Trip-based vehicle insurance

• US 10,719,879 B1
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Gay, Christopher E., Christensen, Scott Thomas, Hayward, Gregory, Cielocha, Steve, Binion, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaikh, Mohammad Z
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, II, Gregory S
• Application Number:
  US14/788,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/00 Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Methods and systems for offering and providing trip-based vehicle insurance are provided. Information is received regarding a vehicle operator and a vehicle, and trip-based insurance policies including quantities of vehicle use units are offered to the customer. Based on selected coverage types, the insurance provider may generate an insurance quote for a policy having an amount of the vehicle use units and may facilitate a purchase transaction with the customer for the insurance policy. Once a policy is selected and purchased, the system and method monitor vehicle use to determine each use of a vehicle use unit. Each vehicle use unit generally corresponds to one vehicle trip, but additional vehicle trip limitations may be added that may result in additional charges when exceeded during the course of a vehicle trip.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring occurrence of vehicle trips, comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors of a trip-based insurance system, a vehicle identifier that identifies a vehicle, a vehicle use identifier that identifies cargo transported by the vehicle, and a vehicle operator identifier that identifies a vehicle operator;

determining, by the one or more processors, a cost per vehicle use unit based at least in part on the vehicle identifier, the vehicle use identifier, and the vehicle operator identifier, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit comprises a fixed cost per vehicle trip;

generating, by a monitoring device disposed at a fixed location that is a usual location where the vehicle is stored when not in use, sensor data regarding a presence or absence of the vehicle from the fixed location, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of an infrared sensor or a magnetic sensor, which is associated with a mat placed on a parking spot at the fixed location and is configured to generate the sensor data by detecting the presence or absence of the vehicle over the mat using infrared sensing or magnetic sensing;

communicating, from the monitoring device to the one or more processors via a network, an indication of the sensor data;

determining, by the one or more processors, an occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

recording, by the one or more processors, a start time associated with the vehicle leaving the fixed location and an end time associated with the vehicle arriving at the fixed location;

determining, by the one or more processors, an occurrence of a vehicle trip based upon the occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

determining, by the one or more processors, a duration of the vehicle trip based upon the start time and the end time;

determining, by the one or more processors, a type of vehicle trip by comparing the vehicle trip duration with a plurality of multiples of a predetermined maximum duration associated with a vehicle trip limitation, wherein the type of vehicle trip is further based in part upon the cargo transported by the vehicle; and

recording, by the one or more processors, a used number of vehicle use units used as a result of the occurrence of the vehicle trip based upon the type of vehicle trip.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit further comprises a cost associated with the vehicle trip limitation based upon the type of vehicle trip.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the one or more processors, an option to purchase a vehicle insurance policy to a customer associated with the vehicle;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a selection by the customer of the vehicle insurance policy; and

facilitating, by the one or more processors, a purchase transaction with the customer for the selected vehicle insurance policy.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, a signal indicating the determined occurrence of the vehicle trip; and

recording, by the one or more processors, a record of the occurrence of the vehicle trip;

wherein recording the record of the occurrence of the vehicle trip further comprises recording, by one or more processors, a timestamp of the occurrence, the timestamp including at least one of;

the start time of the vehicle trip, the end time of the vehicle trip, a starting location of the vehicle trip, or a terminal location of the vehicle trip.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, a number of remaining vehicle use units in the purchased vehicle insurance policy; and

facilitating, by the one or more processors, an additional purchase transaction with the customer to purchase additional vehicle trips without further action by the customer when the number of remaining vehicle use units falls below a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the option to purchase the vehicle insurance policy to the customer further comprises:

providing, by the one or more processors, an option to purchase at least one type of vehicle insurance coverage, and

providing, by the one or more processors, an option to purchase at least one quantity of vehicle use units.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting the option to purchase the vehicle insurance policy to the customer further comprises:

identifying, by the one or more processors, an existing insurance policy associated with the customer; and

providing to the customer, by the one or more processors, an option to supplement the existing insurance policy with the vehicle insurance policy.

