U.S. patent application number 14/805164 was filed with the patent office on 2015-11-12 for insurance vertical market specialization.
This patent application is currently assigned to GREAT LAKES INCUBATOR, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Great Lakes Incubator, LLC. Invention is credited to Himanshu S. Amin, Brian Asquith, Fred Collopy, Ronald Charles Krosky, Craig Allen Nard, Gustavo Arnaldo Narvaez, David Noonan, Seyed Vahid Sharifi Takieh, Gregory Turocy.
Application Number | 20150324928 14/805164 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42197144 |
Filed Date | 2015-11-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150324928 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Collopy; Fred ; et
al. |
November 12, 2015 |
INSURANCE VERTICAL MARKET SPECIALIZATION
Abstract
Vertical insurance market specialization is provided where
policies can be created based on granular information related to
actual usage of an object. The information can be received in real
time or near real time, and specific market definitions can be
created based on the information. Insurance companies can bid on
specific market definitions, and an owner of the object can select
coverage. In cases of automobile insurance, route information or
other sensed parameters (such as driving behavior) can be provided
to define an insurance market for a specific driver. Allowing
companies to bid on the specific instances allows for increased
competition and lower cost than current blanket solutions.
Inventors: |
Collopy; Fred; (Cleveland
Heights, OH) ; Nard; Craig Allen; (Shaker Heights,
OH) ; Amin; Himanshu S.; (Solon, OH) ; Turocy;
Gregory; (Moreland Hills, OH) ; Sharifi Takieh; Seyed
Vahid; (Broadview Heights, OH) ; Krosky; Ronald
Charles; (Lakewood, OH) ; Noonan; David;
(Webster Groves, OH) ; Narvaez; Gustavo Arnaldo;
(Solon, OH) ; Asquith; Brian; (Cleveland Heights,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Great Lakes Incubator, LLC |
Beachwood |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
GREAT LAKES INCUBATOR, LLC
Beachwood
OH
|
Family ID: |
42197144 |
Appl. No.: |
14/805164 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12498446 |
Jul 7, 2009 |
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14805164 |
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12490033 |
Jun 23, 2009 |
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12498446 |
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61118400 |
Nov 26, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20130101;
G06Q 30/0224 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101; G06Q 30/0251
20130101; G06Q 30/04 20130101; G06Q 40/08 20130101; G06Q 30/0265
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/08 20060101
G06Q040/08; G06Q 30/02 20060101 G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A system that collects data regarding automobile usage for
receiving insurance quotes related to the automobile, comprising: a
policy specification component that obtains one or more parameters
related to a route of an automobile and provides the one or more
parameters to a market definition component; a rate receiving
component that receives rate and policy information from the market
definition component based at least in part on the one or more
parameters; and a user interface component that renders the rate
and policy information.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a driving behavior
component that sends one or more parameters related to driving
behavior to the policy specification component for providing to the
market definition component.
3. The system of claim 2, the driving behavior component generates
the parameters based at least in part on measuring mechanical
aspects of the automobile when occupied.
4. The system of claim 1, the one or more parameters related to a
route correspond to a planned route specified using the user
interface component.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an automobile
environment sensing component that determines an audible noise
level in the automobile and sends the audible noise level to the
policy specification component for providing to the market
definition component.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement
display component that receives an advertisement from the market
definition component and renders the advertisement on the user
interface component.
7. The system of claim 6, the rate receiving component receives
rate discounts based at least in part on rendering the
advertisement on the user interface component.
8. The system of claim 1, the user interface component renders the
rate and policy information allowing selection thereof.
9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a rate selection
component that receives selection of a policy based at least in
part on the rate and policy information.
10. A method that facilitates providing sensed information
regarding use of an object for vertical insurance market
specialization, comprising: employing a processor to execute
computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the
following acts: automatically sensing one or more usage parameters
of an object; providing the one or more usage parameters to a
market definition component along with one or more additional
parameters regarding a user to whom the one or more usage
parameters relate; and receiving one or more insurance policies and
corresponding rates from the market definition component based on
the usage and additional parameters.
11. The method of claim 10, the object is an automobile and the one
or more usage parameters relate to one or more driving behavior
measurements.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising measuring braking
behavior of a driver where the one or more driving behavior
measurements relates to the braking behavior.
13. The method of claim 10, the object is an automobile and the one
or more usage parameters relate to one or more service needs of the
automobile.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing planned
route information to the market definition component where the one
or more insurance policies and corresponding rates are further
based on the planned route information.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring interior
audible noise of an automobile where the object is the automobile
and the one or more usage parameters relates to the interior
audible noise.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an
advertisement associated with the one or more usage parameters or
the one or more additional parameters.
17. The method of claim 16, the corresponding rates are discounted
based at least in part on the received advertisement.
18. A system that receives insurance policies related to an
automobile, comprising: means for that receiving one or more
parameters related to a route of an automobile and providing the
one or more parameters to a market definition component; means for
obtaining rate and policy information based at least in part on the
one or more parameters; and means for rendering the rate and policy
information.
19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for measuring
one or more parameters related to driving behavior, the means for
receiving one or more parameters provides the one or more
parameters related to driving behavior to the market definition
component.
20. The system of claim 18, the one or more parameters related to a
route correspond to a planned route indicated using the means for
rendering.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/498,446 entitled "INSURANCE VERTICAL MARKET
SPECIALIZATION" and filed on Jul. 7, 2009, which is a continuation
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/490,033 entitled "INSURANCE
VERTICAL MARKET SPECIALIZATION" and filed on Jun. 23, 2009, which
claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
61/118,400, filed on Nov. 26, 2008, entitled "INSURANCE OPTIMIZER
AND REAL TIME ANALYTICS." The entireties of each are incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Insurance is typically acquired for many facets of life,
including but not limited to automobiles, homes, health, life,
disability, shipping goods, personal property, etc., to financially
protect assets from unknown or unpredictable occurrences. In many
cases, insurance is obtained by receiving quotes from various
companies and selecting the most desirable policy considering
coverage, price, and other factors. In this regard, insurance
companies generate coverage premiums based on a number of factors
that represent averaged scenarios regarding the item to be covered.
Insurance companies typically have highly proprietary systems that
automatically generate premiums using the factors, and each
insurance company typically has its own system resulting in varying
premiums for different items with respect to different policy
holders and desired coverage levels. In this way, it can be
difficult for insurance companies to compete with one another,
which can also lead to higher premium quotes for all companies.
[0003] Insurance premiums are typically fixed in price and billed
in monthly, semi-annual, or annual time periods. Premiums can be
affected by many policy parameters for which cost is averaged and
can be adjusted for a given billing period. For example, with
respect to automobile insurance, rates can be set and/or adjusted
based on desired coverage level, automobile make, model, and color,
automobile features, estimated miles driven each year, zip code of
primary automobile location, whether the automobile is garaged,
driving history of the policy holder, credit score, etc. In
addition, rates can be adjusted at the end of a premium period
based on number of claims filed in the primary zip code, weather
conditions in the zip code, global factors, and other parameters
unrelated to the driver or automobile being covered. With such
speculative and broad premium computation, it can be difficult to
offer competitive comprehensive insurance policies for certain
scenarios, which can hinder the market for insurance.
