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

• US 7,490,050 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan; C Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rines; R. David
• Application Number:
  US10/150,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/35, 283/54, 902/5
• 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:

presenting to the user an assistance feature comprising at least one of a coverage recommendation feature that makes coverage recommendations for the user based on financial information about the user and a coverage choices feature that displays to the user coverage choices without requiring the financial information about the user;

receiving from the user at a computing device basic user information by an on-line quote system application via an on-line quote system web server;

providing by the on-line quote system application the assistance feature that generates at least one of said coverage recommendations and said coverage choices for the user responsive to the basic user information received from the user;

receiving from the user underwriting information by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server;

receiving rating information for the user from a rating engine by the on-line quote system application responsive to the basic user information and the underwriting information received from the user; and

providing a quote for the user for the at least one of said coverage recommendations and said coverage choices by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server responsive to the basic user information and the underwriting information received from the user and the rating information received from the rating engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the user 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 the assistance feature is a coverage wizard feature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating engine determines a correct pricing tier for the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a knowledge-based management system module of the rating engine determines the correct pricing tier for the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating engine determines underwriting knockouts, completeness, and a rating by a reconciliation system.

7. 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.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 8, 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.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein uploading the quote-related information for the user to the backend system further comprises adding management information for the user to a management information database by the on-line quote system application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing by the on-line quote system application a fast-forward feature that displays only pages in the on-line quote system application for the user that are affected by a modification received from the user to a previous entry.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving by the on-line quote system application deployable content from a deployable content database for the user responsive to the basic user information entered by the user; and

supplementing the basic user information with the deployable content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the deployable content database comprises deployable content profiles.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the deployable content from the user is responsive to the user'"'"'s geographic location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the deployable content from the user is responsive to the user'"'"'s affinity group association.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating by the on-line quote system application one or more of graphics and content responsive to the deployable content for the user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating by the on-line quote system application one or more of graphics and content responsive to the basic user information entered by the user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic user information comprises state information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the assistance feature makes state-specific coverage recommendations and generates state-specific coverage choices for the user responsive to the state information entered by the user.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the user additional information for policy issuance.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the additional information for policy issuance is a driver'"'"'s license number and driver'"'"'s license state.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the additional information for policy issuance is a vehicle identification number.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the additional information for policy issuance is a credit card number.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading quote-related information for the user to a backend system and creating a user login and password for the user by the on-line quote system application via the on-line quote system web server, if an indication of the user'"'"'s interest in saving the quote to recall later is received by the on-line quote system application.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the user a request to purchase the insurance product associated with the quote, without interaction with a company representative.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing the insurance product associated with the quote, without interaction with a company representative.

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

an on-line quote system application that presents to the user an assistance feature comprising at least one of a coverage recommendation feature that makes coverage recommendations for the user based on financial information about the user and a coverage choices feature that displays to the user coverage choices without requiring the financial information about the user;

wherein the on-line quote application receives basic user information via an on-line quote system web sewer from a user at a computing device coupled to the on-line quote system web sewer;

wherein the on-line quote application provides the assistance feature that generates at least one of said coverage recommendations and said coverage choices for the user responsive to the basic user information received from the user;

wherein the on-line quote system application receives underwriting information for the user via the on-line quote system web server, and receives rating information for the user from a rating engine responsive to the basic user information and the underwriting information received from the user;

and wherein the on-line quote application provides a quote for the user for the at least one of said coverage recommendations and said coverage choices via the on-line quote system web server responsive to the basic user information and the underwriting information received from the user and the rating information received from the rating engine.

28. The system of claim 27, 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.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the assistance feature is a coverage wizard feature.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the online quote system uploads the user information to a backend system and provides 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.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the on-line quote system application adds the quote-related information for the user to an on-line quote system database.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a computer telephony integration system that pulls the quote-related information for the user from the on-line quote system database into a computer telephony integration system database.

33. The system of claim 27, further comprising a fast-forward feature of the on-line quote system application that displays only pages in the on-line quote system application that are affected by a modification received from the user to a previous entry.