Assistance on the go

• US 9,412,130 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Wasserman, Robert, Kozlowski, Tara Cavallaro, Briggs, Ryan M., Iqbal, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US14/611,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20160092962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/384, 705/4, 705/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile computerized apparatus or method configured to coordinate towing facilities and roadside assistance providers and their available capacity to tow and provide roadside assistance and match users with those towing facilities and roadside assistance providers is disclosed. The apparatus or method may be configured to consider the following factors in matching the towing facilities/roadside assistance providers and users: (a) availability of nearby towing facilities; (b) telematics information from the vehicle to assist with the diagnosis/repairs; (c) preset preferences of the user; (d) insurance information (such as the type of the vehicle the user has and the user'"'"'s home address); and (e) the capabilities of the towing facility.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, through a mobile application executing on a mobile device having at least one processor, a roadside assistance request from a user, wherein the roadside assistance request is received through the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile application, telematics information from a telematics device;

receiving, by the mobile application, insurance information from an insurance company, wherein the insurance information includes information about the user, vehicle information, and the user'"'"'s home location;

providing, by the mobile application, a prioritized ranking of roadside assistance service providers based on the telematics information, insurance information, and the roadside assistance request;

providing, by the mobile application, roadside assistance provider information based on the prioritized ranking of roadside assistance providers;

receiving, by the mobile application, a roadside assistance order from the user that includes a selected roadside assistance provider;

transmitting, by the mobile application, the roadside assistance order to the selected roadside assistance provider;

receiving, by the mobile application, confirmation of the roadside assistance order from the selected roadside assistance provider; and

providing, by the mobile application, an electronic payment to the selected roadside assistance provider for the roadside assistance order.

2. The method of claim 1 further include the step of:

providing, by the mobile application, a reward to the user based on the roadside assistance order, wherein the reward is one or more of the following;

cash back, a discount for the roadside assistance order, or a bonus roadside assistance item for the roadside assistance order.

3. The method of claim 1 further include the step of:

providing, by the mobile application, a reward to the user based on the roadside assistance order, wherein the reward is one or more of the following;

a discount of future insurance premiums for the user, increased insurance coverage for the user, or a decreased deductible for insurance coverage for the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritized ranking of roadside assistance service providers is based on the insurance information to select a route to the user from the location of the service provider that is a safest route based on the previous accidents and previous claims in the insurance information.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

receiving, by the mobile application, a set of tracking information for the selected roadside assistance provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of tracking information includes location, velocity, route, and destination of the selected roadside assistance provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the roadside assistance service provider information includes:

locations of available roadside assistance service providers, type of roadside assistance service providers, and a set of ratings of the roadside assistance service providers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the roadside assistance service provider information includes real-time information that includes one or more of the following:

a wait time, a time-to-arrival time, service provider locations, service provider availability.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the prioritized ranking of roadside assistance service providers is based on the insurance information to select a route to the vehicle from the selected service provider that is a safest route based on the previous accidents and previous claims in the insurance information.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

(a) after occurrence of a roadside event to a vehicle, receive input at a mobile device regarding the roadside event to the vehicle;

(b) receive, through a mobile application executing on the apparatus, a roadside assistance request from a user, wherein the roadside assistance request is received through the mobile device and relates to the roadside event to the vehicle;

(c) receive, by the mobile application, telematics information from a telematics device, wherein the telematics information includes information from the vehicle to assist with a diagnosis and repairs for the roadside event to the vehicle;

(d) receive, by the mobile application, insurance information from an insurance company, wherein the insurance information includes information about the user, vehicle information, and the user'"'"'s home address;

(e) determine and provide, by the mobile application, a prioritized ranking of roadside assistance providers based on the telematics information, the insurance information, and the roadside assistance request;

(f) provide, by the mobile application, roadside assistance service provider information based on the prioritized ranking of roadside assistance service providers;

(g) receive, by the mobile application, a roadside assistance order automatically selected by the mobile application based on the roadside assistance service provider that scores the highest according to a preset algorithm, wherein the roadside assistance order include a selected roadside assistance provider;

(h) transmit, by the mobile application, the roadside assistance order to the selected roadside assistance provider; and

(i) provide, by the mobile application, an electronic payment to the selected roadside assistance provider for the roadside assistance order.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the prioritized ranking of roadside assistance service providers is based on the following factors:

an availability of nearby roadside assistance service providers, telematics information from the vehicle to assist with the diagnosis and repairs of the vehicle, preset preferences of the user, the insurance information, and a set of capabilities of the roadside assistance service providers.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the wherein the roadside assistance service provider information includes:

location of available roadside assistance service providers, type of roadside assistance service providers, and a set of ratings of the roadside assistance service provider.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, wherein the roadside assistance service provider information includes real-time information that includes one or more of the following:

a wait time, a time-to-arrival time, service provider locations, service provider availability.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 9, where the roadside event comprises at least one of:

a lock out of the vehicle, a flat tire of the vehicle, a dead battery of the vehicle, an out of gas condition of the vehicle, and a mechanical failure of the vehicle.