System and methods for obtaining insurance offers using mobile image capture

• US 10,102,583 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitek Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mitek Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Strange, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebersman, Bruce I
• Application Number:
  US13/844,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1475 Inclination or skew detection or correction of characters or of image to be recognised
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/162 Quantising the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/166 Normalisation of pattern dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

Systems and methods for using a mobile device to submit an application for an insurance policy using images of documents captured by the mobile device are provided herein. The information is then used by an insurance company to generate a quote which is then displayed to the user on the mobile device. A user captures images of one or more documents containing information needed to complete an insurance application, after which the information on the documents is extracted and sent to the insurance company where a quote for the insurance policy can be developed. The quote can then be transmitted back to the user. Applications on the mobile device are configured to capture images of the documents needed for an insurance application, such as a driver'"'"'s license, insurance information card or a vehicle identification number (VIN). The images are then processed to extract the information needed for the insurance application.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining insurance policy quotes using a mobile device, comprising:

receiving state information associated with a driver'"'"'s license of a user;

displaying a rectangular box on a display screen of the mobile device, wherein the size of the rectangular box is determined based on the received state information of the driver'"'"'s license wherein at least one tip is provided to the user before a mobile image is captured based on an Image Size Test using grayscale snippets, wherein the at least one tip is to display the rectangular box using colors to indicate whether the driver'"'"'s license is within the rectangular box;

aligning the driver'"'"'s license within the rectangular box on the display screen of the mobile device;

automatically capturing an image of the driver'"'"'s license when the mobile device is steady and level;

aligning an insurance card of the user within a rectangular window on the display screen of the mobile device;

automatically capturing an image of the insurance card when the mobile device is steady and level;

processing the captured image of the driver'"'"'s license and the captured image of the insurance card to extract information related to obtaining an insurance quote;

transmitting the information related to obtaining an insurance quote to a remote server; and

receiving policy offer information from the remote server and displaying the policy offer information to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the information to the user prior to transmitting the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting that the user confirm the information prior to transmitting the information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile image includes a vehicle information number (VIN).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to obtaining an insurance quote is personal information about the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to obtaining an insurance quote is vehicle information about a vehicle which the user would like to insure.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising first requesting that the user capture the mobile image of the information related to obtaining an insurance quote.

8. A system for obtaining insurance policy quotes using a mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface of a mobile device operatively coupled to a network;

a memory operatively coupled to a processing device of the mobile device comprising;

an image capture unit configured to;

receive, via the communication interface, state information associated with a driver'"'"'s license of a user;

display a rectangular box on a display screen of the mobile device to aid the user in aligning the driver'"'"'s license within the rectangular box, wherein the size of the rectangular box is determined based on the received state information of the driver'"'"'s license, wherein at least one tip is provided to the user before a mobile image is captured based on an Image Size Test using grayscale snippets, wherein the at least one tip is to display the rectangular box using colors to indicate whether the driver'"'"'s license is within the rectangular box;

automatically capture, via the processing device, an image of the driver'"'"'s license in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level;

display a rectangular window on a display screen of the mobile device to aid the user in aligning an insurance card within the rectangular window;

automatically capture, via the processing device, an image of the insurance card in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level;

an image processing unit to process the captured image of the driver'"'"'s license and the captured image of the insurance card to extract information related to obtaining an insurance quote;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the information, via the communication interface, related to obtaining an insurance quote to a remote server; and

an input interface unit for receiving policy offer information from the remote server and displaying the policy offer information to the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information is displayed to the user prior to the information being transmitted.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the user confirms the information prior to the information being transmitted.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile image includes a vehicle information number (VIN).

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the information related to obtaining an insurance quote is personal information about the user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the information related to obtaining an insurance quote is vehicle information about a vehicle which the user would like to insure.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising first requesting that the user capture the mobile image of the information related to obtaining an insurance quote.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive state information associated with a driver'"'"'s license of a user;

display, via the processor, a rectangular box on a display screen of the mobile device to aid the user in aligning the driver'"'"'s license within the rectangular box, wherein the size of the rectangular box is determined based on the received state information of the driver'"'"'s license, wherein at least one tip is provided to the user before a mobile image is captured based on an Image Size Test using grayscale snippets, wherein the at least one tip is to display the rectangular box using colors to indicate whether the driver'"'"'s license is within the rectangular box;

automatically capture, via the processor, an image of the driver'"'"'s license in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level;

display a rectangular window on a display screen of the mobile device to aid the user in aligning an insurance card within the rectangular window;

automatically capture, via the processor, an image of the insurance card in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level;

process the captured image of the driver'"'"'s license and the captured image of the insurance card to extract information related to obtaining an insurance quote;

transmit the information related to obtaining an insurance quote to a remote server; and

receive policy offer information from the remote server and displaying the policy offer information to the user.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information is displayed to the user prior to the information being transmitted.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the user confirms the information prior to the information being transmitted.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile image includes a vehicle information number (VIN).

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information related to obtaining an insurance quote is personal information about the user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processor is further to request that the user capture the mobile image of the information related to obtaining an insurance quote.

21. A system for obtaining insurance policy quotes using a mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface of a mobile device operatively coupled to a network;

a memory operatively coupled to a processing device of the mobile device comprising;

an image capture unit configured to;

receive state information associated with a driver'"'"'s license of a user;

present a visual indicator on an image preview display to aid the user in aligning the driver'"'"'s license within the visual indicator, wherein the visual indicator is shaped to outline edges with dimensions determined based on the received state information of the driver'"'"'s license overlaid on the image preview display, wherein at least one tip of an edge of the visual indicator is based on an Image Size Test using grayscale snippets;

in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level, automatically capture an image of the driver'"'"'s license;

display another visual indicator overlaid on the preview display to aid hall the user in aligning an insurance card within the another visual indicator, wherein the another visual indicator is shaped to outline edges with dimensions determined for an insurance card;

in response to detecting the mobile device is steady and level, automatically capture an image of the insurance card;

an image processing unit for processing the captured image of the driver'"'"'s license and the captured image of the insurance card to extract information related to obtaining an insurance quote;

a transmitting unit for transmitting the information related to obtaining an insurance quote to a remote server; and

an input interface unit for receiving policy offer information from the remote server and displaying the policy offer information to the user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one tip of an edge of the visual indicator is provided to the user before a mobile image is captured to improve the quality of the captured image, wherein the at least one tip is to display the visual indicator using colors to indicate whether the driver'"'"'s license is within the visual indicator.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the image of the driver'"'"'s license is captured in further response to detecting the driver'"'"'s license is within the visual indicator, wherein at least one tip of the visual indicator changes colors to improve the quality of the captured image.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one tip of an edge of the visual indicator changes colors in response to detecting whether the driver'"'"'s license is within the dimensions of the outline edges.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one tip of an edge of the another visual indicator is provided to the user before the mobile image is captured to improve the quality of the captured image, wherein the at least one tip is to display the another visual indicator using colors to indicate whether the insurance card is within the another visual indicator.