Insurance method, insurance system, transaction monitoring method, transaction monitoring system, and program

• US 20030046115A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hisano, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

After an insurance application is made from a user, an insurance provider examines the application and makes an insurance contract. The insurance provider sends a transaction monitoring program (BTM) to the user, and the user installs this. Transaction data which the user communicates with a transaction party are monitored by the BTM and recorded in a transaction record. If the user incurs loss or damage, the user sends the transaction record to the insurance provider, and the insurance provider then analyzes this to verify the cause of the loss and pays insurance money.

Claims

1. An insurance method, comprising the steps of:

sending a transaction monitoring program to either a computer system of a user or a computer system determined by mutual agreement with said user, according to an insurance contract with said user;

receiving, from said user, a claim for payment of insurance money based on said insurance contract;

receiving a transaction record recorded by said transaction monitoring program together with or separately from said claim;

analyzing said transaction record;

determining whether a transaction causing a loss on said user exists by referring to the results of said analyzing step; and

paying said insurance money to said user if said determining step affirms and other conditions for payment of said insurance money are satisfied.

2. An insurance method as described in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said transaction record at regular or irregular intervals;

storing said received transaction record by associating with said user; and

performing said analyzing step by referring to the latest transaction record received if said transaction record is not received with said claim.

3. An insurance method as described in claim 1, wherein the entire content or part of said transaction record is encrypted so as to be effectively unreadable by any party other than the insurance provider of said insurance contract.

4. An insurance method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction monitoring program according to an insurance contract with an insurance provider;

installing said transaction monitoring program into one'"'"'s own computer system or a computer system determined by mutual agreement with said insurance provider;

exchanging data with a transaction party;

recording, in a transaction record, a transaction involved in said data exchange by means of said transaction monitoring program; and

sending, to a computer system of said insurance provider, either a claim for payment of insurance money based on said insurance contract, or both said claim and said transaction record when a loss has been incurred as a result of the data exchange in the transaction with said transaction party.

5. An insurance method as described in claim 4, further comprising the step of sending said transaction record to the computer system of said insurance provider at regular or irregular intervals irrespective of whether a loss has been incurred.

6. An insurance method as described in claim 4, further comprising the step of encrypting the entire content or part of said transaction record so as to be effectively unreadable by any party other than said insurance provider.

7. A method for monitoring a transaction of communication with any party through a network, comprising the steps of:

capturing communication data sent or received by one party to said communication;

recording, in a transaction record, said communication data together with the other party to said communication, communication date and other attribute data;

encrypting the entire content or part of said transaction record so as to be effectively unreadable by at least said one party; and

sending, at regular or irregular intervals, said encrypted transaction record to a computer system of a third party which can decrypt said encrypted transaction record.

8. A transaction monitoring method as described in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

generating a hash value for said communication data and attribute data;

encrypting said hash value using a public key corresponding to a private key held by said third party; and

recording said communication data, said attribute data, and said encrypted hash value to the transaction record.

9. An insurance system, comprising:

means for sending a transaction monitoring program to either a computer system of a user or a computer system determined by mutual agreement with said user, according to an insurance contract with said user;

means for receiving, from said user, a claim for payment of insurance money based on said insurance contract;

means for receiving a transaction record recorded by said transaction monitoring program together with or separately from said claim;

means for analyzing said transaction record; and

means for determining whether a transaction causing a loss on said user exists by referring to the results of said analyzing.

10. An insurance system as described in claim 9, further comprising:

means for receiving said transaction record at regular or irregular intervals;

means for storing said received transaction record by associating with said user; and

means for performing said analyzing by referring to the latest transaction record received if said transaction record is not received with said claim.

11. An insurance system as described in claim 9, wherein the entire content or part of said transaction record is encrypted so as to be effectively unreadable by any party other than the insurance provider of said insurance contract.

12. An insurance system, comprising:

means for receiving a transaction monitoring program according to an insurance contract with an insurance provider;

means for installing said transaction monitoring program into one'"'"'s own computer system or a computer system determined by mutual agreement with said insurance provider;

means for exchanging data with a transaction party;

means for recording, in a transaction record, a transaction involved in said data exchange by means of said transaction monitoring program; and

means for sending, to a computer system of said insurance provider, either a claim for payment of insurance money based on said insurance contract, or both said claim and said transaction record when a loss has been incurred as a result of the data exchange in the transaction with said transaction party.

13. An insurance system as described in claim 12, further comprising means for sending said transaction record to a computer system of the insurance provider at regular or irregular intervals irrespective of whether a loss has been incurred.

14. An insurance system as described in claim 12, further comprising means for encrypting the entire content or part of said transaction record so as to be effectively unreadable by any party other than said insurance provider.

15. A system for monitoring a transaction of communication with any party through a network, comprising:

means for capturing communication data sent or received by one party to said communication;

means for recording, in a transaction record, said communication data together with the other party to said communication, communication date and other attribute data;

means for encrypting the entire content or part of said transaction record so as to be effectively unreadable by at least said one party; and

means for sending said encrypted transaction record to a computer system of a third party which can decrypt said encrypted transaction record.

16. A transaction monitoring system as described in claim 15, further comprising:

means for generating a hash value for said communication data and attribute data;

means for encrypting said hash value using a public key corresponding to a private key held by said third party; and

means for recording said communication data, said attribute data, and said encrypted hash value to the transaction record.

17. A program for making a computer execute procedures for monitoring a transaction of communication with any party through a network, said procedures comprising:

a procedure for capturing communication data sent or received by one party to said communication;

a procedure for recording, in a transaction record, said communication data together with the other party to said communication, communication date and other attribute data;

a procedure for encrypting the entire content or part of said transaction record so as to be effectively unreadable by at least said one party from; and

a procedure for sending said encrypted transaction record to a computer system of a third party which can decrypt said encrypted transaction record.

18. A program as described in claim 17, further comprising:

a procedure for generating a hash value for said communication data and attribute data;

a procedure for encrypting said hash value using a public key corresponding to a private key held by said third party; and

a procedure for recording said communication data, said attribute data, and said encrypted hash value to the transaction record.