SUMMARY
[0004] The following presents a simplified summary in order to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects described herein.
This summary is not an extensive overview nor is intended to
identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the
various aspects described herein. Its sole purpose is to present
some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more
detailed description that is presented later.
[0005] Vertical market specialization for insurance is provided
allowing insurance companies to offer policies in more granular
coverage scenarios. For example, an automobile driver can obtain
coverage on a per trip or per route basis, based on trip details,
one or more environmental details of the car, driving behavior, car
equipment, and/or the like. This allows an insurance company to
provide a quote based not only on typical factors of driving
history, automobile specifications, etc., but also on planned, real
time, or near real time aspects of a trip, such as roads traveled,
cities visited, amount of time the car is left in a city, average
speed, average speed over the speed limit, lane changing, and/or
the like, for instance. Where the driver is planning a road-trip
much of which is traveled over major highways, premiums can be
higher as the cost of potential liability increases due to average
speed increasing. Similarly, where the driver is traveling downtown
at a low rate of speed, premiums can be lower since the cost of
potential liability likely decreases for a given incident. In
another example, such factors can be aggregated to provide a more
consistent level of coverage over a period of time.
[0006] Taking such additional planned or real time (e.g., sensed)
factors into account allows companies to specialize in different
areas of insurance. For example, continuing the automobile
insurance scenario, one insurance company can focus on inner city
coverage, such that it provides premiums having lowered cost of
potential liability while driving, but increases premiums as the
automobile remains unattended in the city (e.g., where the city has
high crime rates). Facilitating such specialization allows
companies to compete more effectively since more information
regarding given coverage scenarios is readily available. In
addition, such specialization can apply to other areas of
insurance, such as home owner's insurance (e.g., where information
regarding activities in the home is available), health insurance,
life insurance, etc. Moreover, insurance systems can be coupled to
advertising systems such that advertisers can obtain the rich
scenario data provided to the insurance system for providing
contextual advertisements to one or more users. In one example,
users can receive discounted premiums in exchange for providing the
rich scenario data.
[0007] To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends,
certain illustrative aspects are described herein in connection
with the following description and the annexed drawings. These
aspects are indicative of various ways which can be practiced, all
of which are intended to be covered herein. Other advantages and
novel features may become apparent from the following detailed
description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates vertical insurance market specialization.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates generating a market definition from specific
parameters and receiving policy quotes.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates creating an insurance market definition from
various information sources.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates communicating sensed parameters for market
definition.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that provides an interface for specifying and/or selecting policy
parameters.
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates injecting advertisements in vertical insurance
market specialization.
[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates example interfaces that can be used to
effectuate aspects described herein.
[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates brokering insurance policy selection.
[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates associating underwriters with insurance market
definitions.
[0017] FIG. 10 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary system
that facilitates sensing object usage parameters for defining an
insurance market.
[0018] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for obtaining
policy quotes in a vertical insurance market.
[0019] FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for receiving
policy rates related to sensed usage parameters of an object to be
insured.
[0020] FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for providing
advertisements in a vertical insurance market system.
[0021] FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for sensing
object usage parameters and receiving rate quotes based on the
parameters.
[0022] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary flow chart for associating
underwriters with an insurance market definition.
[0023] FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a sample
processing environment.
[0024] FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of a sample computing
environment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Vertical market specialization for insurance is provided
where markets are defined based on granular aspects of coverage and
presented to one or more insurance subsystems to obtain quotes for
a coverage premium. Such specialization allows insurance companies
to compete in more specific areas of insurance coverage, which
allows for more accurate premium rates focused on the specific
areas or one or more related scenarios. In addition, the granular
aspects of coverage can be provided to one or more advertising
systems in exchange for further lowered rates, if desired.
[0026] According to an example, an insurance market can be defined
based on granular information received regarding an item, a related
person, use of the item, etc. Based on the market, premium quotes
can be obtained from one or more insurance subsystems related to
one or more insurance brokers. In addition, rates can be decreased
where the granular information can be provided to an advertising
system, in one example. In this regard, targeted advertisements can
additionally be presented to system related to requesting the
insurance coverage. Policies can be automatically selected based on
preferences, manually selected using an interface, and/or the
like.
[0027] Various aspects of the subject disclosure are now described
with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein like numerals refer
to like or corresponding elements throughout. It should be
understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description
relating thereto are not intended to limit the claimed subject
matter to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is
to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling
within the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0028] Now turning to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100
that facilitates defining specialized markets for insurance and
obtaining premium quotes based on a market classification. The
system 100 includes a market definition component 102 that can
specify an insurance market for a given scenario and an insurance
subsystem component 104 that can obtain one or more premium quotes
from one or more insurance companies related to the specified
insurance market. In one example, the market definition component
102 can determine the insurance market for the given scenario based
at least in part on one or more parameters related thereto. In
another example, the insurance market can be defined from
parameters aggregated or averaged over a period of time. The
parameters, as described herein, can relate to usage of an item to
be insured and can be provided to the market definition component
102 for a specific instance of use. In addition, the parameters can
be sensed from one or more sensing components (not shown) related
to using an object. The market definition component 102 can
leverage the insurance subsystem component 104 to obtain quotes
from insurance companies for writing a policy related to the
specific instance of use. Certain insurance companies can
specialize in the determined insurance market related to the
specific instance of use, in one example, which can be more
granular than traditional blanket policies.
[0029] According to an example, the market definition component 102
can receive information regarding an automobile insurance policy.
Though traditional parameters can be specified, such as automobile
type, driving history, zip code, etc., the information received by
the market definition component 102 can also relate to details
regarding actual use of the automobile for one or more specific
instances or averaged over a period of time. Automobiles, as
described herein, can include cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats,
airplanes, jets, or substantially any vehicle that travels
measureable distances. For example, the information can include
planned or real time route information, such as whether the
automobile is being or will be primarily driven on a highway for a
specific period of time. In one example, an insurance company can
specialize in road trips to major cities. Thus, the information
provided to the market definition component 102 can include a road
trip route and/or a length of time away. In this example, the
market definition component 102 can define an insurance market for
the road trip. The definition can be as granular as desired, such
as merely a road trip, a 500+ mile road trip, a road trip to a
certain city, a week-long road trip, etc. Once defined, the market
definition component 102 can communicate with the insurance
subsystem component 104 to generate insurance quotes for the road
trip. In another example, where the parameters are aggregated or
averaged, the market definition component 102 can create a market
for drivers that take frequent road trips and/or drive mostly
highway miles.
[0030] Similarly, the market definition component 102 can receive
information regarding daily driving, which can be specified by a
driver and/or obtained from in-automobile systems such as GPS,
driving behavior systems, and/or the like. Thus, for example, the
market definition component 102 can specify a market for a daily
driver that drives 15 miles, primarily in the city, in the AM and
PM, Monday through Friday, and often speeds in the morning based at
least in part on receiving information from an in-automobile system
regarding routes traveled Monday through Friday, time of the
traveled route, average speed or speed at different points in the
route, and/or the like. Using such information available in many
automobiles today can allow insurance companies to provide more
specific coverage tailored to given scenarios or habits. This
additionally facilitates specialization in market niches, such as
primarily city daily driving, road trips, fleet delivery
automobiles, etc., providing competition in the markets, and thus a
likely decrease in cost for consumers. In addition, where insurance
is obtained on a usage basis (e.g., per route), markets can be
defined solely for a road trip or daily city driving, such that
policies can be reselected when a driver modifies typical driving
over a period of time.
