EP1 160 707 A1
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`[0048] Trigger events are divided into two groups: those requiring immediate action and those not requiring immediate
`action, but necessary for proper billing of insurance. Those required for proper billing of insurance will be recorded in
`the same file with all the other recorded vehicle sensor information. Those trigger events requiring action will be up-
`loaded to a central control center which can take action depending on the trigger event. Some trigger events will require
`dispatch of emergency services, such as police or EMS, and others will require the dispatch of claims representatives
`from the insurance company.
`[0049] The following comprises an exemplary of some, but not all, trigger events:
`
`Need for Assistance:
`
`[0050] These events would require immediate notification of the central control center.
`
`1. Accident Occurrence. An accident could be determined through the use of a single sensor, such as the deploy-
`ment of an airbag. It could also be determined through the combination of sensors, such as a sudden deceleration
`of the vehicle without the application of the brakes.
`2. Roadside assistance needed. This could be through the pressing of a “panic button“ in the vehicle or through
`the reading of a sensor, such as the level of fuel in the tank. Another example would be loss of tire pressure,
`signifying a flat tire.
`3. Lock-out assistance needed. The reading of a combination of sensors would indicate that the doors are locked
`but the keys are in the ignition and the driver has exited the vehicle.
`4. Driving restrictions. The insured can identify circumstances in which he/she wants to be notified of driving within
`restricted areas, and warned when he/she is entering a dangerous area. This could be applied to youthful drivers
`where the parent wants to restrict time or place of driving, and have a record thereof.
`
`5
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`10
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`15
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`25
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`Unsafe Operation of the Vehicle
`
`[0051] These events would be recorded in the in—vehicle recording device for future upload.
`[0052] Constant trigger events would result in notification of the driver of the exceptions.
`
`30
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`1. Excessive speed. The reading of the vehicle speed sensors would indicate the vehicle is exceeding the speed
`limit. Time would also be measured to determine if the behavior is prolonged.
`2. Presence of alcohol. Using an air content analyzer or breath analyzer, the level of alcohol and its use by the
`driver could be determined.
`
`3. Non—use of seatbelt. Percent of sample of this sensor could result in additional discount for high use or surcharge
`for low or no use.
`
`4. Non—use of turn signals. Low use could result in surcharge.
`5. ABS application without an accident. High use could indicate unsafe driving and be subject to a surcharge.
`
`[0053] With particular reference to FIG. 2, a general block diagram/flowchart of the network design for gathering
`appropriate information for insurance billing on a periodic basis is illustrated. Each unit of risk 200, which as noted
`above, can just as easily be an airplane or boat, as well as a automobile, includes the data storage 202 and data
`process logic 204 as described more in detail in FIG. 4. The insured 206 responsible for each unit of risk communicates
`within the insuring entity 208 or its designee (by “designee“ is meantsomeone acting for the insurer, such as a dedicated
`data collection agent, data handler or equipment vendor 210 and/or a value added service provider 212.) The data
`handler can be a third party entity verifying that the operating equipment of the system is in proper working order, and
`as such, will usually be a subcontractor to the insurer. A value added service provider is another third party entity, such
`as a directional assistance service, or telephone service provider, also apart from the insurer, whose communications
`with the units of risk may be important or useable to the insurance computation algorithms.
`[0054] Another important feature of FIG. 2 is that the insured 206 may not only communicate with the insurer 208
`through the communications link 418 (FIG. 4), but also through an Internet 218 communications path. Such commu-
`nication will occur through a Webserver 220 and the insurer‘s Web site so that an insured 206 may get on—line with the
`insurer 208 to observe and verify recorded data, claims processing, rating and billing 222, as well as acquire improved
`insurance cost estimations, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.
`[0055] With particular reference to FIG. 5, a more detailed description of system use of data acquired from the unit
`of risk is explained with particular attention to advantageous Internet communications. The unit of risk 200 is primarily
`concerned with transferring three classes of data between it and the insurer. The event data 500 and stored sensor
`data 502 have been discussed with reference to FIG. 1. Data process logic 504 is particular processing logic that can
`be transferred from the insurer to the unit of risk that is adapted for acquiring data especially important for assessing
`
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`EP1 160 707 A1
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`the particular unit's insurance costs. For example, if a particular unit has a special need for providing information about
`brake pedal application, special data process logic will be provided to that unit to store data related to this activity. On
`the other hand, for many other units such data may not be necessary and so the unit may operate with standard data
`process logic 204. The important feature of special data process logic 504 is that the data process logic 204 for a unit
`of risk can be regularly updated as either the insured, the insurer or events warrant. One easily foreseeable special
`data process logic would be related to breathalyser analysis.
