory, said current total value of said property inventory, said location information and said information identifying said at least first item to be added with said data defining a plurality of insurance coverage rules, said plurality of insurance coverage rules including at least a first geographical limit; and
generate and transmit to the mobile device a response to said request to add an item based on a result of said comparison, the response including an indication of whether said current total value of said property inventory exceeds one or more of said plurality of insurance coverage rules and whether said location information is within the at least a first geographical limit.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions for execution by the processor to receive, from a user operating a mobile device, a request to create a new property inventory, wherein said request to add at least a first item is a request to add said at least a first item to said new property inventory.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said information identifying said at least first item further comprises:
an item type and a date acquired.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions for execution by said processor to receive, from at least one of a user operating said mobile device and a retailer, information identifying a value of said at least first item.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said first image is a still image captured using a camera of said mobile device.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said first image is a video image including a plurality of images of a plurality of items, said program instructions further comprising program instructions for execution by the computer processor to analyze said video image to extract data associated with each of said plurality of items.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said insurance rules include at least one of a coverage rule and an exclusion rule.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said program instructions to analyze said property inventory further comprise program instructions to:
obtain a value of at least a first item of said property inventory using a third party data source.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein said program instructions to obtain a value of at least a first item further comprise program instructions to:
retrieve a purchase price of said at least first item from a third party database.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein said third party database is a database of financial transactions made by said user.

11. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of insurance rules includes a rule specifying a threshold to determine when a message is to be transmitted to said user indicating that said user has insufficient coverage.

12. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of insurance rules includes a rule specifying a threshold to determine when a message is to be transmitted to said user indicating that said user has excess coverage.

13. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the data received from the mobile device further comprises temperature data, said data defining a plurality of insurance coverage rules further comprises an insurance coverage rule that at least one of a room and a product be kept at a certain minimum temperature, and said instructions are further for said computer processor to compare said received temperature data to said insurance coverage rule that at least one of a room and a product be kept at a certain minimum temperature.

14. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device being configured to execute an application program to capture an image of a first item comprises the mobile device being configured to capture video images of a plurality of items, identifying the images using image processing, and geotagging the images.

15. A portable wireless communication device, comprising:
a communication port;
a sensor for determining quality of items;
a processor;
a memory;
and a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the program including:
instructions for detecting a user action to add an item to an insurance inventory of said user;
instructions for receiving information identifying an item, including an item type and a date acquired;
instructions for activating a sensor, coupled to the portable wireless communication device, for determining quality of an item, to determine quality of the first item, and for performing an analysis based on data from the sensor;
instructions for: prompting a user to capture, via a camera of the mobile device, an image of one or more of a bar code, serial number or product code of the first item; receive in response to the prompt an image of one or more of a bar code, serial number or product code of the first item; and communicate with one or more comparison services to obtain comparative pricing information associated with the first item employing the at least one of bar code, serial number or product code,
instructions for capturing at least a first image of said item and associating said at least first image with a timestamp and geocode data based on a location of said capturing from a GPS receiver of said portable wireless communication device;
instructions for transmitting a request to add said

Assignees

• Busque Kevin J
• Amigo Andrew J
• Borden Richard M
• Peak David F
• Walters Eugene J
• Hartford Fire Insurance Comp

Inventors

• Busque Kevin J
• Amigo Andrew J
• Borden Richard M
• Peak David F
• Walters Eugene J

Classifications

• G16H10/40

  for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis · CPC title

• G06Q10/067

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G16H10/65

  stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G01C21/36

  Input/output arrangements for on-board computers · CPC title