[0031] In addition, real time information about the automobile
itself can be provided to the market definition component 102, such
as specifications, equipment, remaining gasoline, tire pressure,
oil life, brake life, odometer reading, engine temperature,
noise-level inside the car, etc. For example, the market definition
component 102 can receive a brake life and odometer reading, from
which it can infer a braking level of the driver; such information
can also come from a driving behavior system. The market definition
component 102 can generate a market definition based on this
factor, and an insurance company can specialize, for example, in
drivers that are heavy on the brakes. Not only does this allow
competition in insurance prices for such drivers, but it allows
other companies to specialize in drivers that are not so heavy on
the brakes without having to take liability of drivers that are
heavy on the brakes into account when quoting a policy, as
necessary in current blanket models.
[0032] Similar historical factors can be provided as well regarding
driving behavior, as described in further detail herein. In
addition, similar use information can be received from a home
(e.g., through a home security system) regarding portions of the
day when the home is vacant, doors left open for an extended period
of time, etc. Home owner's insurance companies can create similar
niche markets allowing the market definition component 102 to
define such markets from received parameters (e.g., highly vacant
homes, highly occupied homes, etc.) and specify the market to the
insurance subsystem component 104 to obtain policy quotes.
Moreover, market definitions and subsequent policies can relate to
events, a period of time, and/or the like.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, an example system 200 for defining
granular insurance markets for contextual use of an automobile is
displayed. System 200 includes a market definition component 102
that discerns an insurance market for locating coverage based on a
number of received factors regarding use of an automobile as well
as an insurance subsystem component 104 that allows a plurality of
insurance companies 208, 210, and 212 to bid on a policy for a
market definition received from the market definition component
102, as described. The market definition component 102 can comprise
a travel information component 202 that receives one or more real
time, planned, or averaged parameters related to automobile travel,
such as driver information, automobile information, route
information, etc., a market determination component 204 that
utilizes the parameters to select a market related thereto, and a
rate receiving component 206 that obtains one or more rate quotes
from the insurance subsystem component 104 based on the provided
automobile travel information.
[0034] According to an example, the travel information component
202 can receive information related to travel in an automobile. The
information, for example, can relate to a driver, the automobile
itself, a use of the automobile, and/or the like. The information
can be received from various sources, such as a driving behavior
component installed in the automobile, which can provide parameters
such as current speed, average speed, braking habits, acceleration
habits, tailgating habits, and the like, a GPS system, an in-dash
selection component, an odometer, a speedometer, a service or
maintenance component, a computing device such as a cellular phone,
personal digital assistant (PDA), desktop/laptop computer, netbook,
etc., and/or the like. In one example, the various computing
devices can communicate with the automobile related devices using a
communications medium. This can be a wired or wireless medium, such
as universal serial bus (USB), Bluetooth, radio frequency
identifier (RFID), WiFi, etc. In addition, the information can be
real time information, planned information (such as a planned
route), averaged information (such as average speed over certain
hours on certain days, when travelling certain routes), and/or
substantially any information obtainable or discernable from
driving behavior components, automobile devices, GPS, and/or the
like.
[0035] Using the information, the market determination component
204 can select a market for insurance coverage. The market can be
selected using an inference or artificial intelligence technology.
For example, parameters received from the travel information
component 202 can be measured against parameters specified for
certain market definitions, and the market determination component
204 can select a best matched market. In addition, the travel
information component 202 can infer one or more disparate
parameters from the received parameters. For example, based on a
speed and location, the travel information component 202 can infer
whether the driver is speeding, by how much, and for how long of a
time, and can mark a parameter indicating propensity to speed,
providing the parameter to the market determination component 204.
Substantially limitless markets can be defined by various
parameters and granularities thereof, as described previously. For
example, the market definitions can additionally relate to specific
uses (e.g., coverage for a single road-trip) and/or generalized
uses (e.g., primarily highway driving) so long as related
information is received from driving behavior components, GPS, or
similar devices, relating to automobile travel, as described. The
market determination component 204 matches parameters received from
the travel information component 202 with one or more market
definitions, and the market definition component sends the market
definition to the insurance subsystem component 104.
[0036] The insurance subsystem component 104 allows insurance
companies 208, 210, and 212, as well as other insurance companies
(not shown) to specify markets in which to participate. When the
insurance subsystem component 104 receives a market definition from
the market definition component 102 for a given scenario, it can
forward the market definition and related parameters to insurance
companies 208, 210, and 212, and/or related underwriters, to
receive bids therefrom. In one example, the insurance subsystem
component 104 can provide available market descriptions to the
market definition component 102 for which insurance companies 208,
210, and 212 have specified coverage. Specifications can be
provided by the insurance companies 208, 210, and 212 by explicit
definition (e.g., according to a protocol/specification/schema,
which can be provided by the insurance subsystem component 104), by
selecting options presented by the insurance subsystem component
104 (e.g., using a user interface), and/or the like. In another
example, the market definition component 102 can specify available
markets to the insurance subsystem component 104 allowing the
insurance companies 208, 210, and 212 to indicate association with
one or more specified markets. In this example, the insurance
companies 208, 210, and 212 can indicate association with a general
market definition and bid policies based on specific parameters of
an instance of the general market definition. It is to be
appreciated, however, that the market definition can be defined
anew including the specific parameters in an alternative example,
and the insurance companies 208, 210, and 212 can bid on the policy
in this regard.
[0037] In either case, the market can be defined by parameter
values or ranges. Using the values or ranges, the market definition
component 102 can determine markets relating to parameters received
from the travel information component 202 as the parameters most
closely relate to available markets. For example, insurance
companies 208 and 210 can specialize in coverage for, among many
other broad and/or specific scenarios, business persons working
downtown driving primarily in rush hour traffic, and can indicate
or select such a market description to/from the insurance subsystem
component 104. It is to be appreciated that the insurance companies
208 and 210, insurance subsystem component 104, and/or market
definition component can outline the parameters of such a market
description (e.g., travel route, speed range, time of day for
traveling, etc.). The travel information component 202 can indicate
time of driving, average speed, and route of the specific driver,
for example, to the market determination component 204. This
information can be obtained from driving behavior components, GPS
systems, and/or the like, as described.
[0038] The market determination component 204 can match the
information to the specific market indicated by the insurance
subsystem components 104, and can submit the market definition and
other parameters (e.g., automobile type, gasoline level
history--e.g., whether the user is constantly riding on an almost
empty tank--driver information, and/or the like) to the insurance
subsystem component 104. The insurance subsystem component 104 can
engage insurance companies 208 and 210, who have associated
themselves with the general market definition, for obtaining a
policy quote specifying the market description and/or other
parameters. The insurance companies 208 and 210 can send a quote
for the policy to the insurance subsystem component 104, which can
forward the quote to the rate receiving component 206. Rate
receiving component 206 can render the rates to a selectable
display, such that the driver, upon starting the car and/or
indicating that he/she is going to work, can receive the rates for
the trip and select the desired policy. It is to be appreciated
that the driver need not specify a trip to work; rather this can be
inferred based on time of day and/or other parameters, in one
example. In another example, the rate receiving component 206 can
automatically select a rate and related policy based on lowest
price, parameters specified by the driver, and/or the like, as
described further herein.
