Systems and methods for providing driving insurance for an individual driver

• US 9,616,849 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Tucker, Robert Lance, Billman, Bradly Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ojiaku, Chika
• Application Number:
  US12/492,232
• Time in Patent Office: 2,846 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49, 701 2, 705 5, 709204
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/101 for preventing engine starter actuation or engagement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system for providing driving insurance for an individual driver may comprise at least one subsystem implemented on one or more computing systems configured for electronically calculating a risk of insuring a driver for liability arising from a vehicle accident regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during the accident, at least one subsystem implemented on one or more computing systems configured for electronically and automatically calculating an insurance premium rate based on the previously calculated risk, and at least one subsystem implemented on one or more computing systems configured for electronically preparing an insurance policy according to the calculated premium rate wherein the insurance policy provides liability vehicle insurance covering the driver regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during an accident.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for providing driving insurance for an individual driver, said instructions comprising computer executable instructions for:

wirelessly receiving an identification of the driver from a wireless device within a vehicle;

wirelessly receiving an identification of the vehicle from the wireless device within the vehicle;

electronically calculating a risk of insuring the driver for liability arising from a vehicle accident regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during the vehicle accident;

electronically and automatically calculating an insurance premium rate using the previously calculated risk;

electronically preparing an insurance policy using the calculated premium rate, wherein the insurance policy provides liability vehicle insurance covering the driver regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during the accident;

wirelessly receiving an electronically signed insurance policy back from the driver; and

electronically enabling the vehicle to be started by the driver based on a determination that the driver is insured for driving the vehicle and the wireless device being within the vehicle,

wherein the wireless device sends the determination that the driver is insured to the vehicle which allows the vehicle to start; and

wherein the determination that the driver is insured is based on the electronically signed insurance policy having been received from the wireless device of the driver.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions for calculating the risk comprise computer executable instructions for calculating the risk using one or more of:

age of driver, driver'"'"'s driving record, previous vehicle accidents of driver, education of driver, school grades of driver, whether driver has completed a driver education course, previous experience driving particular types of vehicles, and average damage costs to others arising out of vehicle accidents of drivers having similar characteristics of the driver.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions for electronically preparing an insurance policy comprise computer executable instructions for:

automatically inserting driver information and insurance rates of providing liability vehicle insurance covering the driver regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during the accident; and

sending the insurance policy electronically to the driver for an electronic signature of the driver.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the computer executable instructions for calculating the risk comprise computer executable instructions for calculating the risk based at least on driver'"'"'s driving record and average damage costs to others arising out of vehicle accidents of drivers having similar characteristics of the driver.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the insurance policy further provides comprehensive insurance coverage covering the driver regardless of any specific vehicle driven by the driver during an accident.

6. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon for providing driving insurance for an individual driver, said instructions comprising instructions for:

wirelessly receiving an identification of the driver from a wireless device within a vehicle;

wirelessly receiving an identification of the vehicle from the wireless device within the vehicle;

electronically calculating a risk of insuring the driver for liability arising from a vehicle accident for driving each type of vehicle within a plurality of selected vehicle types that may be driven by the driver;

electronically and automatically calculating an insurance premium rate using the previously calculated risk;

electronically preparing an insurance policy using the calculated premium rate, wherein the insurance policy provides liability vehicle insurance covering the driver for each type of vehicle within a plurality of selected vehicle types that may be driven by the driver during the vehicle accident;

wirelessly receiving an electronically signed insurance policy back from the driver; and

electronically enabling the vehicle to be started by the driver by based on a determination that the driver is insured for driving the vehicle and the wireless device being within the vehicle,

wherein the wireless device sends the determination that the driver is insured to the vehicle which allows the vehicle to start; and

wherein the determination that the driver is insured is based on the electronically signed insurance policy having been received from the driver.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the type of vehicle is defined using one or more of the following:

vehicle size, vehicle weight, vehicle engine type, vehicle model, classification of vehicle, vehicle brand, age of vehicle, safety features of vehicle, state, and country or province in which vehicle is licensed.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions thereon for automatically changing the plurality of selected vehicle types for which the driver is insured under the insurance policy depending on various characteristics of the driver that change over time.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the various characteristics of the driver includes one or more of the following:

age of driver, driver'"'"'s driving record, previous vehicle accidents of driver, education of driver, school grades of driver, whether driver has completed a driver education course, previous experience driving particular types of vehicles, and average damage costs to others arising out of vehicle accidents of drivers having similar characteristics of the driver.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions for calculating the risk comprise instructions for calculating the risk using one or more of the following characteristics:

vehicle size, vehicle weight, vehicle engine type, vehicle model, classification of vehicle, vehicle brand, age of vehicle, safety features of vehicle, state, and country or province in which vehicle is licensed.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions thereon for calculating the risk using averages or statistics of damages to others arising from vehicle accidents involving vehicles having one or more of said characteristics.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein indications of the selected vehicle types are received on an insurance application, said selected vehicle types having been selected by the driver during applying for the driving insurance.