Method and apparatus for internet on-line insurance policy service

• US 20070038488A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan Bauer, Amanda Bowman, Cheryl Urminski, Leslie Youngstrom, Megan Mcnamara, Richard Keyser, Toby Alfred
• Original Assignee: Alan Bauer, Amanda Bowman, Cheryl Urminski, Leslie Youngstrom, Megan Mcnamara, Richard Keyser, Toby Alfred
• Inventors: Youngstrom, Leslie, Alfred, Toby, Bauer, Alan, McNamara, Megan, Urminski, Cheryl, Keyser, Richard, Bowman, Amanda
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

An Internet on-line insurance policy service system that facilitates real-time automated communication of policy information, adjustment of policy parameters, calculation and communication of resulting policy quotes, and implementation of policy changes, while obviating insurer personnel involvement and supervision of the communication. The system comprises a plurality of software modules relating to on-line real-time communication of existing policy information, testing of a wide range of variations in policy parameters, computing and communicating changes in policy premiums that would result from such variations, communicating desired changes in policy parameters and implementing desired policy changes. Other modules relate to communication of claims information and the providing of on-line forms.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. An on-line insurance policy service system comprising:

a publicly accessible network that enables an insurance policyholder to access remote insurance data of an existing insurance policy and software linked to the remote insurance data;

an information module coupled to the publicly accessible network that identifies the insurance policyholder and verifies an insurance policy parameter of that insurance policyholder in real-time in response to data received from an insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network;

an insurance policy adjustment module coupled to the publicly accessible network that adjusts an insurance policyholder'"'"'s selected insurance policy parameter within an existing insurance policy in real-time in response to second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network; and

wherein the insurance policy adjustment module generates an insurance document customized to the insurance policyholder and sends the customized insurance document to the policyholder in response to the second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network.

38. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 37 wherein the software comprises a sequence of instructions that generates the customized insurance document and sends the customized insurance document to a web browser in response to the second data received from the insurance policyholder.

39. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 38 wherein the customized insurance document comprises content resident to an insurer'"'"'s computer and content received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network and the web browser.

40. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 39 wherein the information module comprises a controller programmed to interact with the web browser running on a separate operating system than an operating system the information module is running on.

41. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 39 wherein the web browser is programmed to integrate content stored in a memory of the insurer'"'"'s computer with content stored in a second computer remote from the insurer'"'"'s computer.

42. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 38 wherein the insurance policy adjustment module provides a real-time acknowledgement to the web browser in response to the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter.

43. The on-line insurance policy service of claim 37 wherein the insurance policy parameter comprises a change in a number or identity of persons insured under an insurance policy of the insurance policyholder.

44. The on-line insurance policy service of claim 37 wherein the publicly accessible network comprises an Internet.

45. An on-line insurance policy service system comprising:

a browser that enables an insurance policyholder to access remote insurance information and software linked to the remote insurance information;

a publicly accessible network that facilitates data transfers from the browser;

an information module remote from the browser coupled to the publicly accessible network that identifies the insurance policyholder and verifies an insurance policy parameter of that insurance policyholder in real-time in response to data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network and the browser;

an insurance policy adjustment module remote from the browser coupled to the publicly accessible network that adjusts an insurance policyholder'"'"'s selected insurance policy parameter in real-time in response to second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network and the browser; and

a payment module remote from the browser coupled to the publicly accessible network that determines a cost of the adjustment to an insurance premium in response to the adjustment of the insurance policyholder'"'"'s selected insurance policy parameter;

wherein the insurance policy adjustment module communicates to the browser an acknowledgement comprising the change in the insurance premium resulting from the adjustment in the insurance policyholder'"'"'s selected insurance policy parameter.

46. The on-line insurance policy service system of claim 45 wherein an operating system is configured to allow the insurance policyholder to accept or reject an adjustment of the insurance policy parameter.

47. An on-line insurance policy service system comprising:

a web browser that enables an insurance policyholder to access remote insurance data and software linked to the remote insurance information;

a publicly accessible distributed network that facilitates data transfers from the web browser;

an information module, remote from the web browser coupled to the publicly accessible distributed network, that identifies the insurance policyholder in real-time and verifies an insurance policy parameter of that insurance policyholder in response to first data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network and the web browser;

wherein the first data comprises a personal security code that allows access to insurance policy parameters of the insurance policyholder;

an insurance policy adjustment module, remote from the web browser coupled to the publicly accessible distributed network, that adjusts an insurance policyholder'"'"'s policy parameter in real-time in response to second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network and the web browser,

wherein the second data comprises a selection of the insurance policy parameter;

wherein the insurance policy adjustment module provides an acknowledgement to the web browser in response to the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter; and

wherein an insurer'"'"'s computer executes the software that generates an insurance document customized to the insurance policyholder as identified by the personal security code and sends the customized insurance document to the web browser in response to the second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network and the web browser.

