Insurance marketing methods

• US 9,886,722 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Esurance Insurance Services Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Esurance Insurance Services Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Bui, Huyen K., Goodman, Jeffrey Lewis, Harvey, Bennet, Holm, Donald, Johansen, Hans S., Klouche, Moncef, Lerner, Alex, Traichal, Patrick, Zona, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rines, David
• Application Number:
  US10/130,930
• Time in Patent Office: 6,280 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method of purchasing and selling insurance includes transmitting property information, having the property information analyzed, modifying at least one quotation calculation underwriting rule based on the analysis of the information, creating an insurance pricing model based on the modified underwriting rule, transmitting and receiving the insurance quote, and purchasing insurance via computer. A method for modifying insurance coverage including transmitting property information and existing policy information to a first insurance provider, generating a document directed to a second insurance provider authorizing cancellation of the existing insurance policy and directing the second insurance provider to remit a refund payment.

Claims

1. A method of purchasing and selling insurance including:

receiving, at a server computer and over a network from a client computer associated with a user having a prior insurance policy with a prior insurance company, information regarding property owned by the user;

receiving, from a first insurance company, a quote for insurance of the property;

receiving, at the server computer, estimated quotations for insurance of the property from other insurance companies;

transmitting, from the server computer and to the client computer, the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company and the estimated quotations from the other insurance companies, the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company and the estimated quotations from the other insurance companies presented on a server website associated with the server computer, the server website providing a first user session for the user;

receiving, at the server computer and through the server website, a request to purchase the insurance from the first insurance company, the request to purchase including credit information for the user and at least one user specified policy term distinct from a quoted policy term;

generating, by the server computer and in response to the receiving of the request to purchase the insurance from the first insurance company, an electronic prior policy cancellation letter to the prior insurance company for the prior insurance policy;

sending, electronically from the server computer to the prior insurance company, the prior policy cancellation letter with a digital signature from the client computer and an authorization by the user to apply a user balance from the prior insurance company to the insurance from the first insurance company;

storing, in a database, user data associated with a server transaction identifier, the user data obtained from the first user session;

transmitting, by the server computer and in response to the receiving of the request to purchase the insurance from the first insurance company, an instruction to generate a second user session, the second user session provided by a first insurance company web site hosted by a first insurance company server associated with the first insurance company and having a first insurance company transaction identifier, the second user session being generated based on the user data stored in the database;

receiving, at the server computer and from the first insurance company server, a confirmation of the second user session being generated;

redirecting, in response to the receiving of the confirmation, the user from the server website to the first insurance company website associated with the first insurance company, the redirecting performed by mapping the server transaction identifier to the first insurance company transaction identifier;

initiating with the first insurance company, in response to receipt of an indication that the prior policy cancellation letter has been received by the prior insurance company, new insurance coverage for the user; and

arranging for the user balance to be sent from the prior insurance company to the first insurance company, the arranging in response to the user balance being available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting, by the server computer and subsequent to transmitting of the instruction to generate the second user session, the user data; and

decrypting, by the first insurance company server, the user data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server computer and the first insurance company server use a secure protocol for transmitting the instruction to generate the second user session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the property owned by the user comprises a vehicle and the method further comprises maintaining a data set containing including, by a vehicle identification number of a vehicle owned by the user, a year of manufacture of the vehicle, a manufacturer identification of the vehicle, a model designation of the vehicle, and a body style of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company is based on one or more of the year of manufacture of the vehicle, the manufacturer identification of the vehicle, the model designation of the vehicle, and the body style of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the data set is maintained by another server computer having a database of vehicles.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving information concerning at least one or more of the year of manufacture of the vehicle, the manufacturer identification of the vehicle, the model designation of the vehicle, and the body style of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving information regarding at least one individual who will be operating the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving of the information regarding the at least one individual includes receiving a pseudonym.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company is based on the information regarding the at least one individual who will be operating the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company and the estimated quotations from the other insurance companies includes comparing the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company and the estimated quotations from the other insurance companies.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the client computer additional information regarding the property owned by the user, and

transmitting a second quote from the server computer based on the additional information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company includes recommending at least one insurance coverage level.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional information regarding the property owned by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company is based on the additional information regarding the property owned by the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the property owned by the user includes demographic information regarding an operator of the property to be insured.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company is based on optimizing the quote for the insurance from the first insurance company as a quantity of the demographic information increases.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information regarding property to be insured utilizing Hypertext Markup Language capable software.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring inputs made by the user in the first user session;

determining whether the user is confused; and

providing the user with information if the user is determined to be confused.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the first insurance company crediting an account of the user for an amount of the user balance.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising contacting the prior insurance company to obtain the user balance.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user specified policy term distinct from a quoted policy term is selected from one or more of body injury limits, property damage limit, medical payment limits, uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury limits, uninsured motorist property damage, collision deductible, comprehensive deductible, rental car limits and emergency road service limits.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer over a network and from a client computer, information regarding property owned by the user, the client computing associated with a user having a prior insurance policy with a prior insurance company;

preparing a quote for insurance of the property provided by a first insurance company;

generating, at the server computer, estimated quotations for insurance of the property, the estimated quotations including at least one quote from other insurance companies;

transmitting, from the server computer and to the client computer, the quote for the insurance provided by the first insurance company and the estimated quotations, the quote for the insurance provided by the first insurance company and the estimated quotations presented on a server website associated with the server computer, the server website providing a first user session for the user;

receiving, at the server computer and through the server website, a request to purchase the insurance provided by the first insurance company, the request to purchase including credit information for the user and at least one user specified policy term distinct from a quoted policy term;

receiving, electronically at the server computer and from the client computer, an authorization to cancel the prior insurance policy with the prior insurance company, the authorization including permission to receive, by the first insurance company, a balance transfer from the prior insurance company and the authorization including a digital signature of the user;

storing, in a database, user data associated with a server transaction identifier, the user data obtained from the first user session;

transmitting, by the server computer and in response to the receiving of the request to purchase the insurance provided by the first insurance company, an instruction to generate a second user session, the second user session provided by a first insurance company website hosted by a first insurance company server associated with the first insurance company and having a first insurance company transaction identifier, the generating based on the user data stored in the database;

receiving, at the server computer and from the first insurance company server, a confirmation of the second user session being generated;

redirecting, in response to the receiving of the confirmation, the user from the server website to the first insurance company website associated with the first insurance company, the redirecting performed by mapping the server transaction identifier to the first insurance company transaction identifier;

initiating with the first insurance company, in response to receipt of an indication that a prior policy cancellation request has been received by the prior insurance company, new insurance coverage for the user.