System and method for the assessment, pricing, and provisioning of distance-based vehicle insurance

• US 7,987,103 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: Milemeter, Inc.
• Inventors: Gay, Chris, Duncan, Leonard D., McKinney, John C., Fellows, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fu; Hao
• Application Number:
  US11/738,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A method of providing vehicle insurance is disclosed. Determining a number of unexpired units distance under an existing insurance policy, the existing policy being defined in part by coverage for a predetermined number of units distance for a specified vehicle is disclosed. Assessing a premium per unit distance for a new policy, and providing coverage under the new policy for the unexpired units distance under the existing policy in exchange for receiving a payment comprising the difference between the premium per unit distance for the new policy and a premium per unit distance for the existing policy multiplied by the number of unexpired units distance is disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing vehicle insurance comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer memory accessible to the computer processor, the computer memory and computer processor being communicatively detached from a customer associated vehicle, wherein the computer memory comprises a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the computer processor, perform a method, the method comprising;

determining a number of unexpired units distance under an existing insurance policy, the existing policy being defined in part by coverage for a predetermined number of units distance for a specified vehicle based on a customer provided odometer reading;

assessing a premium per unit distance for a new policy; and

providing coverage under the new policy for the unexpired units distance under the existing policy in exchange for receiving a payment comprising the difference between the premium per unit distance for the new policy and a premium per unit distance for the existing policy multiplied by the number of unexpired units distance;

wherein the customer provided odometer reading is provided by a customer via a computer network without an electronic tracking device attached to the vehicle or odometer, and without a third party audit;

wherein the unexpired units distance are determined based on a number of units distance whose premium was paid under the existing policy but which have not been driven by the specified vehicle; and

wherein the unexpired units distance are also determined based on a predetermined policy expiration time having not yet lapsed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the premium is based on a plurality of actuarial criteria comprising vehicle information, driver information, and garaging location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified vehicle covered by the current policy is different than a vehicle covered by the new policy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified vehicle covered by the current policy is also covered by the new policy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein instructions for determining a number of unexpired units distance under an existing insurance policy further comprises instructions for receiving an odometer reading of the specified vehicle corresponding to the existing insurance policy.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the odometer reading is verified by an official state document corresponding to one of a sale, trade-in, or total loss of the specified vehicle corresponding to the existing insurance policy.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining a number of unexpired units distance under an existing insurance policy is performed without any in-vehicle monitoring device other than an odometer.

8. A computer system for providing distance-based vehicle insurance, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer memory accessible to the computer processor, the computer memory and computer processor being communicatively detached from a customer associated vehicle, wherein the computer memory comprises a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the computer processor, perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving from a customer via a computer network a first odometer reading of a vehicle to be insured, the first odometer reading being provided by the customer without an electronic tracking device attached to the vehicle or odometer, and without a third party audit;

insuring the vehicle under a first insurance policy defined by coverage for a preselected number of units distance from the first odometer reading or lapse of a policy expiration date, a premium for the first insurance policy being defined as a cost per unit distance of coverage;

determining a number of unexpired units distance under the first insurance policy based on a number of units distance whose premium was paid under the first insurance policy but which have not been driven by the vehicle and based on a predetermined policy expiration time having not yet lapsed;

assessing a premium per unit distance for a second policy; and

providing insurance coverage under the second policy for the unexpired units distance under the first policy in exchange for receiving a payment comprising the difference between the premium per unit distance for the new policy and a premium per unit distance for the second policy multiplied by the number of unexpired units distance.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second insurance policy covers a vehicle different than that covered by the first policy.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second insurance policy covers the same vehicle as the first policy.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the unexpired units distance are determined based on a number of units distance whose premium was paid under the first policy.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the unexpired units distance may only be determined before lapse of the policy expiration date.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein instructions for determining a number of unexpired units distance under the first insurance policy further comprises instructions for receiving an odometer reading of the specified vehicle corresponding to the first insurance policy.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the odometer reading is verified by an official state document corresponding to one of a sale, trade-in, or total loss of the specified vehicle corresponding to the existing insurance policy.

15. A computer system for administering a distance based-insurance program, the system comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory accessible to the computer processor, the computer memory and computer processor being communicatively detached from a customer associated vehicle, wherein the computer memory comprises a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the computer processor, perform a method, the method comprising;

determining a number of unexpired units distance under an existing insurance policy, the existing policy being defined in part by coverage for a predetermined number of units distance for a specified vehicle, and the unexpired units distance being determined based on a number of units distance whose premium was paid under the existing policy but which have not been driven by the specified vehicle and being further determined based on a predetermined policy expiration time having not yet lapsed; and

calculating a total premium for a new policy;

wherein the total premium for the new policy includes coverage under the new policy for the unexpired units distance under the existing policy, and the total premium for the new policy includes the difference between a premium per unit distance for the new policy and a premium per unit distance for the existing policy multiplied by the number of unexpired units distance; and

wherein the number of unexpired units distance is based on a reading provided by a computer network from a customer without an electronic tracking device attached to the specified vehicle or its odometer, and without a third party odometer; and

a user interface for receiving payment from customer of a premium of a new insurance policy.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a relational database configured to store odometer readings.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the total premium for the new policy is calculated to reflect coverage for a different vehicle under the new policy than under the first existing policy.