[0039] Turning now to FIG. 3, an example system 300 is displayed
for generating markets for insurance coverage related to specific
automobile travel information. System 300 comprises a market
definition component 102 that can receive travel information from
multiple sources and formulate a market definition from the
information, as described, and an insurance subsystem component 104
that can obtain policy quotes based on the market definition.
System 300 can additionally comprise a driver information component
302 that provides information related to a driver of an automobile,
such as claim or accident history, age, credit score, etc., an
automobile information component 304 that provides data available
from one or more components of an automobile, and a route
information component 306 that provides information related to one
or more planned or current routes of an automobile.
[0040] In addition, the automobile information component 304 can
include a driving behavior component 308 that can monitor
mechanical or electrical aspects of an automobile to discern
driving habits, such as current or average speed, odometer reading,
braking habits, turning habits, lane-changing frequency, accidents,
etc., an automobile equipment/specification component 310 that can
provide metrics related to the automobile, such as engine size, gas
mileage, weight, etc., as well as equipment on the car, including
factory standard or optional equipment and after-market items, such
as performance enhancers, breathalyzer car starter, etc. The
automobile information component 304 can additionally include an
automobile service component 312 that can specify service or
maintenance information related to the automobile, such as whether
an oil change is due or coming up, miles since last oil change, oil
level, gas level, air filter flow, and/or other information that
can imply a level of care of the driver and/or risk of liability
related to service items (e.g., 8,000 miles overdue for an oil
change could cause the engine to lock, which can create additional
liability--an insurance company can specialize in this market). The
automobile information component 304 also includes an automobile
environment sensing component 314 that can detect internal or
external environmental factors of the automobile, such as interior
noise level (as well as noise detection--e.g., voices, radio, and
the like), engine noise level or distinct sounds, brake squealing,
or other things that can affect ability to drive the automobile,
and thus potential liability.
[0041] According to an example, the driver information component
302, automobile information component 304, and/or route information
component 306 can provide such information, as described, to the
travel information component 202. The travel information component
202 can mine the information providing relevant information and/or
information discerned from certain parameters to the market
determination component 204, as described above. The market
determination component 204 can select a relevant market based on
the parameters and can send market information to the insurance
subsystem component 104. The rate receiving component 206 can
obtain a plurality of policy quotes from the insurance subsystem
component 104, as described, for subsequent manual or automatic
selection thereof.
[0042] For example, the automobile equipment/specification
component 310 can provide information regarding a breathalyzer car
starter to the travel information component 202. The travel
information component 202 can forward this information to the
market determination component 204, which can select a market
related to automobiles with such starters. In one example, this can
lower potential liability since the automobile cannot be started by
a drunk driver. Insurance companies, as explained above, can
specialize in this niche market and offer rates without having to
fully consider scenarios where the driver of the automobile is
drunk. The insurance subsystem component 104 can locate such
companies, as described previously, and receive related policy
quotes for provisioning to the rate receiving component 206.
Similarly, for example, the automobile information component 304
can communicate with other devices in the automobile (not shown)
such as a cellular phone (e.g., via Bluetooth) to determine whether
the driver frequently sends text messages, dials phone numbers,
etc. while driving--this information can be provided to the travel
information component 202 as well for specific market definition,
in one example. Similarly, the automobile information component 304
can communicate with a radio to determine whether the driver
frequently changes stations, whether the driver changes using the
steering wheel controls or controls on the radio, etc.
[0043] In another example, the route information component 306 can
provide information on a prospective route or location to the
travel information component 202. Thus, for example, the driver can
specify a road trip route to a given city. The travel information
component 202 can forward this information to the market
determination component 204, which can select a market related to
insuring such road trips and/or extended stays in the destination
city. The market determination component 204 can specify the market
to the insurance subsystem component 104, which can locate
companies that cover the market, as described previously; related
policy quotes can be received and sent to the rate receiving
component 206 for display or automatic selection, as mentioned
above.
[0044] As described, the driver information component 302,
automobile information component 304, and route information
component 306 can provide parameters to the travel information
component 202 as related to coverage for a particular route (e.g.,
these can be planned parameters). The planned parameters, in one
example, can be verified during or after the route, and pricing can
be accordingly adjusted, for example where parameters stray from
those planned. Additionally, parameters can be provided to the
travel information component 202 to obtain coverage for a period of
time. In this regard, the parameters can relate to historical data,
such as driving behavior, average speed, route information
regarding whether miles are primarily city or highway, etc.
[0045] In yet another example, the parameters can be provided to
the travel information component 202 for coverage in a particular
area. Thus, when the automobile enters an area (e.g., as determined
by the route information component 306 or other GPS system), area
coverage can automatically begin, in one example, through a
selected insurance company. Similarly, general coverage can begin
when leaving the area and/or a driver can be prompted to select
another policy upon entering/leaving areas, upon timed expiration
of a policy, etc. In another example, as described herein, policies
can be automatically selected seamlessly to the user such that the
user can specify coverages or related desired parameters for
different areas (e.g., via a computing device) for automatic
switching while traveling. In this regard, the route information
component 306 can provide GPS information to the travel information
component 202. The market determination component 204 can receive
the GPS coordinates from the travel information component 202 and
can select the area market (e.g., a zip code or city) providing the
area market to the insurance subsystem component 104 to receive
area policy quotes. The rate receiving component 206 can obtain the
policy rates and present them for selection or automatically choose
one, as described further herein.
[0046] Turning to FIG. 4, an example system 400 is displayed that
facilitates communicating information acquired from within an
automobile for market definition creation. System 400 includes a
market definition component 102 that can model an insurance market
based on received parameters and communicate the insurance market
to an insurance subsystem component 104 to receive policy quotes
from various insurance companies. System 400 also includes an
automobile information component 304 that collects information from
one or more automobile components, as described, such as a driving
behavior component, equipment component, service or maintenance
component, environment sensing component, and/or the like; in one
example, the automobile information component 304 can be one of
these components. System 400 additionally includes a computing
component 402 that can facilitate communicating information from
the automobile information component 304 to the market definition
component 102. It is to be appreciated, in one example, that the
automobile information component 304 can be equipped to communicate
with the market definition component 102, in which case computing
component 402 is not needed.
[0047] According to an example, the computing component 402 can be
a device that can communicate with the automobile information
component 304 and market definition component 102 acting as a
gateway between the components. In one example, the market
definition component 102 can be remotely located such that the
computing component 402 can access a network to communicate
therewith. For example, the computing component 402 can be a
cellular phone or other mobile device that can communicate over a
cellular network. Thus, the computing component 402 can receive
data from the automobile information component 304, and transmit
the data to the market definition component 102 over the cellular
network. Similarly, the computing component 402 can be a handheld
device that interfaces with a disparate computer (not shown) at a
later time, where the disparate computer has network access to
transfer automobile information.
