Systems and methods for recording and using information about conditions present in a house or other location

• US 8,730,039 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Billman, Bradly J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US13/653,010
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539.1, 340/628, 340/531, 340/584, 340/602, 705/4, 702/183
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A data recorder may be installed in a house or other type of building in order to record conditions present at the building. The data recorded may be analyzed in order to forensically assess conditions that have led to damage or destruction of the building, or to prospectively forecast the possibility of future damage or destruction. A decision may be made based on analysis of the data, and an action may be taken based on the decision. Examples of data that may be recorded include temperature, wind speed, humidity, or any other information. Examples of decisions that may be made include insurance claim decisions, underwriting decisions, reinsurance decisions, alert decisions, or any other types of decisions.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to:

communicate with a data recorder installed in a building at least partially covered by an insurance policy;

receive data collected by the data recorder, the data representing at least one physical condition present at the building;

analyze the data, wherein analyzing includes comparing the data to data collected by another data recorder installed in another building and representing the at least one physical condition at the other building;

issue an alert to an owner of the building based on the at least one physical condition present at the building; and

take a tangible action based on the analysis.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to initiate the communication with the data recorder.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to communicate responsive to receiving a request for the communication from the data recorder.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recorder includes or uses a temperature sensor, and wherein the physical condition includes a temperature present inside or outside the building.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recorder includes a wind speed sensor, and wherein the physical condition includes a wind speed present at the building.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recorder includes a dock, and wherein the data include timestamps indicating times at which the data were collected.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recorder includes, or makes use of:

a sensor that records a condition of a plumbing system present at the building;

or

a sensor that records a condition of an electrical system present at the building.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to:

receive data from a data recorder located at a building at least partially covered by an insurance policy, said data representing one or more physical conditions present at the building;

analyze the data to determine;

a risk of damage present at the building; and

a cause of the damage;

wherein analyzing includes comparing the data to data collected by another data recorder located at another building and representing the one or more physical conditions present at the other building; and

make a decision associated with whether to issue an alert to an owner of the building based on the risk of damage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the building has been destroyed, and wherein the analysis comprises a forensic analysis to determine a cause of destruction of the building.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the analysis comprises a forensic analysis to determine a behavior of the building under a set of physical conditions.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to analyze the data to determine a resistance of the building to wind, and wherein the data include information about wind speed present at the building.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to analyze the data to determine a risk of mold, or of decay of the building, and wherein the data include information collected by a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to analyze the data to determine a risk of future wind damage to the building, and wherein the data include information associated with wind speed present at the building during a particular period of time.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions include instructions executable to analyze the data and data collected from at least one additional building to determine physical conditions present in a vicinity of the building.

15. A system, comprising:

a data recorder configured to gather data associated with a plurality of physical conditions present at a budding;

another data recorder configured to gather data associated with the plurality of physical conditions present at another building; and

a computing device, configured to;

receive the data from the data recorders;

analyze the data, wherein analyzing includes comparing the data to data collected by the another data recorder installed in another building and representing the at least one physical condition at the other building;

determine a cause of a past damage to the building based on the data;

determine a risk of a future damage to the building based on the data; and

take a tangible action based on at least one of the determined cause of the past damage and the determined risk of the future damage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine whether to pay an insurance claim for the past damage of the building, based on the determined cause of the past damage.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine whether to subrogate a claim for the past damage to the building based on the determined cause of the past damage.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine whether to underwrite an insurance policy on the building based on the determined risk of the future damage.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine a price at which to insure the building based on the determined risk of the future damage.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine whether to purchase reinsurance based on the determined risk of the future damage.