System and method for determining and monitoring auto insurance incentives

• US 9,418,383 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• 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: Hayward, Gregory, Christensen, Scott T., Gay, Christopher E., Cielocha, Steven, Binion, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Maguire, Lindsay M
• Application Number:
  US14/862,703
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A computer system or computer-implemented method may provide incentives to an insured customer for receiving sensor data indicating risk-reducing and risk-increasing behavior during the policy term. In-vehicle sensors or other devices may gather information about the vehicle and its use during the policy term and send the information to a back-end system for analysis. Based on this analysis, the back-end system may determine that the received information is indicative of risk-reducing or increasing behavior. Upon confirmation that the information indicates risk-reducing or increasing behavior, the back-end system may perform one or more actions defined by a set of rules to establish an incentive or disincentive for the customer corresponding to the behavior. For example, the system may modify the customer'"'"'s insurance policy data, send an e-mail, letter, gift card, coupon, points, or other incentive or disincentive for the customer based on the analysis.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing disincentives to an insured customer during the term of an insurance policy, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computer network, sensor data from at least one sensor, the sensor data (i) including data that measures a set of characteristics of an operating insured vehicle, and (ii) sent by the at least one sensor in real time during operation of the operating insured vehicle;

accessing vehicle conditions data including data related to an environment at a particular location;

once the sensor data is received from the at least one sensor;

determining, based on the vehicle conditions data, that the operating insured vehicle is operating at the particular location, and

determining, based on the vehicle conditions data and the sensor data, that the insured customer is engaging in risk-increasing behavior;

calculating a risk score for the insured customer, the risk score based on the risk-increasing behavior engaged in by the insured customer;

determining, by a processor, a disincentive action to execute for the insured customer based on the risk score; and

executing, by the processor, the disincentive action.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein executing the disincentive action comprises at least one of:

sending a communication indicating the disincentive action to the insured customer; and

modifying an insurance policy data associated with the insured customer.

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

receiving, via the computer network, system data including a trip start time indicating when a trip with the insured vehicle began, and a trip stop time indicating when the trip ended.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein accessing the vehicle conditions data comprises accessing the vehicle conditions data from a remote data repository, the vehicle conditions data describing one or more of environmental data, accident data, traffic data, roadway data, or crime data corresponding to the particular location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the environmental data includes weather data indicating time and location of rain, snow, cloud cover, or other adverse weather conditions, or sunrise and sunset data that correspond to the particular location.

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

causing, by one or more processors, the at least one sensor to pair with an on-board data system of the operating insured vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors includes a component of a mobile computing device, the component including one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a camera, a GPS receiver, or a microphone.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes one or more of an engine start time indicating when an engine of the operating insured vehicle started, an engine stop time indicating when the engine stopped, a distance the operating insured vehicle moved between the engine start time and the engine stop time, an average speed the operating insured vehicle traveled along the distance, and a number of driving events made by the operating insured vehicle along the distance.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is in communication with both a mobile computing device and the operating insured vehicle.

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

causing at least one light to indicate that the insured customer is engaging in the risk-increasing behavior.

11. A computer device for providing disincentives to an insured customer during the term of an insurance policy, the computer device comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate via a computer network;

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

computer executable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive, via the communication module, sensor data from at least one sensor, the sensor data (i) including data that measures a set of characteristics of an operating insured vehicle, and (ii) sent by the at least one sensor in real time during operation of the operating insured vehicle,

access vehicle conditions data including data related to an environment at a particular location,

once the sensor data is received from the at least one sensor;

determine, based on the vehicle conditions data, that the operating insured vehicle is operating at the particular location, and

determine, based on the vehicle conditions data and the sensor data, that the insured customer is engaging in risk-increasing behavior,

calculate a risk score for the insured customer, the risk score based on the risk-increasing behavior engaged in by the insured customer,

determine a disincentive action to execute for the insured customer based on the risk score, and

execute the disincentive action.

12. The computer device of claim 11, wherein to execute the disincentive action, the processor is configured to at least one of:

send, via the transceiver, a communication indicating the disincentive action to the insured customer, and

modify an insurance policy data associated with the insured customer.

13. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

receive, via the transceiver, system data including a trip start time indicating when a trip with the insured vehicle began, and a trip stop time indicating when the trip ended.

14. The computer device of claim 11, wherein to access the vehicle conditions data, the processor is configured to:

access the vehicle conditions data from a remote data repository, the vehicle conditions data describing one or more of environmental data, accident data, traffic data, roadway data, or crime data corresponding to the particular location.

15. The computer device of claim 14, wherein the environmental data includes weather data indicating time and location of rain, snow, cloud cover, or other adverse weather conditions, or sunrise and sunset data that correspond to the particular location.

16. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

cause the at least one sensor to pair with an on-board data system of the operating insured vehicle.

17. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors includes a component of a mobile computing device, the component including one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a camera, a GPS receiver, or a microphone.

18. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the sensor data includes one or more of an engine start time indicating when an engine of the operating insured vehicle started, an engine stop time indicating when the engine stopped, a distance the operating insured vehicle moved between the engine start time and the engine stop time, an average speed the operating insured vehicle traveled along the distance, and a number of driving events made by the operating insured vehicle along the distance.

19. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor is in communication with both a mobile computing device and the operating insured vehicle.

20. The computer device of claim 11, wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:

cause at least one light to indicate that the insured customer is engaging in the risk-increasing behavior.