[0048] In addition, the computing component 402 can be coupled to
the automobile information component 304 via wired or wireless
technology (e.g., serial interface, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.), as
described. In another example, the automobile information component
304 can be equipped with technology to communicate with the market
definition component 102, such as a cellular modem, and/or the
like. In this example, the computing component 402 may not be
utilized since the automobile information component 304 directly
communicates with the market definition component 102.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, an example system 500 is illustrated
that facilitates selecting insurance coverage from a list of rates
and/or other information. The system includes a user interface
component 502 that presents one or more rates for selection
thereof, a market definition component 102 that generates a market
for insurance based on a plurality of received parameters, as
described, and an insurance subsystem component 104 that receives
the generated market and queries insurance companies for market
coverage. The user interface component 502 comprises a policy
specification component 504 that can be utilized to provide desired
policy coverage parameters to the market definition component 102,
in one example, a rate receiving component 506 that can obtain a
plurality of insurance coverage rates, as well as other details
such as policy information, coverage parameters, contracts, etc., a
rate display component 508 that renders insurance coverage rates
and/or other information, and a rate selection component 510 that
facilitates selecting insurance coverage based on the rendered
rates and/or other information.
[0050] According to an example, the policy specification component
504 can present policy coverage details on the user interface and
allow for selection of one or more policies or details. For
instance, the policy specification component 504 can render
liability coverage limits for disability, damage, etc., options
such as rental car coverage, towing, etc. and/or the like. In
addition, the policy specification component 504, in an example,
can render options related to route type, such as coverage for a
road trip, inner-city driving, and/or the like. The driver can
select such options to receive specific quotes for the type of
route planned, in this example. For instance, the selectable
policies or coverage details can be obtained from the market
definition component 102 based on indicated specialized coverages
from the insurance subsystem component 104.
[0051] The market definition component 102 can model an insurance
market definition based on parameters from the policy specification
component 504 as well as information received from one or more
other sources, such as route information, automobile information,
driver information, and/or the like, as described above. The market
definition component 102 can leverage the insurance subsystem
component 104 to obtain policy rate quotes from different insurance
companies specializing in the modeled insurance market and can
provide the rate quotes to the user interface component 502. For
example, the market definition component 102 can collect desired
policy parameters, such as comprehensive coverage with high
premiums for a road trip, from the policy specification component
504. The market definition component 102 can obtain other
information, such as driver claim history, ticket history, speeding
propensity, braking style, lane change frequency, and/or other
information from driver history, measured automobile metrics, etc.,
as described, and define a market definition for transmitting to
the insurance subsystem component 104, which can receive rates and
communicate the rates to the market definition component 102.
[0052] The rate receiving component 506 can obtain the policy rate
quotes from the market definition component 102, and the rate
display component 508 can render policy and/or rate information. In
one example, the rate display component 508 can render the policy
and/or rate information on a selectable display (e.g., touch
screen, a screen navigable by a mouse or other pointing system,
etc.). In another example, the rate display component 508 can
audibly render the rate and/or policy information to a radio,
phone, etc.
[0053] The rate selection component 510 can allow a user to select
a policy from those presented by the rate display component 508. In
one example, selection can occur, as described, via touch screen,
pointing device, keypad, etc. Thus, where the rate display
component 508 audibly renders rates, for example, over a phone, a
user can use a keypad to select a rate for a route or period of
time, as described, based on additional rate and/or policy
information. This facilitates insurance market specialization by
allowing users to select policies based on specific parameters
regarding automobile use, as described, which can additionally
facilitate increased competition among companies in the insurance
market. As described infra, rate selection can be automated as well
so that a driver need not select coverage for every route, time
period, etc. It is to be appreciated that the user interface
component 502 can be fully or partially implemented within an
automobile component, such as a GPS navigation system, a computing
device, such as a cellular phone, laptop, home computer, etc.,
coupled or uncoupled to the automobile or one or more components
thereof, and/or the like. In this regard, in addition, the user
interface component 502, in one example, can interface with a
computing component, much like the automobile information component
304 to computing component 402 as described above, to provide
policy specifications, receive rates, and/or the like.
[0054] Turning to FIG. 6, an example system 600 for implementing
advertising in vertical insurance market specialization systems is
illustrated. The system 600 includes a market definition component
102 that can create an insurance market based on one or more
parameters received from various components, as described, and can
leverage an insurance subsystem component 104 to obtain rate quotes
from a plurality of insurance companies. The market definition
component 102 can comprise a rate receiving component 206 along
with other components, as described previously, that can receive
rates from the insurance subsystem component 104. The system 600
additionally includes a user interface component 502, which, as
described, can provide policy specifications and receive rate
quotes from the market definition component 102 based further on
the specifications. The user interface component 502 can include an
advertisement display component 604 that can render an
advertisement (e.g., visually or audibly) to a driver. In addition,
system 600 includes an advertising subsystem component 606 that can
receive and store advertisements for presentation to a user
interface. The advertising subsystem component 606 can comprise an
advertisement generation component 608 that provides one or more
advertisements randomly, based on context or one or more inferred
scenarios, and/or the like.
[0055] According to an example, the market definition component 102
can receive parameters from the user interface component 502 or
other components relating to desired insurance coverage, route
information, automobile information, driver information, and/or the
like as described, and can accordingly generate an insurance market
definition. The market definition component 102 can provide the
market definition to the insurance subsystem component 104 for
receiving policy quotes from a plurality of insurance companies.
The rate receiving component 206 can receive policy rate quotes
from the insurance subsystem component 104, as described. Upon
receiving policy rate quotes, the market definition component 102
can determine whether a related driver has chosen to receive
advertisements (e.g., in exchange for reduced rates). In this
regard, advertising can be used to subsidize portions of insurance
policies, and advertisers can receive access to the rich route
information, automobile information, driver information, etc., of
opted-in drivers.
[0056] If a driver has opted-in to receive advertisements, the rate
receiving component 206 can apply a discount to the rates received
from the insurance subsystem component 104 upon communicating the
rates to the user interface component 502, and the market
definition component 102 can transmit received travel information
to the advertising subsystem component (e.g., route, automobile,
and driver information, as described). In addition, the market
definition component 102 can engage advertising subsystem component
606 to propagate an advertisement to the user interface component
502. In this regard, the advertisement generation component 608 can
select an advertisement for display to the driver. As mentioned,
this advertisement can be contextual, in which case the market
definition component 102 can provide route, automobile, driver, or
other travel information to the advertising subsystem component 606
to facilitate selecting a contextual advertisement. In another
example, the advertisement can be random. In either case, the
advertisement generation component can provide the advertisement to
the user interface component 502 directly, and/or to the market
definition component 102 for transmission to the user interface
component 502 along with the discounted rates.
[0057] Moreover, the user interface component 502 can be the same
as the previously described user interface component 502 that
allows policy specification and/or rate selection. In addition or
alternatively, however, the user interface component 502 can be
substantially any user interface component, such as an
in-automobile device (e.g., GPS, car stereo, etc.), a computing
device (laptop, personal computer, etc.), cellular phone,
associated software application (e.g., web-based email, social
networking website, or other personalized website, etc.), other
device (e.g., digital video recorder, television, etc.), and/or the
like. Thus, where a driver opts-in to receive the advertising, the
driver receives discount rates along with advertisements rendered
to a number of possible devices.
