System and method to provide process status update information

• US 8,160,904 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Smith, Arthur Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILEF, ELDA G
• Application Number:
  US11/733,799
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods to provide process status update information. The systems and methods provide techniques to communicate with a party about a process in which the party has an interest, provide the party with an identifier, the identifier related to the party and the process, and provide a process status updater operable to provide information about the process to the party, wherein the information about the process is provided when the party accesses the process status updater using the identifier.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to provide process status update information, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

communicate with a party of a plurality of parties about an insurance claim process in which the party has an interest with others of the plurality of parties, the insurance claim process including a claim for damage to property;

provide the party with an identifier, the identifier related to the party and the insurance claim process, and the identifier being the same for all of the plurality of parties;

provide a process status updater operable to provide information about the insurance claim process to the party, wherein the information about the insurance claim process is provided when the party accesses the process status updater using the identifier, wherein the process status updater is one of;

an automated telephone system, an automated email system, an automated fax system, or an automated instant messaging system;

receive an estimate for repairing the damage to the property; and

update the process status updater to communicate the estimate to the party,

wherein the computer-readable instructions to receive an estimate comprise instructions to receive a plurality of estimates from a plurality of appraisers in a reverse auction format.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a user identification and a password.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

update the process status updater in response to the occurrence of at least one of a plurality of steps in the process.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the process status updater is accessible by the party through a website.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the process status updater is provided by a membership organization, and wherein the party is a member of the membership organization.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the process status updater comprises an automated telephone system and wherein the instructions to provide the process status updater comprise instructions to:

receive a phone call from the party;

prompt the party for the identifier; and

provide an audible update about the process related to the identifier.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the process status updater comprises an automated telephone system and wherein the instructions to provide the process status updater further comprise instructions to:

contact the party;

prompt the party for the identifier; and

provide an audible update about the process related to the identifier.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to provide process status update information, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

communicate with a first party and a second party about an insurance claim process, wherein the first party comprises a first party interest in the process and the second party comprises a second party interest in the process, and wherein the first party interest is adverse to the second party interest, and wherein the insurance claim process including a claim for damage to property;

provide a process status updater for the process, the process status updater operable to indicate a step in the process;

provide an identifier to the first party and to the second party, the identifier related to the first party, the second party, and the process, and the identifier being the same for the first party and the second party for the process;

provide the first party and the second party with information about the process with the process status updater, wherein the first party and the second party access the information using the identifier, and wherein the process status updater is one of;

an automated telephone system, an automated email system, an automated fix system, or an automated instant messaging system;

receive an estimate for repairing the damage to the property; and

update the process status updater to communicate the estimate to the first and second parties,

wherein the computer-readable instructions to receive an estimate comprise instructions to receive a plurality of estimates from a plurality of appraisers in a reverse auction format.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first party is making an insurance claim against the second party.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifier for the first party is the same as the identifier for the second party.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifier for the first party is different from the identifier for the second party.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the process status updater is provided by a membership organization, whereby the first party is a member of the membership organization and the second party is not a member of the membership organization.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the identifier provided to the first party provides access to information that is not accessible using the identifier provided to the second party.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the process status updater comprises an automated telephone system and wherein the instructions to provide the first party and the second party with information about the process with the process status updater further comprise instructions to provide an audible update about the process related to the identifier.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to provide process status update information, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

create a process status updater for an insurance claim process, the insurance claim process including a claim for damage to property;

associate an identifier with the process, the identifier operable to acquire information about the process from the process status updater, wherein the information about the insurance claim process comprises the step that the process is in;

provide a plurality of parties with the identifier, the identifier associated with the plurality of parties and the insurance claim process, and the identifier being the same for all of the plurality of parties;

update the process status updater;

record the use of the identifier by those of the plurality of parties using the identifier to acquire information related to the insurance claim process, wherein the process status updater is one of;

an automated telephone system, an automated email system, an automated fax system, or an automated instant messaging system;

receive an estimate for repairing the damage to the property; and

update the process status updater to communicate the estimate to the plurality of parties,

wherein the computer-readable instructions to receive an estimate comprise instructions to receive a plurality of estimates from a plurality of appraisers in a reverse auction format.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the recording comprises recording the number of uses of the identifier.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the recording comprises recording the Internet Protocol (IP) address of an information handling system that is being used to access the process status updater.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

analyze the recorded uses of the identifier.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

contact a party associated with the process.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

provide the identifier to a first party and determine that a second party that is different from the first party is using the identifier to acquire information about the process from the process status updater.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the process status updater comprises an automated telephone system and wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

prompt a party of the plurality of parties for the identifier; and

provide an audible update about the process associated with the identifier.