System and method for determining and analyzing building occupancy

• US 5,978,769 A
• Filed: 04/14/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chubb & Sons
• Original Assignee: Chubb & Sons
• Inventors: Brown, Randall E., Marvel, Kathleen P., Spencer, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campa, John
• Application Number:
  US09/060,100
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/4, 705/6, 705/7, 705/10, 702/1, 702/5, 702/16, 702/3, 364/461
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system and method that determines building occupancy at a selected site by using geographically based structures to identify potential clients and to analyze aggregate carrier exposure levels at the selected site. This is achieved by using geographically based structures that are formed by geocoding business addresses and by linking all similarly geocoded businesses. Geographically based structures identify building characteristics and occupant related information. Specifically, all business addresses are address standardized, interjected with public protection code information and then geocoded. The geocoding information is used to identify and determine the building'"'"'s occupancy configuration. For each tenant or occupant of the building, the system will initially display basic information that includes for example, business name, address and whether the business is currently insured by the carrier. The user can request additional information such as hazard concerns, safety issues and other occupant related information.

Claims

1. A system for determining building occupancy for a site selected on a display unit, the system comprising:

means for creating geo-business information by geocoding business information;

means for geographically constructing a structure based on coordinates of the site and said geo-business information by geo-matching similarly geocoded businesses; and

means for outputting business data on all geo-matched businesses to the display unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for outputting business data includes means for tabularly displaying address depository information for each of said geo-matched businesses.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said means for outputting business data further includes:

means for requesting additional business data by selecting one of said geo-matched businesses; and

means for rendering location depository information on the display unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for creating geo-business information further includes:

means for extracting a given set of key data elements from a given data set;

means for address standardizing extracted records by appending postal information; and

means for geocoding each address standardized record by appending coordinate information.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said postal information includes ZIP+4 codes, city codes and country codes.

6. The system according to claim 4, further including means for sorting each address standardized record by said ZIP+4 codes.

7. The system according to claim 4, further including:

means for appending a public protection code to each address standardized record if a public protection code is available; and

means for appending an unknown indicator to each address standardized record for which a public protection code is unavailable.

8. The system according to claim 1, further including:

means for determining occupancy type by analyzing Address Secondary High Number, Address Secondary Low Number, ZIP Address High Number and ZIP Address Low Number of said geo-business information; and

means for appending occupancy type indicators to said geo-business information.

9. The system according to claim 8, further including:

means for creating records by extracting a given set of key data elements from occupancy type appended business information;

means for deleting any records that are missing one of said given set of key data elements;

means for appending a public protection code to each undeleted record if a public protection code is available; and

means for geocoding each public protection coded undeleted record by appending coordinate information.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for creating geo-business information further includes:

means for extracting businesses having hazardous standard industry codes; and

means for appending a hazard indicator to each business having a hazardous standard industry code.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for creating geo-business information further includes:

means for generating a first geo-carrier data set by processing carrier based policy information;

means for generating a second geo-carrier data set by processing a carrier based address data set;

means for generating a geo-commercial data set by processing a business data set; and

means for geo-matching said first geo-carrier data set and said second geo-carrier data set with said geo-commercial data set.

12. The system according to claim 11, further including:

means for generating an occupancy type indicated data set; and

means for geo-matching said occupancy type indicated data set with said geo-commercial data set.

13. The system according to claim 11, further including:

means for generating a single occupant structure data set;

means for generating a major firm sole tenant data set;

means for generating a major firm occupant multiple tenants data set;

means for generating a multiple tenant structure data set;

means for geo-matching said single occupant structure data set, said major firm sole tenant data set, said major firm occupant multiple tenants data set, and said multiple tenant structure data set with said geo-commercial data set.

14. A method for determining building occupancy for a site selected on a display unit, the method comprising the steps of:

creating geo-business information by geocoding business information;

geographically constructing a structure based on coordinates of the site and said geo-business information by geo-matching similarly geocoded businesses; and

outputting business data on all geo-matched businesses to the display unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of outputting business data includes a step of tabularly displaying address depository information for each of said geo-matched businesses.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of outputting business data further includes the steps of:

requesting additional business data by selecting one of said geo-matched businesses; and

rendering location depository information on the display unit.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of creating geo-business information further includes the steps of:

creating records by extracting a given set of key data elements from a given data set;

address standardizing said records by appending postal information; and

geocoding each address standardized record by appending coordinate information.