[0058] Now referring to FIG. 7, example interfaces 700 and 702 are
displayed for specifying desired coverage parameters and
subsequently selecting an insurance policy, as described. It is to
be appreciated that the interfaces shown are examples of
potentially limitless interface layouts or configurations; the
examples are provided for explanation of concepts described herein.
In addition, as described, the interfaces can be implemented on
in-automobile devices, such as a GPS navigation display, computing
devices, and/or the like. Interface 700 can relate to specifying
desired policy parameters, as described supra, which can be
utilized prior to driving. In this regard, the interface 700 can be
displayed in the automobile to allow real time or near real time
specification of a planned use. In another example, the interface
700 can be displayed at a computer or cellular phone, for example,
before entering the automobile. In one example, this can be based
on request by the user, based on contextually inferring that the
user is about to get in the car (such as by evaluating
communications referring to a road trip, map requests, etc., or
based on time of day--e.g., inferring that the user is likely going
to/from work, etc.).
[0059] Interface 700 can comprise a plurality of parameter entries
relating to trip type, distance, etc., as shown, as well as desired
coverage details. In addition, an advertisement 704 can be
displayed if the driver has opted-in to receive advertisements, as
described. Upon submitting the parameters, interface 702 can be
displayed (on the same or different interface--e.g., parameter
specification can occur on a computer and policy selection on a GPS
navigation system) based at least in part on aggregating the
desired policy settings of interface 700 along with other
automobile or driver information, as described. Interface 702 can
display the coverage details along with policy quotes 706 received
from a market definition component (not shown). Each policy quote
can be related to an insurance company and have an associated rate
and/or a rating of the company or policy (indicated by the `*`),
such as a user rating, better business bureau, etc. In addition,
one or more advertisements 708 and 710 can be displayed where the
driver has opted-in for advertisements to receive lower rates.
[0060] Turning now to FIG. 8, an example system 800 for
automatically selecting automobile insurance coverage is
illustrated. The system 800 includes a market definition component
102 that can compose an insurance market based on one or more
received parameters, as described, and insurance subsystem
component 104 that receives a market definition and matches a
plurality of providers and related quotes to the definition. System
800 additionally includes a broker agent component 802 that can
facilitate automated selecting or brokering of insurance coverage.
The broker agent component 802 can include a coverage specification
component 804 that receives desired coverage parameters related to
a driver, an insurance policy receiving component 806 that can
obtain one or more policies from market definition component 102,
and an insurance selection component 808 that can select an
insurance policy based on the coverage specification.
[0061] According to an example, the coverage specification
component 804 can receive one or more desired coverage parameters
(e.g., from an in-automobile system, computing device, and/or the
like), as described in previous figures, and can provide the
parameters to the market definition component 102. The market
definition component 102 can aggregate the policy parameters along
with other parameters related to the automobile, driver, or route,
as described, and define an insurance market. It is to be
appreciated that the coverage parameters need not be specified to
the market definition component 102, in one example, and the market
definition component 102 can return policies and rates of various
coverage based on the automobile, driver, and/or route information.
The market definition component 102 can pass market information to
the insurance subsystem component 104 and receive rate and policy
information from a plurality of insurance companies. The insurance
receiving component 806 can receive the policy and rate information
from the market definition component 102.
[0062] The insurance selection component 808 can choose an
insurance policy from the insurance policy receiving component 806
according to one or more of the coverage parameters or other
parameters (such as preference for low price over high rating),
that can be specified by the driver (e.g., via interface, as
described, in one example). Thus, the driver need not select
coverage each time. It is to be appreciated that the broker agent
component 802 can be employed where a driver indicates that such
automatic selection of coverage is desired, in one example. In this
example, the driver can, for instance, interrupt the automatic
selection in certain instance (e.g., employ automatic selection for
general driving, but select manually for a road trip). In addition,
the broker agent component 802 can be internal to a user interface
and/or executed remotely by a brokerage company. In the latter
example, the brokerage company can constantly shop for rates based
on automobile, driver, or planned/real time/near real time route
information received, as described above, selecting coverage that
best fits the driver's desires for coverage.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 9, an example system 900 is shown for
implementing market specifications that can be underwritten by one
or more insurance companies. System 900 includes a market
definition component 102 that can provide a market definition to an
insurance subsystem component 104 to receive policy and rate
information therefrom, as described. The insurance subsystem
component 104 can comprise a market definition receiving component
902 that can obtain one or more supported market definitions for
soliciting underwriters, an underwriter association component 904
that can specify underwriters for given market definitions, and a
policy receiving component 906 that can receive policy information
from underwriters for specific market definitions. In an example,
the insurance subsystem component 104 can store a number of market
definitions 908 and 910 received from the market definition
receiving component 902, and the underwriter association component
904 can correlate one or more underwriters 912 and 914 (e.g.,
insurance companies, or even independent investors) to specific
market definitions based on receiving indications for coverage from
the underwriters 912 and 914.
[0064] According to an example, the market definition receiving
component 902 can pre-define market definitions 908 and 910 or
specify them in real time as requests for insurance coverage are
received at the market definition component 102. Once defined,
underwriters 912 and 914 can communicate with the insurance
subsystem component 104 to indicate ability to underwrite policies
for certain market definitions 908 or 910. The underwriter
association component 904 can correlate the underwriters 912 and
914 to market definitions 908 and/or 910.
[0065] In one example, market definitions 908 and 910 can be
defined by the market definition component 102 and provided to the
market definition receiving component 902 for communication to
different insurance companies to obtain underwriters. This step can
be a pre-configuration step such that the market definitions are
generally defined. In this example, once the underwriter
association component 904 correlates underwriters 912 and 914 to
the general market definition 908, the market definition component
102 can define an instance of the market definition 908 for a
specific driver allowing the underwriters 912 and 914 to bid on the
specific policy. The policy receiving component 906 can receive
policy information and rates and forward to the market definition
component 102.
[0066] In another example, market definition can happen in real
time such that the market definition component 102 receives
automobile, driver, and route information in real time and defines
a brand new market definition specific to the driver's exact
parameters. The market definition component 102 can provide the
specific market definition to the market definition receiving
component 902. Underwriters 912 and 914 can bid on the policy based
on the specific parameters, and the policy receiving component 906
can obtain policy information and rates providing such to the
market definition component 102. The pre-configuration example
above can be efficient, since underwriters 912 and 914 are
pre-defined for the general market definition and the insurance
subsystem component 104 can directly engage the underwriters 912
and 914 for the specific instance, whereas the latter example can
be more of a broadcast scenario where the underwriters 912 and 914
seek out the market definition, for instance, and transmit policy
information to the policy receiving component 906.
[0067] Turning to FIG. 10, an example system 1000 is illustrated
that facilitates defining specialized vertical insurance market for
substantially any type of insurance. In this example, system 1000
comprises a market definition component 102 that can receive
information related to an object, usage thereof, and/or an owner
thereof, and can define a market based on the parameters, as
described. An insurance subsystem component 104 is also provided
that can receive the market definition and solicit policy quotes
from a variety of insurance companies. In addition, system 1000
comprises a usage sensing component 1002 that can sense usage of an
object to be covered by insurance. In one example, the usage
sensing component can be a home security system that can aggregate
information related to home occupancy.
