Farm management system

• US 5,897,619 A
• Filed: 11/07/1994
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rural Community Insurance Agency Incorporated (Zurich Insurance Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Agriperil Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Zinda, Christopher A., Hargrove, Raford S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US08/335,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/406, 364/429, 364/421, 395/201, 395/204, 395/925-930, 390/995, 390/684, 283/34, 705/1.4, 345/326, 345/23, 345/24, 434/150, 434/153, 701/213, 701/214
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/00 Methods for working soil
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A farm management system that is an interactive system to acquire, portray, and process field related data to thereby set rates on a field by field basis, verify that each policy complies with company, state, and federal regulations, verify that the configuration of each field allows the field to be insurable, and provide a method to validate claims of crop damage caused by weather.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for acquiring, organizing, and processing field-related data which is then used to rate each field, the method being implemented on a map-driven, farm management system and comprising the steps of:

(a) defining in a memory unit of the system for at least one policyholder the policies held by each of the at least one policyholder;

(b) providing to a memory unit of the system map information for the regions in which at least one policyholder exists said map information includes standard boundary identifiers;

(c) receiving via an interface on a monitor in the system the name of a policyholder and the policy to be modified, as selected by a user;

(d) generating from said provided map information and displaying on the monitor in the system a map section of the fields associated with the selected policy;

(e) upon a user'"'"'s graphical identification and selection of a displayed field, interactively eliciting from the user and storing in a data structure corresponding to the selected field, field-related data pertaining to the selected field;

(f) verifying that field-related data has been entered for each field associated with the particular policy;

(g) verifying that optional units have not been created for fields contained in the same section;

(h) rating at least the selected field based at least upon field-related data pertaining to the selected field and map information corresponding to said selected field; and

(i) making available the results of said rating to the user.

2. A farm management system implemented method for assessing crop insurance on a policy covering at least one field, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing to a memory unit of the system map information for a region in which the crop field(s) to be covered are located, said map information including standard map boundary identification information;

(b) displaying on a system interface monitor a map section image of the region, wherein the image is generated from the provided map information;

(c) responsive to a user'"'"'s graphical definition of the field(s) to be covered by the policy, defining said field(s) in the memory unit of the system,;

(d) receiving from the user and storing in an associated system data structure field-related data for each defined field(s), wherein each data structure is linked to its associated defined field; and

(e) validating the stored field-related data against governmental regulations to confirm that the field(s) to be covered are insurable.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of rating the policy after the insurability of the policy has been confirmed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of rating the policy is implemented by separately rating the defined crop field(s).

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of verifying that optional units are not created for fields contained in the same section.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the standard map boundary identification information includes street, river, county, section, and township/range boundaries.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the user implements a map tool to define the covered field(s).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the map tool is a drawing tool.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the map tool is a graphical user interface function that enables the user to identify the field by positioning the curser at a selected location on the map image and entering the desired area for the field to be defined.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the field-related data includes the amount of the field to be utilized by a particular crop.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the area of the field to be utilized for a particular crop is entered by the user into the system via a map tool while the defined field is being displayed upon the monitor.

12. In a farm management system having a display wherein a map is displayed, the map including standard boundary identifiers such as street, river, county, section, and township/range boundaries, a method for defining a field within the system and storing field-related data, pertaining to the defined field, into the system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating and displaying a map having boundary identifiers;

(b) selecting a map tool from a plurality of map tools, wherein the selection of said map tool causes a map tool curser to be displayed;

(c) positioning the map tool curser on an area of the map corresponding to that of the field to be defined, wherein a user identifies said area in relation to said standard boundary identifiers and correspondingly generates a displayed boundary of the field upon the map display with the selected map tool;

(d) defining the field within a memory unit of the system in response to the user'"'"'s generation of the displayed field boundary;

(e) defining a data structure within the system, the data structure being linked to the memory unit where said field is defined;

(f) displaying a data entry form in response to the user'"'"'s selection of a data entry option for the defined field, the form corresponding to said defined data structure; and

