Home event detection and processing

• US 10,467,701 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Corder, Bryan Keith, Srey, Rothana, Suizzo, Nicholas A., Willett, Sean P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski, Alexander G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lickteig, Blane A
• Application Number:
  US14/202,205
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4, 714 43, 340540, 3405391
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable media for receiving data from one or more sensors associated with one or more home devices, such as appliances, home systems, etc. are provided. The data may be used to determine whether the home device is operating within an expected range or, if it is outside of an expected range or threshold, whether a home event has occurred. Upon occurrence of the home event, an insurance claim to cover any damage caused by the home event may be initiated and/or processed. In some examples, repair of any damage may also be coordinated by the system. In some arrangements, the initiation and/or processing of the claim, and/or coordination of the repair may be performed without any additional input from the user associated with the policy, home device, etc. or with limited additional input from the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one sensing device in communication with and monitoring one or more aspects of a home device of a user;

at least one video monitoring device to capture and transmit image data related to the home device of the user, the at least one video monitoring device being in communication with the at least one sensing device;

a processing unit comprising a processor; and

a memory unit storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processing unit, cause the apparatus to;

receive, via a wireless telecommunication network and in real-time, first information including signals from the at least one sensing device monitoring one or more aspects of a home device;

analyze the received signals to determine that a home event has occurred;

activate the at least one video monitoring device in response to an indication received from the at least one sensing device;

responsive to activating the at least one video monitoring device, continuously transmit, via the at least one video monitoring device, video data of the home device;

receive, from the at least one video monitoring device, the video data associated with of the home device;

based on the analyzed received signals and responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, receive second information different from the first information, the second information being associated with an insurance policy covering the home device;

responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, determine whether default user instructions identified and selected by a user to designate processes to be performed are available;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions are available, determine whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim, automatically initiate an insurance claim to cover a cost of repair of damage caused by the home event;

evaluate the default user instructions to determine when a notification should be transmitted to a user computing device; and

responsive to automatically initiating the insurance claim, transmit a notification to the user computing device according to the default user instructions, the notification including an indication that that the insurance claim has been initiated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining whether default user instructions are available further includes instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

determine whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of damage associated with the home event; and

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of the damage, arrange for repair of the damage including identifying pre-established arrangements to facilitate repair of the damage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further including instructions that,

when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from at least one additional sensing device monitoring one or more aspects of a second home device, third information different from the first information and the second information, the third information indicating a severity of the damage caused by the home event.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein arranging for the repair is performed without any additional user input from a user associated with the home device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein arranging for repair includes scheduling repair with a service entity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating the insurance claim is performed without additional user input from a user associated with the insurance policy.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, in real-time from at least one sensing device in communication with and monitoring one or more aspects of a home device of a user and via a telecommunications network, first information including signals associated with operation of the home device;

analyzing, by a home event detection and processing system having a processor, the received signals to determine that a home event has occurred;

activating, by the home event detection and processing system, at least one video monitoring device configured to capture and transmit video data related to the home device, the at least one video monitoring device being in communication with the at least one sensing device;

responsive to activating the at least one video monitoring device, continuously transmit, via the at least one video monitoring device, video data of the home device;

receiving, from the at least one video monitoring device, the video data of the home device;

based on the analyzed received signals and responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, receiving, by the home event detection and processing system, second information different from the first information, the second information being associated with an insurance policy covering the home device;

responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, determining, by the home event detection and processing system, whether default user instructions identified and selected by a user to designate processes to be performed are available;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions are available, determining, by the home event detection and processing system, whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim, automatically initiating, by the home event detection and processing system, an insurance claim to cover a cost of repair of damage caused by the home event;

evaluating the default instructions to determine when a notification should be transmitted to a user computing device; and

responsive to automatically initiating the insurance claim, transmitting a notification to the user computing device according to the default user instructions, the notification including an indication that that the insurance claim has been initiated.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

determining, by the home event detection and processing system, whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of damage associated with the home event; and

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of the damage, arranging, by the home event detection and processing system, for repair of the damage including identifying pre-established arrangements to facilitate repair of the damage.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

receiving, from at least one additional sensing device monitoring one or more aspects of a second home device, third information different from the first information and the second information, the third information indicating a severity of the damage caused by the home event.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein arranging for the repair is performed without any additional user input from a user associated with the home device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein arranging for repair includes scheduling repair with a service entity.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically initiating the insurance claim is performed without additional user input from a user associated with the insurance policy.

13. A system, comprising:

at least one sensing device in communication with and monitoring one or more aspects of a home device of a user;

at least one video monitoring device to capture and transmit video data related to the home device of the user, the at least one video monitoring device being in communication with the at least one sensing device;

a home event detection and processing system, including;

at least one processor; and

a memory unit coupled to the processor and storing computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the home event detection and processing system to;

receive, via a wireless telecommunication network and in real-time, first information including signals from the at least one sensing device monitoring one or more aspects of a home device;

analyze the received signals to determine that a home event has occurred;

activate the at least one video monitoring device in response to an indication received from the at least one sensing device;

responsive to activating the at least one video monitoring device, continuously transmit, via the at least one video monitoring device, video data of the home device;

receive, from the at least one video monitoring device, the video data of the home device;

based on the analyzed received signals and responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, receive second information different from the first information, the second information being associated with an insurance policy covering the home device;

responsive to determining that the home event has occurred, determine whether default user instructions identified and selected by a user to designate processes to be performed are available;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions are available, determine whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim;

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to automatically initiate an insurance claim, automatically initiate an insurance claim to cover a cost of repair of damage caused by the home event;

evaluate the default user instructions to determine when a notification should be transmitted to a user computing device; and

responsive to automatically initiating the insurance claim, transmit a notification to the user computing device according to the default user instructions, the notification including an indication that that the insurance claim has been initiated.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein determining whether default user instructions are available further includes instructions that, when executed, cause the home event detection and processing system to:

determine whether the default user instructions include an identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of damage associated with the home event; and

responsive to determining that the default user instructions include the identified and selected instruction to initiate repair of the damage, arrange for repair of the damage including identifying pre-established arrangements to facilitate repair of the damage.

15. The system of claim 14, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the home event detection and processing system to:

receive, from at least one additional sensing device monitoring one or more aspects of a second home device, third information different from the first information and the second information, the third information indicating a severity of the damage caused by the home event.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein arranging for the repair is performed without any additional user input from a user associated with the home device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein arranging for repair includes scheduling repair with a service entity.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein automatically initiating the insurance claim is performed without additional user input from a user associated with the insurance policy.