Method and system for furnishing an on-line quote for an insurance product

• US 20020188484A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 12/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Travelers Indemnity Company (The Travelers Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Travelers Property Casualty Corporation (The Travelers Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Donald, Hirning, Linda, Grover, Ruth B., Neely, Eric, Woronowicz, Charlene G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method and system for furnishing an on-line quote for an insurance product, such as auto insurance, makes use of computer hardware and software to provide a user with an on-line, real-time quote. The system allows the user to enter user information and recommends coverages, liabilities, and deductibles to help the user determine the best insurance coverage for the user'"'"'s needs. Upon entering the user data and coverage information on a presentation server, deployable content profile information is retrieved by the presentation server, and a quote is displayed for the user. If the user indicates a continued interest in the quote, a client number is presented to the user and sent to a computer telephony integration database.

In an alternate embodiment of the method and system for furnishing an on-line quote for an insurance product, such as auto insurance, the user is allowed to enter basic user information on an on-line quote system application which calls a common data entry system to request credit information for the user. The common data entry system sends the requested credit information to the on-line quote system application, and the user is allowed to enter a selection of coverage using, for example, a coverage wizard feature or a direct-to quote feature. The user is then allowed to enter underwriting information on the on-line quote system application which calls a rating engine of the common data entry system to request rating information. Thereafter, the on-line quote system application displays a quote for the user based at least in part on the rating information, and the user is offered and option to talk to an agent. A fast-forward feature simplifies the entry of modifications for the user.

Claims

1. A method of furnishing a real-time, on-line quote for an insurance product for a user, comprising:

allowing the user at a computing device to enter basic user information on an on-line quote system application via an on-line quote system web server;

calling a common data entry system by the on-line quote system application to request credit information for the user;

sending the requested credit information for the user to the on-line quote system application by the common data entry system;

allowing the user to enter a selection on the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server for an assistance feature for choosing a coverage for the user from a group of assistance features consisting of at least a coverage wizard feature that makes coverage recommendations for the user based on financial information entered by the user and a direct-to-quote feature that generates coverage choices for the user based on information previously entered by the user;

allowing the user to enter a selection of coverage for the user on the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server;

allowing the user to enter underwriting information on the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server;

calling a rating engine of the common data entry system by the on-line quote system application to request rating information for the user based at least in part on the basic user information and at least in part on the underwriting information;

sending the rating information for the user to the on-line quote system application by the common data entry system; and

displaying a quote for the user for the selected coverage by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server based at least in part on the rating information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the basic user information further comprises redirecting the user to the on-line quote system web site server by an underwriter'"'"'s web site server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the basic user information further comprises allowing the user to enter the basic user information on a background information page of the on-line quote system application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the basic user information further comprises allowing the user to enter the basic user information on a driver information page of the on-line quote system application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the basic user information further comprises receiving an on-line quote system page request from a browser of the user'"'"'s computing device by the on-line quote system web server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising forwarding the page request to an on-line quote system application server by the on-line quote system web server, if the page request is for a JavaServer Page.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising processing the JavaServer Page request on the application server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the basic user information further comprises retrieving static Hypertext Markup Language and image files from the on-line quote system application by the on-line quote system web server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein calling the common data entry system to request the credit information further comprises receiving the credit information request from the on-line quote system application by the common data entry system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the credit information request by the common data entry system further comprises invoking an insurance financial score credit transaction by the common data entry system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein invoking the insurance financial score credit transaction by the common data entry system further comprises calling a report ordering warehouse by the common data entry system to order an insurance financial score report.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calling the report ordering warehouse by the common data entry system insurance financial score report further comprises sending the credit information request to an outside credit information source by the report ordering warehouse.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the user to enter the selection for the assistance feature further comprises allowing the user to enter the selection for the assistance feature from a group of assistance features further comprising a coverage wizard feature that allows the user to understand coverage choices without entering financial information, and a no-assistance feature that allows the user to choose coverage without guidance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein calling the rating engine of the common data entry system to request the rating information for the user further comprises passing at least part of the basic user information and at least part of the underwriting information to the common data entry system rating engine.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein passing the information to the common data entry system rating engine further comprises passing at least part of the basic user information and at least part of the underwriting information to the common data entry system rating engine via MessageQueue.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein calling the common data entry system rating engine to request the rating information for the user further comprises invoking a rating transaction by the common data entry system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein invoking the rating transaction by the common data entry system further comprises determining a correct pricing tier for the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the correct pricing tier further comprises determining a correct pricing tier for the user by a knowledge-based management system module.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein invoking the rating transaction by the common data entry system further comprises determining underwriting knockouts, completeness, and a rating by a reconciliation system .

20. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the rating information to the on-line quote system application further comprises sending the rating information for the user to the on-line quote system application via MessageQueue.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading quote-related information for the user to a backend system and providing the user with a telephone number for a customer service representative or agent by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server, if an indication of the user'"'"'s continued interest in the quote is received by the on-line quote system application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein uploading the quote-related information for the user to the backend system further comprises adding the quote-related information for the user to an on-line quote system database by the on-line quote system application.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein uploading the quote-related information for the user to the backend system further comprises pulling the quote-related information for the user from the on-line quote system database into a computer telephony integration system database by the computer telephony integration system.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein uploading the quote-related information for the user to the backend system further comprises sending the quote-related information for the user to a host system on a mainframe computer via MessageQueue Series by the on-line quote system application.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to modify a previous entry using a fast-forward feature of the on-line quote system application that allows the user to go only to pages in the on-line quote system application that require modification by the user and displays only pages in the on-line quote system application for the user that are affected by the modification.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising an underwriter'"'"'s web site server coupled to the on-line quote system web server adapted for redirecting the user to the on-line quote system web site server.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for allowing the user to enter the basic user information on a background information page of the on-line quote system application.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for allowing the user to enter the basic user information on a driver information page of the on-line quote system application.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system web server is adapted for receiving an on-line quote system page request from a browser of the user'"'"'s computing device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the on-line quote system web server is adapted for forwarding the page request to an on-line quote system application server, if the page request is for a JavaServer Page

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the on-line quote system application server is adapted for processing the JavaServer Page request.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system web server is adapted for retrieving static Hypertext Markup Language and image files from the on-line quote system application.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the common data entry system is adapted for receiving the credit information request from the on-line quote system application.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the common data entry system is adapted for invoking an insurance financial score credit transaction upon receiving the credit information request.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the common data entry system is further adapted for calling a report ordering warehouse to order an insurance financial score report.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the report ordering warehouse is adapted for sending the credit information request to an outside credit information source.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for receiving a selection for the user via the on-line quote system web server for an assistance feature for choosing a coverage for the user from a group of assistance features consisting further of a coverage wizard feature that allows the user to understand coverage choices without entering financial information and a no-assistance feature that allows the user to choose coverage without guidance.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the on-line quote system application is further adapted for passing at least part of the basic user information and at least part of the underwriting information to the common data entry system rating engine.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the on-line quote system application is further adapted for passing at least part of the basic user information and at least part of the underwriting information to the common data entry system rating engine via MessageQueue.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the common data entry system is adapted for invoking a rating transaction.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the common data entry system is further adapted for determining a correct pricing tier for the user.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising a knowledge-based management system module for determining the correct pricing tier for the user.

44. The system of claim 43, further comprising a reconciliation system for determining underwriting knockouts, completeness, and a rating for the user.

45. The system of claim 26, wherein the common data entry system is adapted for sending the rating information for the user to the on-line quote system application via MessageQueue.

46. The system of claim 26, wherein the online quote system is adapted for uploading the user information to a backend system and providing the user with a telephone number for a customer service representative or agent, if an indication of the user'"'"'s continued interest in the quote is received by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for adding the quote-related information for the user to an on-line quote system database.

48. The system of claim 47, further comprising a computer telephony integration system adapted for pulling the quote-related information for the user from the on-line quote system database into a computer telephony integration system database.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for sending the quote-related information for the user to a host system on a mainframe computer via MessageQueue Series.

50. The system of claim 26, further comprising a fast-forward feature of the on-line quote system application adapted for allowing the user to modify a previous entry using the fast-forward feature that allows the user to go only to pages in the on-line quote system application that require modification by the user and displays only pages in the on-line quote system application that are affected by the modification.

26. A system for furnishing a real-time on-line quote for an insurance product for a user, comprising:

an on-line quote system application adapted for receiving basic user information via an on-line quote system web server that is entered by a user at a computing device coupled to the on-line quote system web server;

a common data entry system coupled to the on-line quote system application, wherein the on-line quote system application is adapted for calling the common data entry system to request credit information for the user, and the common data entry system is adapted for sending the credit information for the user to the on-line quote system application;

wherein the on-line quote system application is also adapted for receiving a selection for the user via the on-line quote system web server for an assistance feature for choosing a coverage for the user from a group of assistance features consisting of at least a coverage wizard feature that makes coverage recommendations for the user based on financial information entered by the user and a direct-to-quote feature that generates coverage choices for the user based on information previously entered by the user;

wherein the on-line quote system application is further adapted for receiving a selection of coverage for the user via the on-line quote system web server, for receiving underwriting information for the user via the on-line quote system web server, and for calling a rating engine of the common data entry system to request rating information for the user based at least in part on the basic user information and at least in part on the underwriting information;

wherein the common data entry system is adapted for sending the rating information for the user to the on-line quote system application; and

wherein the on-line quote application is adapted for displaying a quote for the user for the selected coverage via the on-line quote system web server based at least in part on the rating information.