`[0056] The process flowchart starting at Begin 506 more generally describes the communication activity between
`the insurer and the unit of risk. The insurer will acquire event data 508, sensor data 510, may update 512 the data
`process logic and then process 514 the raw data elements to generate either the calculated or derived data elements.
`All relevant data is stored 516 in a conventional data storage device 518. If the stored item is an event 524, then the
`insurer needs to cause some sort of response to the event. For example, if there is an airbag deployment, the insurer
`may actually try to communicate with the vehicle, and upon failure of communication, may initiate deployment of emer-
`gency medical or police service. If this specific event processing and/or alerts 526 occurs, the system may have to
`initiate a charge per use event. For instance, charges can also include immediate response claims, EMS contact
`charges or police dispatch charges. The data or events which are stored in stored device 518 are accessed by a billing
`algorithm 530 to generate a cost for the unit of risk in consideration of all the relevant data and events occurring in that
`period. It is a special feature of the subject invention that the cost of insurance is based upon the real time data occurring
`contemporaneously with the billing so that the system provides an insurance use cost, as opposed to an estimation
`based upon historical data. After a relevant cost is computed, periodic bills are produced and typically mailed to a
`customer as an account statement 534.
`[0057] Another important feature of the subject invention illustrated in FIG. 5 is that the insurer provides a Webserver
`220 to allow a customer to access via Internet 218 communication, the relevant sensor data and event data associated
`with the customer.
`
`Two different types of on-line services interfaces are illustrated; a prospective on-line services interface 550,
`[0058]
`or an interface 552 for reporting acquired data. The data reports through the acquired service interface may comprise
`all of the stored event and sensor data, along with enhanced processing maps showing travel routes during the billing
`period, or even a map showing current location of the unit of risk. By Geofencing is meant to identify when the unit
`travels outside of a certain geographical area. It is even possible to determine whether automobile maintenance service
`is appropriate by diagnostic analysis of the sensor and event data.
`[0059] The prospective interface relates to "what if“ gaming where a customer can project certain usages of the unit
`of risk, and the system can, in combination with similar occurring usage in the pastor, based upon the overall customer
`profile or matrix, project a estimated cost for such usage. In effect, a user can determine in advance what particular
`usage of the unit will incur as insurance cost with a very reliable associated insurance estimate.
`[0060]
`Lastly, enhanced on-line accountstatements 554 can also be communicated on-line wherein maps with usage,
`or service usage details can be provided as a more detailed explanation of the resulting costs of an account statement.
`[0061] With particular reference to FIG. 6, the subject invention is particularly useful for generating improved rating
`algorithms due to the improved acquisition and amount of relative data for assessing insurance costs for a unit of risk.
`In the manner as discussed above, the database 518 has the benefit of the data from a plurality of customers 206. An
`insurer can over time use the accumulated undenlvriting and rating information from individual customers 520 to develop
`improved rating algorithms 522. Such improved algorithms can be regularly communicated to the units of risk 200 for
`improved insurance cost computation accuracies. The improved rating algorithms can be communicated 524 to the
`units of risk on-board computer 300 (FIG. 4).
`[0062] The subject invention is also applicable as a process for collecting data to be used for the following non-
`insurance related purposes: advertising and marketing, site selection, transportation services, land use planning, de-
`termining road design, surface or composition, traffic planning and design, and road conditions.
`[0063] The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously modifications and
`alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. The present invention is intended
`to include all such modifications and alterations in so far as they come within the scope of the appended claims or
`equivalents thereof.
`
`Claims
`
`1. A method of communicating a cost of insuring a unit of risk and corresponding operating characteristics for the
`unit monitored for a selected period, comprising steps of:
`
`providing a Web site system for communicating data between an insurer and an insured relative to the unit of
`risk;
`
`10
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`15
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`20
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`EP1 160 707 A1
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`monitoring the operating characteristics during the selected period;
`deciding the cost of insuring for the period based upon the operating characteristics monitored in that period;
`and
`
`selectively communicating the monitored operating characteristics and decided cost to the insured through
`the Web site system.
