METHOD FOR OFFERING A PROTECTION POLICY FOR A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120029947A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asurion, LLC (NEW Asurion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asurion, LLC (NEW Asurion Corporation)
• Inventors: Anton, Francis M. Jr., Wooldridge, Carl Alexander, Johnson, Brian Townsend, Pittman, Jeffrey Hunter
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

One embodiment includes a method for offering an protection policy for a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of providing an application, conducting a test of the mobile device, calculating the risk of protecting the mobile device, and offering an protection policy. The application is configured to operate on the mobile device and to test at least one function of the mobile device. The test is conducted by the application and verifies at least one function of the mobile device through the application. The risk of protecting the mobile device is based upon at least one result of the test. The protection policy for the mobile device is based upon the calculated risk, has a cost, and is offered for purchase to a user of the mobile device an.

Claims

1. A method for offering a protection policy for a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an application configured to operate on the mobile device and to test at least one function of the mobile device;

conducting a test of at least one function of the mobile device through the application;

calculating the risk of protecting the mobile device based upon at least one result of the test; and

offering for purchase the protection policy for the mobile device to a user of the mobile device, wherein the protection policy is based upon the calculated risk and has a cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of offering a protection policy for the mobile device includes offering an insurance policy for the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a smartphone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the test includes testing a communication component of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication component is a cellular antenna arranged substantially within the mobile device and the step of conducting the test verifies the functionality of the cellular antenna.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the test includes testing an interface component of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the interface component is a screen arranged substantially on the mobile device and the step of conducting the test verifies the functionality of the screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the test includes testing an operational component of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operational component is a battery arranged substantially within the mobile device and the step of conducting the test identifies degradation of the battery.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

tracking the use of the mobile device by the user;

classifying the behavior of the user based upon the use of the mobile device; and

including the classification of user behavior in the calculation of the risk of protecting the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of conducting the test is performed without an input from the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of notifying the user that the test of at least one function of the mobile device is being conducted.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing the user with instruction for conducting the test of at least one function of the mobile device;

receiving an input from the user; and

verifying a function of the mobile device based upon the response of the mobile device to the input.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a server arranged substantially remote from the mobile device, wherein the server is configured to receive at least one result of the test and to calculate the risk of protecting the mobile device; and

sending at least one result of the test to the server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of selecting the protection policy prior to offering the protection policy to the user, wherein the step of selecting the protection policy is performed by the server.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculated risk of protecting the mobile device increases when the test indicates degradation of at least one function of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cost of the protection policy increases when the calculated risk of protecting the mobile device increases.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving an input from the user through the application, wherein the input initiates purchase of the protection policy.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of receiving payment information for the protection policy through the application.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the time of first sale of the mobile device does not affect the eligibility of the mobile device for the protection policy.

21. A method for verifying a claim on a protection policy for a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an application configured to operate on the mobile device and to test at least one function of the mobile device;

receiving the claim on the protection policy for the mobile device;

conducting a test of at least one function of the mobile device through the application;

comparing the claim to at least one result of the test;

accepting the claim when the claim matches at least one result of the test; and

denying the claim when the claim does not match at least one result of the test.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of prompting a user of the mobile device to input the claim into the application.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of notifying the user of the mobile device of the status of the claim through the application.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of receiving a claim on the protection policy for the mobile device includes receiving a claim on an insurance policy for the mobile device.