Method and system for insuring real property in wildfire prone areas

• US 8,650,048 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association, United States Automobile Association (United Services Automobile Association)
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Hopkins, John C. III, Smith, Arthur Quentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai
• Application Number:
  US12/769,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 705 15- 45
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method of providing an insurance policy for a home includes providing a computer having a processor and deploying a plurality of sensors in a vicinity of the home. The method also includes receiving data from the plurality of sensors. The data includes information related to environmental factors associated with the home. The method further includes transmitting the information related to the environmental factors to the computer, computing, by the processor, a fire risk associated with the home using the information, and computing, by the processor, an insurance premium for the insurance policy using the computed fire risk.

Claims

1. A method of providing an insurance policy for a home, the method comprising:

providing a computer having a processor;

deploying a plurality of sensors in a vicinity of the home;

receiving data from the plurality of sensors, wherein the data comprises information related to environmental factors associated with the home;

transmitting the information related to the environmental factors to the computer;

computing, by the processor, a fire risk associated with the home using the information; and

computing, by the processor, an insurance premium for the insurance policy using the computed fire risk;

wherein the insurance premium is valid for a period of time less than a month in duration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one sensor mounted on the home.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least two of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a wind sensor, or a camera.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein deploying a plurality of sensors comprises providing the plurality of sensors to an owner of the home prior to installation of the plurality of sensors by the owner of the home.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second data from a second plurality of sensors deployed in the vicinity of a second home, wherein the second data comprises second information related to environmental factors associated with the second home;

transmitting the second information to the computer;

computing, by the processor, a modified fire risk associated with the home using the second information; and

computing, by the processor, a modified insurance premium for the home using the modified fire risk.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing fire mitigation procedures to a customer having the insurance policy using the computed fire risk.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the home is located in an area of high wildfire risk.

7. A method of offering an insurance policy on a property to a user, the method comprising:

providing a computer having a processor,

receiving an address of the property from the user;

accessing an insurance database;

determining, using the insurance database, that the property is uninsurable, wherein the address of the property is located within a general vicinity of high fire risk;

receiving data from a plurality of sensors associated with the property;

computing, by the processor, a fire risk associated with the property;

computing, by the processor, a policy premium using the computed fire risk; and

offering the insurance policy to the user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one sensor mounted on a home located on the property.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least two of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a wind sensor, or a camera.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the policy premium is valid for a period of time less than a month in duration.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving data from a plurality of sensors associated with the home, wherein computing the fire risk comprises using the received data.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing fire mitigation procedures to the user using the computed fire risk.

13. A method of managing insurance premiums for a home, the method comprising:

providing a computer having a processor;

deploying a plurality of sensors in a vicinity of the home;

receiving data from the plurality of sensors, wherein the data comprises information related to environmental factors associated with the home;

analyzing, by the processor, the data to determine that one or more fire mitigation procedures have been performed in association with the home to reduce a fire risk associated with the home;

transmitting information related to the one or more fire mitigation procedures to the computer;

computing, by the processor, the fire risk associated with the home using the information related to the one or more fire mitigation procedures and the information related to the environmental factors associated with the home; and

computing, by the processor, an insurance premium for the insurance policy using the computed fire risk.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one sensor mounted on the home.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least two of a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, or a wind sensor.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise a camera.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more fire mitigation procedures include removal of flammable materials from within a predetermined vicinity of the home.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the predetermined vicinity of the home comprises a 100′

defensible space zone surrounding the home.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising transmitting information on additional fire mitigation procedures to a customer having the insurance policy.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a fuel load in the vicinity of the home using the data from the plurality of the sensors.