`
`The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selected period comprises a real time period for operating the unit
`of risk.
`
`The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the selected period comprises a prospective period for operating the
`unit of risk, the operating characteristics comprise estimated operating characteristics suggested by the insured,
`and the decided cost of insuring comprises an estimated cost for the estimated operating characteristics.
`
`The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the estimated operating characteristics selectively comprise a destina-
`tion, a travel route, a time of travel or an operator identity for the unit of risk.
`
`The method as defined in claim 1 further including generating an operating profile for the unit of risk from the
`monitored operating characteristics.
`
`The method as defined in claim 5 further including identifying an operator as the unit of risk.
`
`The method as defined in claim 5 further including identifying an equipment item as the unit of risk.
`
`The method as defined in claim 1 further including providing selectively available value added services including
`telephone services, positioning services and diagnostic services to the unit of risk or operator.
`
`The method as defined in claim 8 further including considering the value added services for the deciding of the
`cost of insurance.
`
`A system for Internet on-line communicating between an insurer and insured, of detected operating characteristics
`of a unit of risk for a selected period, and a cost of insuring the unit for the selected period, as decided by the
`insurer in consideration of the detected operating characteristics, the system comprising:
`
`a Web site system for selectively communicating the operating characteristics and the cost from the insurer
`to the insured;
`a monitoring system for monitoring the operating characteristics;
`a storage system for storing the operating characteristics, the storage system being accessible to the Web
`site system; and,
`a processing system for deciding the cost of insuring the unit for the period based upon the monitored operating
`characteristics, the processing system being accessible to the Web site system.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 wherein the selected period comprises a real time period for operating the unit
`of risk.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 wherein the selected period comprises a prospective period for operating the
`unit of risk, the operating characteristics comprise estimated operating characteristics suggested by the insured,
`and the decided cost of insuring comprises an estimated cost for the estimated operating characteristics.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 wherein the unit of risk comprises an operator.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 wherein the unit of risk comprises an equipment item.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 including an on-line service interface providing an item from a group comprising
`usage projection estimates, maps, geofencing and automobile service diagnostics.
`
`The system as defined in claim 10 including an on-line account statement interface providing cost information for
`the unit of risk and further selectively providing maps indicating unit usage, and service usage detail of the unit of
`risk.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
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`30
`
`10.
`
`35
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`40
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`11.
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`45
`
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`
`50
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`55
`
`13.
`
`14.
`
`15.
`
`16.
`
`12
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`Page 001270
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`

`
`17. The system as defined in claim 10 including a user identification system for authenticating an operator of the unit
`of risk and wherein the identification of the user corresponds to an associated insurance rating for the user.
`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`10
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`15
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`20
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`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`100
`
`102
`
`TRIGGER
`EVENT
`
`
`
`
`
`
`CONTACT
`CENTRAL
`CONTROL
`?
`
`
`
`104
`
`TRIGGER
`EVENT
`PROCESSING
`
`
`CONTACT
`CLAIMS
`DISPATCH
`7
`
`CONTACT
`CONTACT
`CENTRAL
`CLAIMS
`CONTROL
`DISPATCH
`
`
`CLAIMS
`CENTRAL
`DISPATCH
`CONTROL
`TAKES
`TAKES
`APPROPRIATE
`APPROPRIATE
`ACTION
`ACTION
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`RECORD
`CLAIMS
`DISPATCH
`
`ACTION
`
`INFORMATION
`
`
`
`
`
`
` RECORD
`DATA
`
`
`TRIGGER
`EVENT
`DATA
`
`
`
`‘I30
`
`14
`
`Page 001272
`
`RECORD
`CENTRAL
`CONTROL
`ACTION
`INFORMATION
`
`
`
`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`
`
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`Page 001273
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`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`16
`
`Page 001274
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`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`416
`
` OPERATIONS
`
`
`
`VCENTER.
