Systems and methods for community-based cause of loss determination

• US 10,607,295 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Hakimi-Boushehri, Daryoush, Jordan, II, Jackie O., Call, Shawn M., Weekes, John H., Bryant, Ronny S., Criswell Kellett, Jennifer, Binion, Todd, McDermeit, Elisabeth, Donovan, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaikh, Mohammad Z
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, II, Gregory S
• Application Number:
  US15/859,859
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/163 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart, intelligent house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/163 Real estate management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 10/50 Finance; Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16Y 40/10 Detection; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a cause of loss to a property for damage associated with an insurance-related event based upon data received from a second property. A smart home (or other building) controller and/or an insurance provider remote processor may generate a time sequence of events for damage associated with an insure-related event. The smart home controller or remote processor may also receive a time-sequence of events generated by a smart home controller associated with a second property. The smart home controller or remote processor may compare the two time-sequences of events to determine causes of loss associated with damage to the property. The compared data may be further used to assign a portion of the overall damage to each cause of loss. Subsequently, the smart home controller or remote processor may automatically generate an insurance claim for damage to the property associated with the insurance-related event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining a cause of damage to a first property in a community of properties, each property in the community of properties populated with a plurality of devices configured to monitor various conditions, the method comprising:

automatically generating, by one or more processors of a smart home controller disposed on the first property, a first time-sequence of events associated with the first property for an insurance-related event based upon data recorded by sensors of the plurality of devices before, during, and after the insurance-related event, wherein the plurality of devices are disposed on or within the first property;

receiving, at the smart home controller disposed on the first property and from a second smart home controller disposed on the second property, a second time-sequence of events associated with a second property in the community of properties for the insurance-related event;

comparing, by the one or more processors, the first time-sequence of events to the second time-sequence of events;

based upon the comparison, determining, by the one or more processors, a first cause of loss and a second cause of loss for the first property associated with the insurance-related event;

assigning, by the one or more processors, (i) a first portion of damage to the first property to the first cause of loss, and (ii) a second portion of damage to the first property to the second cause of loss; and

automatically generating, by the one or more processors, a proposed insurance claim according to the assigning.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second causes of loss comprises at least one of:

water damage, wind damage, fire damage, earthquake damage, or a breach of structural integrity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data recorded by the plurality of devices comprises at least one of:

time-stamped audio data, status data, visual data captured on the first property, or visual data captured above the first property by an airborne sensor.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first time-sequence of events to the second time-sequence of events comprises:

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the first time-sequence of events and the second time-sequence of events to determine that damage caused to the first property is consistent with damage caused to the second property.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein assigning the first portion and the second portions of damage comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first cause of loss is (i) a primary cause of loss that led to a secondary cause of loss or (ii) a secondary cause of loss that occurred due to the primary cause of loss; and

when the first cause of loss is the primary cause of loss, assigning, by the one or more processors, (i) a larger portion of the damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a smaller portion of the damage to the first property to the second cause of loss, and

when the first cause of loss is the secondary cause of loss, assigning, by the one or more processors, (i) a smaller portion of the damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a larger portion of the damage to the first property to the second cause of loss.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion of the damage comprises at least one of:

a percentage of the damage to the first property or a dollar amount of the damage to the first property.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the proposed insurance claim comprises:

prepopulating, by the one or more processors, the proposed insurance claim with the first and second causes of loss, and the first and second portions of damage to the first property respectively associated with first and second causes of loss.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

adjusting, by the one or more processors, a total amount claimed in the proposed insurance claim based upon the comparison between the first time-sequence of events and the second time-sequence of events.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via a communication network, the proposed insurance claim to an individual associated with the first property; and

receiving, via the communication network, from the individual at least one of an acceptance of the proposed insurance claim or a modification to the proposed insurance claim.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

verifying, by the one or more processers, that the modification to the proposed insurance claim is consistent with the first and second time-sequence of events.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via a communication network, the first time-sequence of events to a controller associated with the second property.

12. A system for determining a cause of damage to a first property in a community of properties, each property in the community of properties populated with a plurality of devices configured to monitor various conditions, the system being disposed on the first property, the system comprising:

one or more transceivers adapted to communicate data;

a memory adapted to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

one or more processors adapted to interface with the one or more transceivers, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to;

automatically generate, by one or more processors of a smart home controller disposed on the first property, a first time-sequence of events associated with the first property for an insurance-related event based upon data recorded by sensors of the plurality of devices before, during, and after the insurance-related event, wherein the plurality of devices are disposed on or within the first property;

receive, via the one or more transceivers of the smart home controller disposed on the first property and from a second smart home controller disposed on the second property, a second time-sequence of events associated with a second property in the community of properties for the insurance-related event;

compare the first time-sequence of events to the second time-sequence of events;

based upon the comparison, determine a first cause of loss and a second cause of loss for the first property associated with the insurance-related event;

assign, by the one or more processors, (i) a first portion of the damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a second portion of the damage to the first property to the second cause of loss; and

automatically generate, by the one or more processors, a proposed insurance claim according to the assigning.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein to compare the first time-sequence of events to the second time-sequence of events, the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to:

analyze the first time-sequence of events and the second time-sequence of events to determine that damage caused to the first property is consistent with damage caused to the second property.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein to assign the first portion and the second portion of the overall amount of damage, the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to:

determine, by the one or more processors, whether the first cause of loss is (i) a primary cause of loss that led to a secondary cause of loss or (ii) a secondary cause of loss that occurred due to the primary cause of loss; and

when the first cause of loss is the primary cause of loss, assign, by the one or more processors, (i) a larger portion of the damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a smaller portion of the damage to the first property to the second cause of loss, and

when the first cause of loss is the secondary cause of loss, assign, by the one or more processors, (i) a smaller portion of the overall amount of damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a larger portion of the overall amount of damage to the first property to the second cause of loss.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein to generate the proposed insurance claim, the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to:

prepopulate, by the one or more processors, the proposed insurance claim with the overall amount of damage, the first and second causes of loss, and the first and second portions of damage to the first property respectively associated with first and second causes of loss.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to:

adjust, by the one or more processors, a total amount claimed in the proposed insurance claim based upon the comparison between the first time-sequence of events and the second time-sequence of events.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more transceivers are further configured to:

transmit the proposed insurance claim to an individual associated with the first property; and

receive from the individual at least one of an acceptance of the proposed insurance claim or a modification to the proposed insurance claim.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the system to:

verify, by the one or more processors, that the modification to the proposed insurance claim is consistent with the first and second time-sequence of events.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more transceivers are further configured to:

transmit the first time-sequence of events to a controller associated with the second property.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, that when executed cause one or more processors to:

automatically generate, by one or more processors of a smart home controller disposed on the first property, a first time-sequence of events associated with a first property for an insurance-related event based upon data recorded by sensors of the plurality of devices configured to monitor respective conditions associated with the first property before, during, and after the insurance-related event, wherein the plurality of devices are disposed on or within the first property;

receive at the smart home controller disposed on the first property and from a second smart home controller disposed on the second property, a second time-sequence of events associated with a second property in the community of properties for the insurance-related event;

compare, by the one or more processors, the first time-sequence of events to the second time-sequence of events;

based upon the comparison, determine, by the one or more processors, a first cause of loss and a second cause of loss for the first property associated with the insurance-related event;

assign, by the one or more processors, (i) a first portion of the damage to the first property to the first cause of loss and (ii) a second portion of the damage to the first property to the second cause of loss; and

automatically generate, by the one or more processors, a proposed insurance claim according to the assigning.