18. The method according to claim 17, further including the steps of:

appending a public protection code to each address standardized record if a public protection code is available; and

appending an unknown indicator to each address standardized record for which a public protection code is unavailable.

19. The method according to claim 14, further including the steps of:

determining occupancy type by analyzing Address Secondary High Number, Address Secondary Low Number, ZIP Address High Number and ZIP Address Low Number; and

generating data sets for each occupancy type.

20. The method according to claim 19, further including the steps of:

creating records by extracting a given set of key data elements from a given occupancy data set;

deleting any records that are missing one of said given set of key data elements;

appending a public protection code to each undeleted record if a public protection code is available; and

geocoding each public protection coded undeleted record by appending coordinate information.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of creating geo-business information further includes the steps of:

extracting businesses having hazardous standard industry codes; and

appending a hazard indicator to each business having a hazardous standard industry code.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein said step of creating geo-business information further includes the steps of:

generating a first geo-carrier data set by processing carrier based policy information;

generating a second geo-carrier data set by processing a carrier based address data set;

generating a geo-commercial data set by processing a business data set; and

geo-matching said first geo-carrier data set and said second geo-carrier data set with said geo-commercial data set.

23. The method according to claim 22, further including the steps of:

generating at least one occupancy data set; and

geo-matching said at least one occupancy data set with said geo-commercial data set.

24. The method according to claim 22, further including the steps of:

generating a single occupant structure data set;

generating a major firm sole tenant data set;

generating a major firm occupant multiple tenants data set;

generating a multiple tenant structure data set;

geo-matching said single occupant structure data set, said major firm sole tenant data set, said major firm occupant multiple tenants data set, and said multiple tenant structure data set with said geo-commercial data set.

25. An apparatus that determines building occupancy for a site selected on a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for geographically storing geo-business information;

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor operable to create said geo-business information by geocoding business information;

said processor further operable to geographically construct a structure based on coordinates of the site and said geo-business information by geo-matching similarly geocoded businesses; and

said processor further operable to output business data on all geo-matched businesses to the display unit.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said processor tabularly displays address depository information for each of said geo-matched businesses.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said processor further includes:

means for requesting additional business data by selecting one of said geo-matched businesses; and

means for rendering location depository information on the display unit.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said processor further includes:

means for creating records by extracting a given set of key data elements from a given data set;

means for address standardizing said records by appending postal information; and

means for geocoding each address standardized record by appending coordinate information.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, said processor further including:

means for appending a public protection code to each address standardized record if a public protection code is available; and

means for appending an unknown indicator to each address standardized record for which a public protection code is unavailable.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25, said processor further including:

means for determining occupancy type by analyzing Address Secondary High Number, Address Secondary Low Number, ZIP Address High Number and ZIP Address Low Number; and

means for generating data sets for each occupancy type.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, said processor further including:

means for creating records by extracting a given set of key data elements from a given occupancy data set;

means for deleting any occupancy records that are missing one of said given set of key data elements;

means for appending a public protection code to each undeleted record if a public protection code is available; and

means for geocoding each public protection coded undeleted record by appending coordinate information.

32. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said processor further includes:

means for extracting businesses having hazardous standard industry codes; and

means for appending a hazard indicator to each business having a hazardous standard industry code.

33. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said processor further includes:

means for generating a first geo-carrier data set by processing carrier based policy information;

means for generating a second geo-carrier data set by processing a carrier based address data set;

means for generating a geo-commercial data set by processing a business data set; and

means for geo-matching said first geo-carrier data set and said second geo-carrier data set with said geo-commercial data set.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, said processor further including:

means for generating at least one occupancy data set; and

means for geo-matching said at least one occupancy data set with said geo-commercial data set.

35. The apparatus according to claim 33, said processor further including:

means for generating a single occupant structure data set;

means for generating a major firm sole tenant data set;

means for generating a major firm occupant multiple tenants data set;

means for generating a multiple tenant structure data set;

means for geo-matching said single occupant structure data set, said major firm sole tenant data set, said major firm occupant multiple tenants data set, and said multiple tenant structure data set with said geo-commercial data set.