`
`CONTROL
`
`418
`
`
`
`
`
`COMMUNICATIONS LINK (INCLUDING,
`BUT NOT LIMITED TO CELLULAR OR
`SATELLITE TRANSMISSION, MAGNETIC
`OR OPTICAL MEDIA, RADIO FREQUENCY
`OR OTHER TECHNOLOGY)
`
`
`
`300
`
`ON-BOARD DATA LOGGING
`AND/OR COMMUNICATION
`DEVICE
`
`
`SENSORS
`
`DRIVER INPUT
`CONSOLE
`
`ADDITIONAL
`
`414
`
`422
`
`
`SUBSYSTEM
`
`
`
`VEHICLE
`DATABUS
`
`
`AND / OR
`
`
`SENSORS
`
`
`NAVIGATION
`
`412
`
`420
`
`POSITIONING
`
`
`DEVICE (INCLUDING,
`
`
`BUT NOT LIMITED TO GPS,
`RADKDFREQUENCY
`
`
`
`
`
`TAGS, OR OTHER
`TECHNOLOGY)
`
`
`
`17
`
`Page 001275
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`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
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`18
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`Page 001276
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`
`
`
`
`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`INFORMATION
`
`EXTERNAL
`DATABASE WITH
`CUSTOMER
`
`COLLECT UNDERWRITING
`AND RATING INFORMATION
`FROM CUSTOMER AND
`EXTERNAL SOURCES,
`FOR EXAMPLE: AGE,
`SEX, DRIVING RECORD,
`TYPE OF TELEMATIC
`UNIT, ETC.
`
`CUSTOMERS
`
`206
`
`200
`
`BASED ON THE
`
`COLLECTED INFORMATION,
`DEVELOP AND RECORD
`THE RATING ALGORITHM
`
`
`UNIT OF RISK
`524
`DOWNLOAD RATING
`
`
`ALGORITHM TO
`ON—BOARD DATA
`LOGGING AND /OR
`COMMUNICATION
`DEVICE
`
`
`
`TO DATA
`LOGGING AND
`COMMUNICATION
`
`
`
`FIG. 6
`
`19
`
`Page 001277
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`

`
`EP1 160 707 A1
`
`European Patent
`Oifice
`
`DECLARAWON
`
`Application Number
`
`which under Rule 45 of the European Patent Convention Ep 91 39 3591
`shall be considered‘, for the purposes of subsequent
`proceedings, as the European search report
`
`The Search Division considers that the present application, does not comply with the provisions
`of the EPC to such an extent that it is not possible to carry out a meaningful Search into the
`state or the art on the basis of all claims
`Reason:
`
`CLASSIFICAHON OF THE
`APPLICATION (|n1.Cl.T)
`
`. G06F17/60
`
`The claims relate to subject matter
`excluded from patentability under Art.
`52(2) and (3) EPC. Given that the claims
`are formulated in terms of such subject
`matter or merely specify commonplace
`features relating to its technological
`implementation,
`the search examiner could
`not establish any technical problem which
`might potentially have required an
`inventive step to overcome. Hence it was
`not possible to carry out a meaningful
`search into the state of the art (Rule 45
`EPC). fez also Guidelines Part B Chapter
`VIII,
`—
`.
`
`The applicant's attention is drawn to the
`fact that a search may be carried out
`during examination following a declaration
`of no search under Rule 45 EPC, should the
`problems which led to the declaration
`being issued be overcome (see EPC
`Guideline C-VI, 8.5).
`
`
`
`EPOFOHM1504(P0403?) I
`
`W» Place ofsearch V
`
`'
`
`Dale
`
`THE HAGUl_-ZN”
`
`12 .9§t.9i?"r1" 3991 .
`
`Examrnerml
`
`‘
`
`W
`
`Suendermann,
`
`R
`
`20
`
`Page 001278
`
`

`
`‘OJ
`
`Europaisches Patentamt
`
`European Patent Office
`
`Office européen des brevets
`
`(11)
`
`EP1 241 599 A1
`
`EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
`
`(19)
`
`(12)
`
`(43) Date of publication:
`18.09.2002 Bulletin 2002/38
`
`(51)
`
`|ntC|.7: G06F 17/60
`
`(21) Application number: 01106090.2
`
`(22) Date of filing: 13.03.2001
`
`
`(84) Designated Contracting States:
`AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU
`MC NL PT SE TR
`
`(71) Applicant: NetFormFive lnformationstechnologie
`GmbH
`68165 Mannheim (DE)
`
`Designated Extension States:
`AL LT LV MK RO SI
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor: Ebrahim, Peter Agha
`68165 Mannheim (DE)
`
`(54)
`
`An apparatus for monitoring a plurality of real-time insurance contracts
`
`The present invention provides an apparatus
`(57)
`for monitoring a real-time insurance contract whereby
`said real-time insurance contract has at least two active
`
`statuses. The apparatus comprises
`
`-
`-
`-
`
`-
`
`a data processing member
`a data storage member
`an information receiving memberfor receiving infor-
`mation relating to a change of risk covered by said
`insurance contract
`an insurance contract status assessment member
`
`capable of reassessing the status of said insurance
`contracts based on information comprising informa-
`tion received by said information receiving member
`and information stored in said data storage mem-
`ber.
