Enhanced alert messaging

• US 9,299,241 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Monical, George Ernest, Saban, Yuval
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US13/367,806
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 340/504
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

An enhanced alerts server may receive alert-related and user-related information from various sources. The server may then generate various types of alerts, including alerts related to weather, crime, product recalls, etc. The server may then apply various predefined rules for associating different types of alerts with a given end user. In deciding on which alerts are transmitted to which users, the enhanced alerts server may also consider any feedback provided by the users regarding previously delivered alerts. An additional aspect of the implementation relates to an easy-to-understand, color-coded display associated with a device through which users may access received alerts.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

receiving a first set of data from a plurality of alert-related data sources;

generating a plurality of alerts from the first set of data;

storing the plurality of alerts;

receiving a second set of data about a plurality of users;

storing the second set of data;

applying an algorithm comprising a plurality of predefined rules for associating at least one of the plurality of alerts with at least one of the plurality of users and for generating at least one personalized alert for the at least one of the plurality of users,

wherein at least one of the plurality of predefined rules relates to feedback provided by the at least one of the plurality of users regarding a type of alert to be transmitted to the at least one of the plurality of users and a type of alert to be prevented from transmission to the at least one of the plurality of users;

storing the at least one personalized alert;

determining a risk mitigating action related to the at least one personalized alert;

transmitting, to the at least one of the plurality of users, the at least one personalized alert with a recommendation to perform the risk mitigating action and an offer for a discount on an insurance premium under a condition that the risk mitigating action is performed; and

receiving, from an electronic device, performance data indicating that the risk mitigating action has been performed; and

verifying that the risk mitigating action has been performed based on the performance data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of data relates to information selected from the group consisting of:

weather, social networks, and crime.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs:

assigning the at least one personalized alert an alert priority.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further including additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform:

determining a type of alert associated with the at least one personalized alert;

determining, based on the determined type of alert, a communication protocol associated with the determined type of alert; and

determining, based on the determined type of alert, whether to assess a fee for transmitting the at least one personalized alert based,

wherein the at least one personalized alert is transmitted via the determined communication protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the verifying that the risk mitigating action has been performed comprises verifying that a vehicle has been moved to a specific area based on global positioning system (GPS) coordinates associated with the vehicle.

18. The apparatus of claim 17,

wherein the electronic device comprises a GPS receiver;

wherein the performance data comprises the GPS coordinates and a time stamp; and

wherein the verifying that the vehicle has been moved to the specific area comprises verifying, based on the time stamp, that the vehicle has been moved to the specific area after transmission of the at least one personalized alert and before an event associated with the at least one personalized alert.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the applying the algorithm comprises matching a first profile of a first user among the plurality of users with a second profile of a second user among the plurality of users to generate the at least one personalized alert.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the applying the algorithm comprises associating the at least one of the plurality of alerts with the at least one of the plurality of users based on a determination that a profile of the at least one of the plurality of users matches a profile of another user associated with the at least one of the plurality of alerts.

4. A method comprising:

generating, using a processor associated with an enhanced alerts server, a user profile identifying an alert category and feedback data indicating a first alert type within the alert category for which alerts can be sent and a second alert type within the alert category for which alerts are prevented from being sent;

receiving, at the enhanced alerts server, alert data from at least one information source;

determining a risk mitigating action based on the alert data;

in response to determining that the alert data contains information for the alert category and that the alert data is of the first alert type, generating, using the processor, an alert message, including;

the alert data, a recommendation to perform the risk mitigating action, and an offer for a discount on an insurance premium under a condition that the risk mitigating action is performed;

causing transmission of the alert message in response to the generating;

receiving, at the enhanced alerts server from an electronic device, performance data indicating that the risk mitigating action has been performed; and

verifying that the risk mitigating action has been performed based on the performance data.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein the alert message further includes information on multiple alert categories including weather, social networks, and crime, and

wherein the method further comprises assigning a color to a particular alert category of the alert categories based on severity of the alert data and instructing a user device to display the color for the particular alert category when presenting the particular alert category, wherein the severity is dependent at least on time sensitivity of the alert data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

assigning an avatar for each of the alert categories and instructing a user device to display the avatar; and

assigning a blink frequency for each of the alert categories and instructing a user device to assign the blink frequency to a displayed alert color or alert avatar.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

at the processor, assigning an initial score to the alert data based the user profile, wherein the initial score indicates how relevant the alert data is to a user associated with the user profile;

using the processor, adjusting the initial score upward or downward based on user feedback on previous similar alerts to obtain an adjusted score, wherein the user feedback indicates whether or not the previous similar alerts were helpful or unhelpful; and

using the processor, comparing the adjusted score to a threshold to determine whether to cause transmission of the alert message.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

using the processor, assigning predefined or user configurable actions that are related to the alert data.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

using the processor, estimating an alert risk severity and determining whether to override a user specified preference and cause transmission of the alert message.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user device, a first alert message from a server along with a recommendation to perform a risk mitigating action and an offer for a discount on an insurance premium under a condition that the risk mitigating action is performed, wherein the first alert message is associated with a first alert category, a first alert type within the first alert category, and a first alert priority, and wherein the risk mitigating action is related to the first alert category;

displaying the first alert message, the recommendation, and the offer on a display associated with the user device;

transmitting, via a communication module associated with the user device, feedback back to the server, wherein the feedback indicates how helpful the first alert message was to a user;

transmitting, via the communication module, performance data indicating that the risk mitigating action has been performed; and

receiving a second alert message at the user device, the second alert message corresponding to the first alert category and having a second alert priority different from the first alert priority, wherein the second alert priority of the second alert message is determined based at least in part on the feedback transmitted back to the server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first alert message includes information on multiple alert categories related to the user.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing time sensitivity and type of risk represented by information in the first alert message; and

setting the first alert priority based on the analyzing the time sensitivity and the type of risk.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing language used in publicly available Internet forums; and

setting the first alert priority based on the analyzing the language.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

setting the first alert priority to a highest value when the information in the first alert message relates to at least one of violence, physical or emotional harassment, and sexual activity.

15. The method claim 10, wherein the first alert message further includes an initial score that is configured to be modified based on the feedback.