[0068] In one example, the usage sensing component 1002, where a
home security system, can determine during which hours a home is
occupied and/or by how many people (or animals). This information
can be utilized by the market definition component 102 to define a
more granular policy (e.g., a home that is occupied most of the day
and night as opposed to a home with a working family that is gone
most of the day). This information can greatly affect rates, and
defining markets in this way, as described, allows insurance
companies to specialize in certain policies and compete, as opposed
to current blanket policies.
[0069] In addition, for example, the usage component 1002 can
communicate with one or more audible environmental sensing
components that can detect barking dogs inside the home, lawn mower
usage (e.g., a lawn mowed once a week renders a more
occupied-looking home than once every two weeks), neighborhood
noise (e.g., people walking around and during which hours) or
substantially any noise or activity that can be sensed. This
information can be provided to the market definition component 102
as well for rich information concerning the home to be covered,
which can affect rates. The usage sensing component 1002 can
additionally be a driving behavior component or other automobile
information component, as described above. In addition, the usage
sensing component 1002 can relate to many types of insurance,
including property, life, health, and other types of insurance, and
can sense how an object to be covered is being utilized to provide
more specific coverage (and thus likely lowered rates, as described
herein). In addition, advertisement can be provided, as specified
above, in exchange for lower rates, as described. The advertisers,
in turn, receive access to the sensed information.
[0070] The aforementioned systems, architectures and the like have
been described with respect to interaction between several
components. It should be appreciated that such systems and
components can include those components or sub-components specified
therein, some of the specified components or sub-components, and/or
additional components. Sub-components could also be implemented as
components communicatively coupled to other components rather than
included within parent components. Further yet, one or more
components and/or sub-components may be combined into a single
component to provide aggregate functionality. Communication between
systems, components and/or sub-components can be accomplished in
accordance with either a push and/or pull model. The components may
also interact with one or more other components not specifically
described herein for the sake of brevity, but known by those of
skill in the art.
[0071] Furthermore, as will be appreciated, various portions of the
disclosed systems and methods may include or consist of artificial
intelligence, machine learning, or knowledge or rule based
components, sub-components, processes, means, methodologies, or
mechanisms (e.g., support vector machines, neural networks, expert
systems, Bayesian belief networks, fuzzy logic, data fusion
engines, classifiers . . . ), or other inference technologies. Such
components, inter alia, can automate certain mechanisms or
processes performed thereby to make portions of the systems and
methods more adaptive as well as efficient and intelligent, for
instance by inferring actions based on contextual information. By
way of example and not limitation, such mechanism can be employed
with respect to generation of materialized views and the like.
[0072] In view of the exemplary systems described supra,
methodologies that may be implemented in accordance with the
disclosed subject matter will be better appreciated with reference
to the flow charts of FIGS. 11-15. While for purposes of simplicity
of explanation, the methodologies are shown and described as a
series of blocks, it is to be understood and appreciated that the
claimed subject matter is not limited by the order of the blocks,
as some blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently
with other blocks from what is depicted and described herein.
Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required to implement
the methodologies described hereinafter.
[0073] FIG. 11 illustrates an example methodology 1100 for
obtaining insurance policy quotes based at least in part on
specifying a market definition. At 1102, parameters related to an
automobile route can be received. The parameters, for example, can
relate to a planned or real time route, as described, such that
aspects of the route can be used to determine cost of insurance
coverage. An insurance market definition can be defined based at
least in part on the route at 1104. Thus, for example, a definition
can be chosen from a list of possible definitions based on one or
more of the parameters and/or tuned in view of the parameters. In
another example, the market definition can be created anew with the
specific parameters. At 1106, the market definition can be provided
to one or more insurance companies. This can be through another
entity, such as an insurance subsystem, as described. At 1108,
policy information and rates can be received for the market
definition from the one or more insurance companies. Thus, for
example, the rates and policies can be based on the routes. As
described, the rates and policies can be based on additional
factors, such as parameters related to a driver or automobile, for
example.
[0074] FIG. 12 illustrates an example methodology 1200 for
obtaining insurance policy quotes based at least in part on
specifying a market definition. At 1202, sensed parameters related
to an object can be received. The parameters, for example, can
relate to various objects, such as automatically sensed driving
behavior as related to an automobile or driver, automatically
sensed or received home security parameters related to a home,
etc., as described. An insurance market definition can be defined
based at least in part on the sensed parameters at 1204. Thus, for
example, a definition can be chosen from a list of possible
definitions based on one or more of the parameters and/or tuned in
view of the parameters. At 1206, the market definition can be
provided to one or more insurance companies. This can be through
another entity, such as an insurance subsystem, as described. At
1208, policy information and rates can be received for the market
definition from the one or more insurance companies. Thus, for
example, the rates and policies can be based on the sensed
parameters.
[0075] FIG. 13 illustrates an example methodology 1300 for
providing advertising in a vertical insurance market system. At
1302, a plurality of policies and rates related to route,
automobile, and/or driver information can be received. As
described, the policies can relate to a generated market definition
specific to the route, automobile, and/or driver information. At
1304, rates can be discounted based on determining a related driver
has opted-in to receive advertisements. Thus, for example, rates
can be at least partially subsidized by an advertiser in exchange
for route, automobile, and/or driver information, as described. A
contextual advertisement can be received from an advertiser based
on providing the route, automobile, and/or driver information at
1306. It is to be appreciated that the advertiser can utilize this
information to generate an advertisement and for subsequent mining,
for example. At 1308, discounted rates, policy information, and the
contextual advertisement can be provided to an interface (e.g., for
rendering to a driver).
[0076] FIG. 14 illustrates an example methodology 1400 for
generally receiving insurance policies based on sensed object
parameters. At 1402, one or more usage parameters related to an
object can be sensed. As described, this can relate to driving
behavior, service needs of an automobile, environmental factors,
home security system parameters, or substantially any parameters
related to an object that can be sensed for more specifically
defining an insurance policy. At 1404, the usage parameters can be
provided to an insurance subsystem. As described, the subsystem can
collaborate with insurance carriers to associate underwriters with
general and/or specific market definitions. A plurality of
insurance policies related to the usage parameters can be received
at 1406, and at 1408, an insurance policy can be selected to cover
usage of the object. The policy can be selected manually or
automatically. In addition, the policy can relate to a usage
instance or event, a period of time, and/or the like, as
described.
[0077] FIG. 15 illustrates an example methodology 1500 for
correlating one or more insurance underwriters with general or
specific market definitions. At 1502, a market definition related
to a planned route can be received. As described, the route can be
explicitly identified and/or inferred based on previous routes,
time of day, etc. In addition, the route can be at varying levels
of specificity (e.g., a precise route, a city route, a mostly
highway route, and/or the like) such that a market definition can
be created for varying levels of specificity. At 1504, one or more
automobile insurance underwriters can be associated with the market
definition. Thus, where the route is general, the underwriters can
be associated for future solicitation related to routes falling in
the general category. Where more specific, the associated
underwriters can actually bid on the policy, as described herein.
At 1506, policy and rate information can be received from the
automobile insurance underwriters for an instance of the market
definition. Thus, rates can be quoted based on the planned route,
as described.