`
`EP1241599A1
`
`Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)
`
`Page 001279
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`

`
`1
`
`EP 1 241 599 A1
`
`2
`
`Description
`
`Field of the invention
`
`[0001] The present invention relates to apparatus for
`monitoring insurance contracts.
`
`Background
`
`Insurance contracts have become an integral
`[0002]
`part of daily lives and are one of the basic foundations
`of our social security system. They allow individual risks
`such as the risk of a car accident to be carried collec-
`tively by the group insurance holders. The financial loss
`in case of e.g. a car damage can therefore be paid by
`regular small monthly payments instead of one large
`sum at the time of damage.
`[0003] Conventional
`insurance contracts generally
`have two statuses, they are either on or off.
`In other
`words, it is the underlying assumption of such a contract
`that the transferred risk is an averaged risk . According-
`ly, the respective insurance fee also has to be an aver-
`aged insurance fee.
`[0004]
`In real life, the situation is ofcourse much more
`complex. The risk, when for example driving a car,
`is
`constantly changing. The weather can be either good or
`bad. Driving in acrowded city is much riskierthan driving
`on a highway in rural countryside. When the car is
`parked, the risk drops to almost zero.
`[0005] Hence, there is a desire to provide insurance
`contracts that dynamically adjust to the riskthat current-
`Iy needs to be covered, to provide a so-called real-time
`insurance contract. Such insurance contracts inherently
`have the advantage thatthe insurance fees are adjusted
`simultaneously so that the insurance holders only have
`to cover the insurance fees for the actually transferred
`risks. The insurance agreements could also be tailored
`much more to the holders‘ needs.
`[0006]
`From a logistics point of view, real-time insur-
`ance contracts are much more difficult to administrate
`
`and to monitor. Not only all the changes of the status
`have to be recorded, it is also desirable that the insur-
`ance holder receives almost immediate notice a change
`in the transferred risk and the associated fee rate.
`
`[0007] Currently, standard computer based appara-
`tuses are used to administrate and monitor insurance
`contracts. These apparatuses are only capable of han-
`dling conventional two status insurance contracts. They
`can only store the information entered by the insurance
`administrator and are limited to storing the day of
`change of off to on and from on to off.
`[0008]
`It is therefore an object of the present invention
`to provide an apparatus for monitoring real-time insur-
`ance contracts which overcomes the disadvantages of
`the prior apparatuses for monitoring insurance con-
`tracts.
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`Summary of the invention
`
`[0009] The present invention provides an apparatus
`for monitoring a real-time insurance contract whereby
`said real-time insurance contract has at least two active
`statuses. The apparatus comprises
`
`-
`-
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`a data processing member
`a data storage member for storing
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`insurance contract data, said insurance con-
`tract data comprising insurance contract status
`data for each of the statuses of said insurance
`contract
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`the currently transferred risk covered by said
`insurance contract,
`the current insurance fee rate due in respect of
`said insurance contract
`
`the times of the change of the status of said in-
`surance contract
`
`the amount of fees due in respect of said insur-
`ance contract
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`-
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`-
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`an information receiving memberfor receiving infor-
`mation relating to a change of risk covered by said
`insurance contract
`an insurance contract status assessment member
`
`capable of reassessing the status of said insurance
`contracts based on information comprising informa-
`tion received by said information receiving member
`and information stored in said data storage member
`
`Detailed Description
`
`[0010] The present invention provides an apparatus
`for monitoring rea|—time insurance contract.
`[0011] The term "insurance contract" as used herein
`encompasses all agreements between two parties
`whereby the first party is taking over a risk encountered
`by the second party and whereby the second party is
`paying an insurance fee in consideration of the transfer
`of riskto the first party. In most cases, an object causes
`the risk covered by the insurance contract. The object
`can be material (for example a car) or can be immaterial
`(for example health of a human being).
