Assistance on the go

• US 10,121,148 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Kozlowski, Tara Cavallaro, Briggs, Ryan M., Iqbal, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelly, Rafferty
• Application Number:
  US15/258,312
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 235380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a communications component receiving data messages via a wireless communication channel;

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps comprising;

obtaining, from a data store, membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about a policy providing coverage on the vehicle;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating, by the apparatus, updates to an electronic membership card with updated policy information obtained from received data through the communications component;

displaying, by the apparatus, the electronic membership card, wherein the electronic membership card uniquely identifies a user in a roadside assistance program and is indicative of the updated policy information;

after an occurrence of a roadside event, displaying, by the apparatus, a list of a plurality of available roadside assistance services, wherein the available services are based on a membership level;

receiving an input for a selected roadside service from the plurality of available roadside assistance services; and

displaying an indicator enabling the user to indicate when the selected roadside service has been completed, wherein the user authorizes a payment based on the membership level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps further comprising:

displaying a series of icons, wherein each of the series indicates a user'"'"'s progress for obtaining roadside assistance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless component is configured to transmit insurance information from the electronic membership card; and

the transmitted insurance information is received at a second apparatus corresponding to a second vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the data store is located on a remote server; and

the wireless component communicates with the data store.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data store is located in the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the data store further stores contact information associated with the electronic membership card; and

the contact information comprises a telephone number and a name of at least one person to contact after the occurrence of the roadside event.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps further comprising:

prior to contacting the at least one person, transmitting, by the apparatus, relevant information to a remote server associated with the at least one person, wherein the relevant information comprises a location of the vehicle and a selected roadside assistance service.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus comprising a first data store, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform:

retrieving, from a first data store a first portion of the membership information and from a second data store a second portion of the membership information, associated with the vehicle, wherein the first data store is located at the apparatus and the second data store is externally located to the apparatus and wherein the first portion of the membership information includes an identifier that uniquely identifies the roadside assistance program;

dynamically updating, by the apparatus, the electronic membership card with the second portion of the membership information from the second data store; and

displaying, by the apparatus, the electronic membership card with the first and second portions of the membership information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second portion of the membership information includes an offering in conjunction with a third party, wherein the third party does not provide the roadside assistance services.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory further cause the apparatus to perform:

generating an icon within the electronic membership card for representing the offering.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second portion of the membership information includes a change for the user in the roadside assistance program.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps further comprising:

deactivating the electronic membership card in response to determining that the user does not have registered membership.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the membership information includes information about offered promotions.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display component configured to display retrieved membership information represented by a plurality of icons, wherein an input is indicative of a selected icon from the plurality of icons.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus to perform:

obtaining membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about coverage of the vehicle;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating the membership card with policy information;

displaying the membership card, wherein the membership card uniquely identifies a user specified by the policy and is indicative of the updated policy information;

after an occurrence of a roadside event to the vehicle, receiving an input related to an electronic membership card;

displaying a membership level of the user in a roadside assistance program;

after the occurrence of the roadside event, displaying a list of a plurality of available roadside assistance services, wherein the available services are based on the membership level;

receiving the input for a selected roadside service from the plurality of available roadside assistance services; and

displaying an indicator enabling the user to indicate when the selected roadside service has been completed, wherein the user authorizes a payment amount based on the membership level.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a communications component receiving data messages via a wireless communication channel;

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps comprising;

obtaining, from a data store, membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about a policy providing coverage on the vehicle, wherein the policy information includes a total risk score for the policy;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating, by the apparatus, updates to an electronic membership card with updated policy information obtained from received data through the communications component;

displaying, by the apparatus, the electronic membership card, wherein the electronic membership card uniquely identifies a user in a roadside assistance program and is indicative of the updated policy information;

determining a route risk value for a route travelled by the vehicle; and

deducting the route risk value from the total risk score to obtained an adjusted total risk score.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to perform steps further comprising:

generating a notification when the adjusted total risk score is less than a predetermined amount.

18. A method comprising:

obtaining membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about a policy providing coverage on the vehicle;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating updates to an electronic membership card with updated policy information obtained from received data;

displaying the electronic membership card, wherein the electronic membership card uniquely identifies a user in a roadside assistance program and is indicative of the updated policy information;

after an occurrence of a roadside event, displaying a list of a plurality of available roadside assistance services, wherein the available services are based on a membership level;

receiving an input for a selected roadside service from the plurality of available roadside assistance services; and

displaying an indicator enabling the user to indicate when the selected roadside service has been completed, wherein the user authorizes a payment based on the membership level.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about a policy providing coverage on the vehicle, wherein the policy information includes a total risk score for the policy;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating updates to an electronic membership card with updated policy information obtained from received data;

displaying the electronic membership card, wherein the electronic membership card uniquely identifies a user in a roadside assistance program and is indicative of the updated policy information;

determining a route risk value for a route travelled by the vehicle; and

deducting the route risk value from the total risk score to obtained an adjusted total risk score.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus to perform:

obtaining membership information associated with a vehicle, wherein the membership information includes policy information about a policy providing coverage on the vehicle, wherein the policy information includes a total risk score for the policy;

when the membership information changes, dynamically updating updates to an electronic membership card with updated policy information obtained from received data;

displaying the electronic membership card, wherein the electronic membership card uniquely identifies a user in a roadside assistance program and is indicative of the updated policy information;

determining a route risk value for a route travelled by the vehicle; and

deducting the route risk value from the total risk score to obtained an adjusted total risk score.