(g) storing field-related data into said data structure in response to the user entering said data onto the displayed form, whereby the stored data pertains to the defined field.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of storing field-related data includes the act of storing data sufficient for assessing the insurability of crops to be planted within the defined field.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of rating a crop insurance policy for the defined field in response to a user selecting a crop insurance rating option.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of verifying that the defined field, in connection with its stored field-related data, complies with applicable regulations.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of generating a report for the defined field.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the selected map tool is a map drawing tool and the map tool curser is a map drawing tool curser, whereby the user generates the displayed boundary of the field by activating the map drawing tool and tracing the field boundary upon the map display with the map drawing tool curser.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the map tool enables the user to define the field by positioning the map tool curser on a selected position on the map display, activating the selected map tool and entering the magnitude of the field'"'"'s area.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of defining a data structure includes the act of defining a series of relationally linked records, wherein each record of the series stores a unique group of field-related data and has a geographical object associated with it.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a plurality of data entry forms are utilized to enter and store field-related data into the series of records.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of defining the field within a memory unit includes the acts of (1) determining the field'"'"'s size and location, (2) assigning to the field a unique identifier, (3) creating a unique geographical object to identify the field boundary;

and (4) storing this information into the memory unit.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the act of determining the field'"'"'s size includes the acts of (1) cross-referencing its location with a record including Agricultural Soil Conservation Service data and determining its Agricultural Soil Conservation Service assigned area therefrom.

23. In a farm management system having a display wherein a map is displayed, the map including a field, which is defined in a system memory unit, a method for defining within the system a crop region located within the field and for storing within the system field-related data pertaining to the crop region, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating and displaying a map having an identifiable field;

(b) selecting a map tool from a plurality of map tools, wherein the selection of said map tool causes a map tool curser to be displayed;

(c) positioning the selected map tool curser on an area within the field corresponding to that of the crop region to be defined, wherein a user generates a displayed boundary of the crop region, within the field upon the map display, using the selected map tool;

(d) defining the crop region within a data structure of the system in response to the user'"'"'s generation of the displayed crop region boundary, the data structure being linked to the system memory unit where the field is defined;

(e) displaying a data entry form in response to the user'"'"'s selection of a data entry option for the defined field, the form corresponding to said defined data structure; and

(f) storing field-related data into said data structure in response to the user entering said data onto the displayed form, whereby the stored data pertains to the defined crop region.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of storing field-related data includes the act of storing data sufficient for assessing the insurability of the crop to be planted within the defined crop region.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the step of rating a crop insurance policy for the defined field in response to a user selecting a crop insurance rating option.

26. The method of claim 24 further including the act of defining crop regions for a plurality of identified fields, whereby field-related data for each crop region is stored in a separate data structure.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of rating a crop insurance policy for the defined field in response to a user selecting a crop insurance rating option.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of verifying that the defined crop region, in connection with its stored field-related data, complies with applicable regulations.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of generating a report for the defined field.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of selecting a map tool includes the act of selecting a drawing tool, wherein the map tool curser is a drawing tool curser, whereby the user generates the displayed boundary of the crop region by activating the drawing tool and tracing the crop region boundary upon the map display with the drawing tool curser.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of defining a crop region is implemented by the system in response to the user positioning the map tool curser on a latitude and longitude coordinate of the map display within the identifiable field, activating the selected map tool and entering the magnitude of the field'"'"'s area.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of defining a data structure includes the act of defining a series of relationally linked records, wherein each record of the series stores a unique group of field-related data.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein a plurality of data entry forms are utilized to enter and store field-related data into the series of records.

34. A farm management system for storing, organizing and evaluating field specific, field-related data for a plurality of fields to be defined within the system, comprising:

(a) a display;

(b) a processor operatively connected to said display;

(c) an input device operatively connected to the processor; and

(d) memory having (1) map data corresponding to a geographical region including the plurality of fields, and (2) computer software operative by the processor comprising;

(i) software instructions for displaying on the display a map image generated from the map data, whereby the map image includes the geographical region including the plurality of fields,

(ii) software instructions for defining each of the plurality of fields in a separate field data structure as each field is graphically defined by a user with a map tool, wherein said field data structures are defined in said memory,

(iii) software instructions for receiving from the user and storing in a separate crop data structure, for each field, field-related data corresponding to a particular field, wherein each crop data structure is relationally linked to a corresponding field data structure, and

(iv) software instructions for assessing the crop insurability of the fields based at least upon the stored field-related data.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the computer software performs the additional step of generating a report on the fields in connection with the stored field-related data.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the computer software performs the additional step of rating a crop insurance policy to cover at least one of the plurality of fields.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the map tool is a map drawing tool, whereby the user defines each field by activating the drawing tool and tracing each field'"'"'s boundary upon the displayed map image.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the map tool is a graphical user interface function enabling the user to define each field by positioning a curser at a selected location on the displayed map image and entering the desired area for the field to be defined.