8. A computer system for monitoring occurrence of vehicle trips, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication module adapted to communicate data and communicatively connected to the at least one processor;

a monitoring device disposed at a fixed location that is a usual location where a vehicle is stored when not in use and including a sensor, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of an infrared sensor or a magnetic sensor, which is associated with a mat placed on a parking spot at the fixed location, and wherein the monitoring device is configured to;

generate sensor data regarding a presence or absence of the vehicle from the fixed location by detecting the presence or absence of the vehicle over the mat using infrared sensing or magnetic sensing; and

communicate an indication of the sensor data to the at least one processor via the communication module; and

a program memory adapted to store non-transitory executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to;

receive a vehicle identifier that identifies the vehicle, a vehicle use identifier that identifies cargo transported by the vehicle, and a vehicle operator identifier that identifies a vehicle operator;

determine a cost per vehicle use unit based at least in part on the vehicle identifier, the vehicle use identifier, and the vehicle operator identifier, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit comprises a fixed cost per vehicle trip;

receive the indication of the sensor data;

determine an occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

record a start time associated with the vehicle leaving the fixed location and an end time associated with the vehicle arriving at the fixed location;

determine an occurrence of a vehicle trip based upon the occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

determine a duration of the vehicle trip based upon the start time and the end time;

determine a type of vehicle trip by comparing the duration of the vehicle trip with a plurality of multiples of a predetermined maximum duration associated with a vehicle trip limitation, wherein the type of vehicle trip is further based in part upon the cargo transported by the vehicle; and

record a used number of vehicle use units used as a result of the occurrence of the vehicle trip based upon the type of vehicle trip.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit further comprises a cost associated with the vehicle trip limitation based upon the type of vehicle trip.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to:

provide, to a customer associated with the vehicle via the communication module, an option to purchase a vehicle insurance policy to a customer associated with the vehicle;

receive, from the customer via the communication module, a selection of the vehicle insurance policy; and

facilitate a purchase transaction with the customer for the vehicle insurance policy.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to:

receive, via the communication module, a signal indicating the determined occurrence of the vehicle trip; and

record a timestamp of the occurrence of the vehicle trip, the timestamp comprising at least one of;

the start time of the vehicle trip, the end time of the vehicle trip, a starting location of the vehicle trip, or a terminal location of the vehicle trip.

12. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for monitoring occurrence of vehicle trips that when executed by at least one processor of a computer system cause the computer system to:

receive a vehicle identifier that identifies a vehicle, a vehicle use identifier that identifies cargo transported by the vehicle, and a vehicle operator identifier that identifies a vehicle operator;

determine a cost per vehicle use unit based at least in part on the vehicle identifier, the vehicle use identifier, and the vehicle operator identifier, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit comprises a fixed cost per vehicle trip;

generate, by a monitoring device disposed at a fixed location that is a usual location where the vehicle is stored when not in use, sensor data regarding a presence or absence of the vehicle from the fixed location, wherein the monitoring device includes at least one of an infrared sensor or a magnetic sensor, which is associated with a mat placed on a parking spot at the fixed location and is configured to generate the sensor data by detecting the presence or absence of the vehicle over the mat using infrared sensing or magnetic sensing;

receive, from the monitoring device via a network, an indication of the sensor data;

determine an occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

record a start time associated with the vehicle leaving the fixed location and an end time associated with the vehicle arriving at the fixed location;

determine an occurrence of a vehicle trip based upon the occurrence of the vehicle arriving at the fixed location or the vehicle leaving the fixed location based upon the indication of the sensor data;

determine a duration of the vehicle trip based upon the start time and the end time;

determine a type of vehicle trip by comparing the duration of the vehicle trip with a plurality of multiples of a predetermined maximum duration associated with a vehicle trip limitation, wherein the type of vehicle trip is further based in part upon the cargo transported by the vehicle; and

record a used number of vehicle use units used as a result of the occurrence of the vehicle trip based upon the type of vehicle trip.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the cost per vehicle use unit further comprises a cost associated with the vehicle trip limitation based upon the type of vehicle trip.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further comprise executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computer system to:

provide, to a customer associated with the vehicle, an option to purchase a vehicle insurance policy;

receive a selection of the vehicle insurance policy from the customer; and

facilitate a purchase transaction with the customer for the vehicle insurance policy.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computer system to provide the option to purchase the vehicle insurance policy further comprise executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computer system to:

identify an existing insurance policy associated with the customer; and

provide, to the customer, an option to supplement the existing insurance policy with the vehicle insurance policy.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions further comprise executable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computer system to:

receive a signal indicating the determined occurrence of the vehicle trip; and

record a timestamp of the occurrence of the vehicle trip, the timestamp comprising at least one of;

the start time of the vehicle trip, the end time of the vehicle trip, a starting location of the vehicle trip, or a terminal location of the vehicle trip.