48. An on-line insurance policy service system comprising:

a publicly accessible distributed network for transferring data;

an information module coupled to the publicly accessible distributed network, that identifies the insurance policyholder and verifies an insurance policy parameter of an existing insurance policy of the insurance policyholder in real-time in response to first data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network;

where the first data comprises a personal security code that allows access to insurance policy parameters of the insurance policyholder;

an insurance policy adjustment module coupled to the publicly accessible distributed network, that adjusts the insurance policyholder'"'"'s insurance policy parameter in real-time in response to second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network,

where the second data comprises a selection of the insurance policy parameter;

where the insurance policy adjustment module provides an acknowledgement in response to the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter within the existing insurance policy, and implements the adjustment to the existing insurance policy; and

where an insurer'"'"'s computer transmits an insurance document customized to the insurance policyholder as identified by the personal security code through the publicly accessible distributed network in response to the second data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network.

49. The system of claim 48 where the publicly accessible distributed network uses an internet protocol to facilitate a communication between a web browser and the information module.

50. The system of claim 48 where the insurance policy adjustment module provides the acknowledgment before the insurance policy adjustment module implements the adjustment to the existing insurance policy.

51. The system of claim 50 where the insurance policy adjustment module implements the adjustment to the existing insurance policy in response to third data received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible distributed network.

52. The system of claim 50 where the acknowledgement comprises data related to the adjustment of the selected insurance parameter.

53. The system of claim 50 where the acknowledgement comprises a summary of the adjustment of the selected insurance parameter.

54. The system of claim 53 where the summary describes a change in at least one of an insurance coverage, an insurance deductible, or a benefit an insurance company will pay for an insurance coverage.

55. The system of claim 50 where the acknowledgement comprises a price of the adjustment to the selected insurance policy parameter.

56. The system of claim 55 where the price is related to a change in at least one of an insurance coverage, an insurance deductible, or a policy limit an insurance company will pay for an insurance coverage.

57. The system of claim 48 further comprising a payment module coupled to the insurance policy adjustment module.

58. The system of claim 57 where the payment module comprises an account-based system that allows the on-line insurance policy service system to receive on-line payments through the publicly accessible distributed network.

59. The system of claim 58 where the account based system allows an insurance policyholder to send an on-line payment through the Internet.

60. The system of claim 57 where the payment module facilitates payment of an insurance cost through an electronic funds transfer.

61. The system of claim 57 where the payment module facilitates payment of an insurance cost through a credit card.

62. The system of claim 48 where the customized insurance document comprises content resident to the insurer'"'"'s computer and content received from the insurance policyholder through the publicly accessible network.

63. The system of claim 48 where the insurance document comprises a web page.

64. The system of claim 63 where the insurance document comprises data generated by the insurer'"'"'s computer that is associated with graphics.

65. The system of claim 48 where the insurance document comprises a data file generated by the insurer'"'"'s computer.

66. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter comprises a change in an item or items insured under the existing insurance policy.

67. The system of claim 48 further comprising a claims information module that communicates claim processing information through the publicly accessible distributed network.

68. The system of claim 48 further comprising a claims information module coupled to the insurance policy adjustment module that sends information through the publicly accessible distributed network related to a status of an insurance claim.

69. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter comprises a change in an insurance coverage.

70. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter comprises a change of an address.

71. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter changes a party insured by the existing insurance policy.

72. The system of claim 71 where the party insured comprises a person insured by the existing insurance policy.

73. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter comprises changing the selected insurance policy parameter or a party insured by the existing insurance policy.

74. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter comprises receiving information about a party to be insured by the existing insurance policy.

75. The system of claim 48 where the adjustment of the selected insurance policy parameter adjusts a deductible.

76. The system of claim 48 where the existing insurance policy comprises a vehicle insurance policy.

77. The system of claim 48 where the publicly accessible network comprises an Internet.

78. The system of claim 48 where the personal security code comprises a password.

79. The system of claim 48 where the personal security code comprises a sequence of characters that identifies the insurance policyholder.

80. The system of claim 48 where the first data is received through a web page.

81. The system of claim 48 further comprising a policy quote module coupled to the publicly accessible distributed network to generate an insurance rate quote.

82. The system of claim 48 where the information module provides insurance information through the publicly accessible distributed network.

83. The system of claim 82 where the insurance information comprises on-line forms.