39. The system of claim 34 wherein the executing program step of defining in a field data structure a field includes the step of determining the area of the field in response to the user'"'"'s graphical definition thereof.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the field-related data for each field pertains to a single crop.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein the executing program step of storing field-related data in a crop data structure includes the step of storing the area to be utilized for a particular crop.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the area to be utilized for a particular crop is graphically entered by a user into the system via a map tool while the corresponding defined field is being displayed.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the executing program performs the additional step of verifying that the fields comply with applicable regulations based at least upon their locations and corresponding field-related data.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the regulations are crop insurance regulations.

45. A farm management system for storing and organizing field-related data comprising:

(a) a computing device having a memory and a display;

(b) a map data structure in the memory having map data for the generation and display of map images, the map images including fields to be selected by a user for the entry of associated field-related data;

(c) a plurality of field data structures in the memory for storing field identification data, wherein each field data structure is linked to and associated with a corresponding field image from the map data structure, the field identification data including field size and location;

(d) a plurality of crop data structures in the memory for storing field-related data, wherein field-related data corresponding to a particular crop is stored in a particular crop data structure and each crop data structure is relationally linked to the field data structure that corresponds to the field where said particular crop is planted; and

(e) a program to be executed by the computing device for (1) generating and displaying upon the display a map image, (2) eliciting and receiving from a user field-related data for a crop within a field selected by the user, and (3) storing said field-related data in a crop data structure that is relationally linked to the field data structure corresponding to the selected field, wherein said user graphically identifies and selects said field with a map interface tool.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the field-related information includes the area of the selected field that is consumed by the particular crop, wherein the executing program determines said area in response to the user graphically defining the crop'"'"'s boundary within the displayed selected field, the user defining said boundary with a map tool.

47. The system of claim 45 wherein each of the crop data structures is comprised of relationally linked lower-level data structures.

48. The system of claim 45 further comprising a soil sample database in the memory for storing soil test data on the plurality of fields, the soil sample database including a soil sample data structure for each field, wherein each soil sample data structure is linked to its corresponding field data structure by a common field identifier.

49. The system of claim 45 wherein the executing program performs the additional task of rating a selected field for crop insurance.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the executing program further performs the task of optimizing an insurance policy for a defined set of fields.

51. A crop insurance assessment system comprising:

(a) computing means having a display and a memory;

(b) program means to be executed by said computing means for implementing the crop insurance assessment system, said program means including;

(i) means for displaying a map image upon the display, wherein said map image includes a plurality of fields,

(ii) means for eliciting from a user and storing into said memory field-related data associated with fields that are to be covered by a crop insurance policy; and

(iii) means for assessing the insurability of the policy based at least upon the location(s) of the covered fields, and the associated field-related data.

52. The system of claim 51 further comprising means for separately rating each field to be covered by said policy.

53. The system of claim 51 further comprising validation means for validating a claim made on said policy.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein said validation means includes a weather database for verifying the veracity of a weather-related claim.

55. A memory storage device having instructions that when executed cause a farm management system to implement a method for assessing crop insurance on a policy covering at least one field, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing to a memory unit of the system map information for a region in which the crop field(s) to be covered are located, said map information including standard map boundary identification information;

(b) displaying on a system interface monitor a map section image of the region, wherein the image is generated from the provided map information;

(c) responsive to a user'"'"'s graphical definition of the field(s) to be covered by the policy, defining said field(s) in a memory unit of the system,;

(d) receiving from the user and storing in an associated system data structure field-related data for each defined field(s), wherein each data structure is linked to its associated defined field; and

(e) validating the stored field-related data against governmental regulations to confirm that the field(s) to be covered are insurable.

56. A memory storage device having instructions that when executed cause a computer system to implement a method for organizing field-related data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining in a memory unit of the system map information corresponding to a region that includes a field wherein a crop is to be planted;

(b) displaying on a system monitor a map image generated from the map information, wherein the map image includes standard boundary identifiers;

(c) defining in a system field data structure a field as it is graphically identified and defined by a user with a map tool;

(d) receiving from a user and storing in a system crop data structure field-related data related to the defined field, the crop data structure being relationally linked to the field data structure; and

(e) assessing the crop insurability of the field.