Insurance quoting application for handheld device

• US 8,275,640 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Webcetera L.P. (Applied Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jayaram, Jaideep, Rao, Nagraj V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US12/841,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method of providing location-based insurance rate quotes and a system for implementing that method. The method comprises determining a property address proximate a mobile electronic device based on global positioning system signals received by the mobile electronic device, prompting a user of the mobile electronic device to input a name, requesting a determination of insurable property affiliated with the property address and the name, requesting an insurance rate quote for the insurable property, and receiving and displaying the insurance rate quote on the mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based insurance rate quotes, comprising:

determining, by a mobile electronic device, a property address proximate the mobile electronic device based on global positioning system signals received by the mobile electronic device;

prompting a user of the mobile electronic device to input a name into the mobile electronic device to associate with a request for an insurance rate quote;

transmitting, by the mobile electronic device over a network to a server, the request for the insurance rate quote, the request including the property address and the name for a determination of insurable property affiliated with the property address and the name;

receiving from the server by the mobile electronic device an indication of an insurable property corresponding to the property address and the name; and

receiving and displaying on the mobile electronic device a response received from the server including the insurance rate quote for the insurable property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response received from the server includes a plurality of insurance rate quotes, and further comprising prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to select from the plurality of insurance rate quotes.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the user selecting one of the plurality of insurance rate quotes, prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to input contact information permitting an insurance agent to contact the user regarding the insurance rate quote selected.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting verification by the user of the mobile electronic device that the property address derived from the global positioning system signals is an address of a property to use for the insurance rate quote.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising requesting verification by the user of the mobile electronic device that the indication of the insurable property received by the mobile electronic device is the insurable property to be used for the insurance rate quote.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting conversion of latitude and longitude coordinates received from a global positioning system receiver of the mobile electronic device into the property address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to input one or more characteristics of the insurable property.

8. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement a process comprising:

determining, by a mobile electronic device, a property address proximate the mobile electronic device using based on global positioning system signals received by the mobile electronic device;

prompting a user of the mobile electronic device to input a name into the mobile electronic device to associate with a request for one or more insurance rate quotes;

transmitting, by the mobile electronic device over a network to a server, the request for the one or more insurance rate quotes, the request including the property address and the name for a determination of insurable property affiliated with the property address and the name;

receiving from the server by the mobile electronic device an indication of an insurable property corresponding to the property address and the name; and

receiving and displaying on the mobile electronic device a response received from the server including the one or more insurance rate quotes for the insurable property.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement the process by prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to select from the one or more insurance rate quotes.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement the process by, in response to the user selecting the one or more insurance rate quotes, prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to input contact information permitting an insurance agent to contact the user regarding the one or more insurance rate quotes selected.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement the process by requesting verification by the user of the mobile electronic device that:

the property address derived from the global positioning system signals is an address of a property to use for the insurance rate quote; and

the indication of the insurable property received by the mobile electronic device is the insurable property to be used for the one or more insurance rate quotes.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement the process by requesting conversion of latitude and longitude coordinates received from a global positioning system receiver of the mobile electronic device into the property address.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement the process by prompting the user of the mobile electronic device to input one or more characteristics of the insurable property.

14. A location-based insurance rate quote system, comprising:

a processor;

a location module executable by the processor, the location module configured to receive a request for an insurance rate quote from a mobile electronic device, the request including a property address proximate the mobile electronic device and a name of a user of the mobile electronic device to associate with the insurance rate quote;

an insurable property module executable by the processor, the insurable property module configured to determine insurable property affiliated with the property address and the name of the user of the mobile electronic device; and

a rate quote module executable by the processor, the rate quote module configured to request the insurance rate quote for the insurable property from a plurality of insurance companies and to transmit the plurality of insurance rate quotes to the mobile electronic device for display thereon.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a memory operably coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store location data from the location module, insurable property and name data from the insurance property module, and insurance rate quote data from the rate quote module.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a memory having the location module, the insurable property module, and the rate quote module stored therein.