Real-time insurance estimate based on non-personal identifying information

• US 8,315,934 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Oldham, Craig, Hobart, Michael Frederick, Krieter, Dean, Porras, Javier, Herrmann, Jeffrey Robert, Wojcik, John Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Havan, Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/554,702
• Time in Patent Office: 123 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 40
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing estimated insurance quotes/premiums are described herein. After analyzing rate factors, a subset of rate factors are selected that yield a fairly accurate estimated insurance premium from a minimum amount of information easily obtainable from a user. The user inputs a value from a predetermined set of allowable inputs (value input filter). After receiving and analyzing the user inputs, the system generates one or more estimates and displays the one or more estimates to the user, e.g., via a web page. When multiple estimates are provided, the multiple estimates may differ based on the level of coverage, add-on features, or both. Readily known non-personal identifying information is preferably requested and used, thereby alleviating privacy concerns while still being able to provide an estimate to the user very quickly, e.g., under 30 seconds, once all the requested information is obtained.

Claims

1. An insurance rate server apparatus comprising:

An insurance rate processor; and

memory storing historical insurance information in a first database, storing a rate model in a second database, and further storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the insurance rate server apparatus to perform;

analyzing the historical insurance information to determine, for each of a plurality of rate factors, an insurance risk associated with each of multiple different values of each rate factor;

determining one or more assumptions based on historical insurance information, wherein each assumption is true for at least a predetermined percentage of historical insured individuals in the historical insurance information;

selecting a subset of the plurality of rate factors that, combined with the one or more assumptions, yields a substantially accurate insurance estimate when a value input filter corresponding to the subset of rate factors is applied to the historical insurance information and is input into an insurance rate model based on the subset of the plurality of rate factors, wherein each rate factor of the subset of the plurality of rate factors comprises non-personally identifying information;

receiving via a network interface module, user input for each of the subset of the plurality of rate factors using each corresponding value input filter; and

automatically determining an estimated insurance premium using the rate model based on the received user input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to perform determining one of the value rate filters by grouping values of the corresponding rate factor that yield minimal risk differentiation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein determining an estimated insurance premium comprises determining an estimated automobile insurance premium and the subset of the plurality of rate factors consists of:

zip code, gender, marital status, driving history, vehicle year, vehicle make, vehicle model, ownership status of real estate, credit history, and length of time with current automobile insurer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value rate filter corresponding to driving history allows input values of 0, 1, and >

1, indicating accidents or moving violations within the past five years.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value rate filter corresponding to credit history allows five differing ranked input values, corresponding to ranked credit ranges.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value rate filter corresponding to length of time with current automobile insurer allows input values of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, ≧

3, ≧

5, and ≧

10 years.

7. One or more tangible computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to perform:

receiving at an insurance rate computer, first user input identifying geographic information, wherein the geographic information does not comprise any personal identifying information;

receiving at the insurance rate computer, second user input identifying personal information for each of one or more drivers to be insured, wherein the personal information does not comprise any personal identifying information;

receiving at the insurance rate computer, third user input identifying vehicle information for each of one or more vehicles to be insured, wherein the vehicle information does not comprise a vehicle identification number (VIN) and does not comprise any personal identifying information;

determining at the insurance rate computer an estimated insurance premium based on the received geographic information, personal information, and vehicle information; and

providing the estimated insurance premium for communication to the user.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the geographic information identifies a geographic location in which the insured vehicles reside;

wherein the personal information consists of marital status, gender, age, and driving history for each of one or more drivers to be insured; and

wherein the vehicle information consists of a vehicle make, vehicle model, and vehicle year for each of the one or more vehicles to be insured.

9. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein determining comprises determining a plurality of estimated insurance premiums, wherein each estimated insurance premium is based on a different level of insurance coverage.

10. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein determining comprises determining a plurality of estimated insurance premiums, wherein each estimated insurance premium is based on a different set of insurance add-ons.

11. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein determining comprises assuming one or more items of information necessary to determine the estimated insurance premium.

12. The computer readable media of claim 7, said instructions further comprising receiving fourth user input identifying residence ownership information, bill payment history, and prior automobile insurance carrier history, wherein the fourth user input does not comprise any personal identifying information,

wherein determining the estimated insurance estimate is further based on the fourth user input.

13. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the providing the estimated insurance premium occurs prior to the user providing any personal identifying information to an insurance marketplace through which user receives the estimated insurance premium.

14. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the estimated insurance premium is not a binding offer that can be accepted to form a binding insurance agreement.

15. An insurance rate computer system, comprising:

an insurance rate processor;

a network interface; and

an insurance rate computer system memory storing a rate model in a database and further storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the insurance rate processor, cause the insurance rate computer system to perform;

receiving, via the network interface, first user input identifying geographic information, wherein the geographic information does not comprise any personal identifying information;

receiving, via the network interface, second user input identifying personal information for each of one or more drivers to be insured, wherein the personal information does not comprise any personal identifying information;

receiving, via the network interface, third user input identifying vehicle information for each of one or more vehicles to be insured, wherein the vehicle information does not comprise a vehicle identification number (VIN) and does not comprise any personal identifying information;

determining an estimated insurance premium from the rate model based on the received geographic information, personal information, and vehicle information; and

providing the estimated insurance premium for communication to the user.

16. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein the geographic information identifies a geographic location in which the insured vehicles reside;

wherein the personal information consists of marital status, gender, age, and driving history for each of one or more drivers to be insured; and

wherein the vehicle information consists of a vehicle make, vehicle model, and vehicle year for each of the one or more vehicles to be insured.

17. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein determining comprises determining a plurality of estimated insurance premiums, wherein each estimated insurance premium is based on a different level of insurance coverage.

18. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein determining comprises determining a plurality of estimated insurance premiums, wherein each estimated insurance premium is based on a different set of insurance add-ons.

19. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein determining comprises assuming one or more items of information necessary to determine the estimated insurance premium.

20. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, said instructions, when executed, further cause the system to perform receiving fourth user input identifying residence ownership information, bill payment history, and prior automobile insurance carrier history, wherein the fourth user input does not comprise any personal identifying information,

wherein determining the estimated insurance estimate is further based on the fourth user input.

21. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein the providing the estimated insurance premium occurs prior to the user providing any personal identifying information to an insurance marketplace through which user receives the estimated insurance premium.

22. The insurance rate computer system of claim 15, wherein the estimated insurance premium is not a binding offer that can be accepted to form a binding insurance agreement.