[0078] As used herein, the terms "component," "system" and the like
are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either
hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or
software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not
limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an
object, an instance, an executable, a thread of execution, a
program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an
application running on a computer and the computer can be a
component. One or more components may reside within a process
and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one
computer and/or distributed between two or more computers.
[0079] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean serving as an
example, instance or illustration. Any aspect or design described
herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as
preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.
Furthermore, examples are provided solely for purposes of clarity
and understanding and are not meant to limit the subject innovation
or relevant portion thereof in any manner. It is to be appreciated
that a myriad of additional or alternate examples could have been
presented, but have been omitted for purposes of brevity.
[0080] Furthermore, all or portions of the subject innovation may
be implemented as a method, apparatus or article of manufacture
using standard programming and/or engineering techniques to produce
software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control
a computer to implement the disclosed innovation. The term "article
of manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a computer
program accessible from any computer-readable device or media. For
example, computer readable media can include but are not limited to
magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic
strips . . . ), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital
versatile disk (DVD) . . . ), smart cards, and flash memory devices
(e.g., card, stick, key drive . . . ). Additionally it should be
appreciated that a carrier wave can be employed to carry
computer-readable electronic data such as those used in
transmitting and receiving electronic mail or in accessing a
network such as the Internet or a local area network (LAN). Of
course, those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications
may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope
or spirit of the claimed subject matter.
[0081] In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the
disclosed subject matter, FIGS. 16 and 17 as well as the following
discussion are intended to provide a brief, general description of
a suitable environment in which the various aspects of the
disclosed subject matter may be implemented. While the subject
matter has been described above in the general context of
computer-executable instructions of a program that runs on one or
more computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
subject innovation also may be implemented in combination with
other program modules. Generally, program modules include routines,
programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular
tasks and/or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover,
those skilled in the art will appreciate that the systems/methods
may be practiced with other computer system configurations,
including single-processor, multiprocessor or multi-core processor
computer systems, mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as
well as personal computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g.,
personal digital assistant (PDA), phone, watch . . . ),
microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrial
electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects may also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are
performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network. However, some, if not all aspects of the
claimed subject matter can be practiced on stand-alone computers.
In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be
located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0082] With reference to FIG. 16, an exemplary environment 1600 for
implementing various aspects disclosed herein includes a computer
1612 (e.g., desktop, laptop, server, hand held, programmable
consumer or industrial electronics . . . ). The computer 1612
includes a processing unit 1614, a system memory 1616 and a system
bus 1618. The system bus 1618 couples system components including,
but not limited to, the system memory 1616 to the processing unit
1614. The processing unit 1614 can be any of various available
microprocessors. It is to be appreciated that dual microprocessors,
multi-core and other multiprocessor architectures can be employed
as the processing unit 1614.
[0083] The system memory 1616 includes volatile and nonvolatile
memory. The basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic
routines to transfer information between elements within the
computer 1612, such as during start-up, is stored in nonvolatile
memory. By way of illustration, and not limitation, nonvolatile
memory can include read only memory (ROM). Volatile memory includes
random access memory (RAM), which can act as external cache memory
to facilitate processing.
[0084] Computer 1612 also includes removable/non-removable,
volatile/non-volatile computer storage media. FIG. 16 illustrates,
for example, mass storage 1624. Mass storage 1624 includes, but is
not limited to, devices like a magnetic or optical disk drive,
floppy disk drive, flash memory or memory stick. In addition, mass
storage 1624 can include storage media separately or in combination
with other storage media.
[0085] FIG. 16 provides software application(s) 1628 that act as an
intermediary between users and/or other computers and the basic
computer resources described in suitable operating environment
1600. Such software application(s) 1628 include one or both of
system and application software. System software can include an
operating system, which can be stored on mass storage 1624, that
acts to control and allocate resources of the computer system 1612.
Application software takes advantage of the management of resources
by system software through program modules and data stored on
either or both of system memory 1616 and mass storage 1624.
[0086] The computer 1612 also includes one or more interface
components 1626 that are communicatively coupled to the bus 1618
and facilitate interaction with the computer 1612. By way of
example, the interface component 1626 can be a port (e.g., serial,
parallel, PCMCIA, USB, FireWire . . . ) or an interface card (e.g.,
sound, video, network . . . ) or the like. The interface component
1626 can receive input and provide output (wired or wirelessly).
For instance, input can be received from devices including but not
limited to, a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, stylus,
touch pad, keyboard, microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite
dish, scanner, camera, other computer and the like. Output can also
be supplied by the computer 1612 to output device(s) via interface
component 1626. Output devices can include displays (e.g., CRT,
LCD, plasma . . . ), speakers, printers and other computers, among
other things.
[0087] According to an example, the processing unit(s) 1614 can
comprise or receive instructions related to creating a market
definition, receiving travel information, communicating with an
insurance subsystem, etc., for example. It is to be appreciated
that the system memory 1616 can additionally or alternatively house
such instructions and the processing unit(s) 1614 can be utilized
to process the instructions. Moreover, the system memory 1616 can
retain and/or the processing unit(s) 1614 can comprise instructions
to effectuate updating of the directory objects to ensure
replication with one or more additional operating environments, for
example.
[0088] FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of a sample-computing
environment 1700 with which the subject innovation can interact.
The system 1700 includes one or more client(s) 1710. The client(s)
1710 can be hardware and/or software (e.g., threads, processes,
computing devices). The system 1700 also includes one or more
server(s) 1730. Thus, system 1700 can correspond to a two-tier
client server model or a multi-tier model (e.g., client, middle
tier server, data server), amongst other models. The server(s) 1730
can also be hardware and/or software (e.g., threads, processes,
computing devices). The servers 1730 can house threads to perform
transformations by employing the aspects of the subject innovation,
for example. One possible communication between a client 1710 and a
server 1730 may be in the form of a data packet transmitted between
two or more computer processes.
[0089] The system 1700 includes a communication framework 1750 that
can be employed to facilitate communications between the client(s)
1710 and the server(s) 1730. Here, the client(s) 1710 can
correspond to program application components and the server(s) 1730
can provide the functionality of the interface and optionally the
storage system, as previously described. The client(s) 1710 are
operatively connected to one or more client data store(s) 1760 that
can be employed to store information local to the client(s) 1710.
Similarly, the server(s) 1730 are operatively connected to one or
more server data store(s) 1740 that can be employed to store
information local to the servers 1730.
[0090] By way of example, one or more clients 1710 can define an
insurance market definition and transmit the definition to the
server(s) 1730 via communication framework 1750. The server(s) 1730
can leverage the server data store(s) 1740 to determine parameters
related to the market definition. The server(s) 1730 can obtain
insurance rate quotes and transmit such back to the client(s) 1710
via communication framework 1750. The client(s) 1710, in one
example, can store quotes (and/or market definition specifications)
in the client data store(s) 1760, for example.
[0091] What has been described above includes examples of aspects
of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to
describe every conceivable combination of components or
methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject
matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that
many further combinations and permutations of the disclosed subject
matter are possible. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter is
intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and
variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended
claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes," "has"
or "having" or variations in form thereof are used in either the
detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be
inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as
"comprising" is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in
a claim.
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