System for reducing the risk associated with an insured building structure through the incorporation of selected technologies

• US 7,711,584 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Helitzer, Jonathon, Murchie, G. Stewart, Frey, Kelly L., Carvalko, Joseph R. Jr., Kempton, Casey Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PASS, NATALIE
• Application Number:
  US10/656,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 702/34, 702/183, 702/1, 702/4, 705/4, 705/1, 705/26, 705/38, 705/37, 705/35, 705/34, 705/36.R, 705/10, 705/400, 705/2, 705/3, 705/7, 705/14, 700/275, 706/52, 706/60, 706/45, 706/46, 701/29, 701/35, 701/207, 707/1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method and computerized system is disclosed for managing the underwriting, quoting and binding an insurance policy with regard to the technology used to militate against the financial consequences of property losses. The invention utilizes a classifier for categorizing and weighing risk, composed of data representing in an identified building, a first unmitigated insurance risk and a second insurance risk, based upon the use of certain technology. A plurality of such weights are summed such that the weights generate a minimized risk for a building structure under consideration. combinations of technologies, employed in existing building structures to a classification, which then permits an underwriter to establish a premium. In another aspect of the invention data structures representing the quantification of risk reduction attendant a given technology or product are chained into a plurality of decision trees that process a construction phase and a pruning phase.

Claims

1. A system for insuring a building structure by taking into account technologies that militate against loss comprising:

a database identifying a plurality of technologies that reduce risk of loss to an associated building structure; and

computer executable instructions stored in memory, for causing a processor to;

issue, by an insurance company, an insurance policy covering a building structure that incorporates a sensor technology from the plurality of technologies identified in the database, wherein the incorporated sensor technology is capable of outputting data electronically;

obtain, by the insurance company, monitoring data indicating a condition of the building based on data output electronically by the incorporated sensor technology, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include at least one of a building smoke detector, a building fire detector, a building radiation detector, a building chemical hazard detector, a building biological hazard detector, a building water detector, and a building leakage detector;

determine an alteration to a premium for the insurance policy based on the condition of the building indicated in the monitoring data, and

alter the premium of the insurance policy based on the determination made by the processor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the premium alteration determination is further based on information stored in the database about the incorporated sensor technology that electronically output the data on which the monitoring data was based.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the insurance policy includes an attachment point, and the premium alteration determination is further based on the attachment point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the database further identifies a plurality of building construction types;

the computer executable instructions stored in memory cause the processor to obtain data indicating a type of construction of the insured building structure, and

the determining of the premium alteration by the processor is further based on the condition of the building indicated in the monitoring data in relation to the type of construction of the building.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building smoke detector.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building chemical hazard detector.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building water detector.

8. A system for insuring a building structure by taking into account technologies that militate against loss comprising:

a database identifying a plurality of technologies that reduce risk of loss to an associated building structure;

a first processor for issuing, by an insurance company, an insurance policy covering a building structure that incorporates a sensor technology from the plurality of technologies identified in the database, wherein the incorporated sensor technology is capable of outputting data electronically;

a server associated with the insurance company for receiving monitoring data indicating a condition of the building structure, based on data output electronically by the incorporated sensor technology, wherein the incorporated sensor technology from which data is received includes at least one of a building smoke detector, a building fire detector, a building radiation detector, a building chemical hazard detector, a building biological hazard detector, a building water detector, and a building leakage detector; and

a second processor for determining an alteration to a premium for the insurance policy based on the condition of the building structure indicated in the monitoring data, and altering the premium for the issued insurance policy based on the determination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the premium alteration determination is further based on information stored in the database about the incorporated sensor technology that electronically output the data on which the monitoring data was based.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the insurance policy includes an attachment point, and the premium alteration determination is further based on the attachment point.

11. A method for insuring a building structure by taking into account technologies that militate against loss comprising:

maintaining a database identifying a plurality of technologies that reduce risk of loss to an associated building structure;

issuing an insurance policy, by an insurance company, covering a building structure that incorporates a sensor technology from the plurality of technologies identified in the database, wherein the incorporated sensor technology is capable of outputting data electronically;

obtaining monitoring data, by the insurance company, indicating a dangerous condition of the building, based on data output electronically by the incorporated sensor technology, wherein the incorporated sensor technology from which data is obtained includes at least one of a building smoke detector, a building fire detector, a building radiation detector, a building chemical hazard detector, a building biological hazard detector, a building water detector, and a building leakage detector; and

inputting the monitoring data into a computer system;

the computer system determining an alteration to a premium for the insurance policy based on the dangerous condition of the building indicated in the monitoring data; and

the computer system altering the premium of the issued insurance policy based on the determination.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building smoke detector.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building chemical hazard detector.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the incorporated sensors from which data is obtained include a building water detector.

15. A system for insuring a building structure by taking into account technologies that militate against loss comprising:

a database identifying a plurality of technologies that reduce risk of loss to an associated building structure;

a first processor for issuing, by the insurance company, an insurance policy covering a building structure that incorporates first and second sensor technologies from the plurality of technologies identified in the database, wherein each incorporated sensor technology is capable of outputting data electronically,

a server associated with an insurance company for receiving monitoring data indicating a condition of the building structure, based on data output electronically by the first and second incorporated sensor technologies, wherein the first and second incorporated sensor technologies from which data is received include at least two of a building smoke detector, a building fire detector, a building radiation detector, a building chemical hazard detector, a building biological hazard detector, a building water detector, and a building leakage detector; and

a second processor for applying a first weighting to data received from the first incorporated sensor technology and a second weighting, different from the first weighting, to data received from the second incorporated sensor technology; and

a third processor for determining an alteration to a premium for the insurance policy based on the condition of the building structure indicated in the monitoring data and the first and second weightings, and for altering the premium for the issued insurance policy based on the determination.

16. A method for insuring a building structure by taking into account technologies that militate against loss comprising:

maintaining a database identifying a plurality of technologies that reduce risk of loss to an associated building structure;

issuing an insurance policy, by an insurance company, covering a building structure that incorporates at least first and second sensor technologies from the plurality of technologies identified in the database, wherein each incorporated sensor technology is capable of outputting data electronically;

obtaining monitoring data, by the insurance company, indicating a condition of the building, based on data output electronically by the first and second incorporated sensor technologies, wherein the first and second incorporated sensor technologies from which data is received include at least two of a building smoke detector, a building fire detector, a building radiation detector, a building chemical hazard detector, a building biological hazard detector, a building water detector, and a building leakage detector; and

inputting the monitoring data into a computer system;

the computer system applying a first weighting to data received from the first incorporated sensor technology and a second weighting, different from the first weighting, to data obtained from the second incorporated sensor technology;

the computer system determining an alteration to a premium for the insurance policy based on the condition of the building indicated in the monitoring data and the first and second weightings; and

the computer system altering the premium of the issued insurance policy based on the determination.