`[0012] The term “status“ of an insurance contract as
`used herein refers to each set of transferred risk and
`associated insurance fee rate. The two simplest status-
`es of an insurance contract are active and passive
`whereby active means a risk is transferred and the re-
`spective insurance fee is due and whereby passive
`means no risk in transferred and only nominal or admin-
`istrative fees are due if any.
`[0013] The term "real-time insurance contract" as
`used herein refers to insurance contracts having at least
`two active statuses. These active statuses differ in the
`risk transferred and generally also in the associated in-
`surance fee rate.
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`[0014] The apparatus for monitoring rea|—time insur-
`ance contracts of the present invention is typically based
`on a computer system such as those well known in the
`art. This computer system provides the data processing
`member and the data storage member of the apparatus
`of the present invention. The data storage member can
`be a temporary storage means such as a memory chip
`of the computer, but preferably is a permanent storage
`means such as a CD—FlOM, and yet more preferably is
`a re—writeable storage means such as a hard drive, a
`floppy drive, a re-writeable CD-ROM, an optical storage
`means, a magneto-optical storage means, and the like.
`The computer system of the apparatus of the present
`invention further provides data input such as a key-
`board, a voice recognition system, a scanner, and the
`like.
`It further provides data output means such as dis-
`plays, printers, and the like. Finally, the functionality of
`the computer system may be relied on for the function-
`ality of the other members of the apparatus of the
`present invention such as the information receiving sys-
`tem, insurance contract status assessment member.
`[0015] The apparatus of the present invention and in
`particular the computer system is capable of storing da-
`ta necessary to administrate and monitor an insurance
`contract and preferably a plurality of insurance con-
`tracts. These data for example comprise insurance con-
`tract data such as contract status data for each of the
`
`statuses of the insurance contract, the currently trans-
`ferred risk covered by the insurance contract, the cur-
`rent insurance fee rate due, the times of the change of
`the status of the insurance contract, the sum of fees due
`in respect of said insurance contract, personal informa-
`tion about the insurance holder, and the like.
`[0016] The apparatus of the present invention further
`comprises an information receiving member for receiv-
`ing information relating to a change of risk covered by
`said insurance contract. The information can be re-
`ceived from the insurance administrator, from the insur-
`ance holder, or from one or more external information
`gathering devices or any combination thereof.
`[0017] Where the information is received from the in-
`surance administrator or the insurance holder, the infor-
`mation receiving member may be designed so that the
`transfer of information to the apparatus of the present
`invention is triggered by the insurance administrator or
`by the insurance holder respectively. Such an apparatus
`offers the possibility for the insurance holder to instan-
`taneously change the status of the insurance contract.
`[0018] Where information is received from an external
`information gathering device, this device may gather en-
`vironmental information relating to the object of the in-
`surance contract such as time of the day, time of the
`year, weather information, street conditions, and the
`like. This device may also measure internal information
`relating to the object of the insurance contract such as
`the current mode of usage, the position of object, speed
`and acceleration of the object, and the like. The device
`may measure any combination of environmental infor-
`
`mation data and internal information data. Such an ap-
`paratus offers the possibility to adjust the status of the
`insurance contract in dependence of additional, current
`information about the object of the insurance contract.
`Sensors for detecting such data are well known in the
`art and generally are considered suitable for the present
`invention. The apparatus of the present invention may
`be designed such that the apparatus requests gathering
`of information for example on a regular time basis, such
`thatthe external information gathering device independ-
`ently initiates the transfer of information for example trig-
`gered by a change of condition picked up by the sensor,
`or such that the external device independently gathers
`information (e.g. continuously or in regular time inter-
`vals), stores it, and later transmits the information to the
`information receiving means of the apparatus of the
`present invention.
`[0019]
`In most cases, namely when the source of in-
`formation is not co—located with the information receiv-
`
`ing member, the information receiving member would
`be connected to the insurance administrator, to the in-
`surance holder, or to the external information gathering
`device respectively by an information transfer system
`such as those well known in the art. Preferably, the in-
`formation transfer system is capable of quickly transmit-
`ting information yet more preferably substantially imme-
`diately transmitting information. Suitable information
`transfer systems include but are not limited to phones,
`wireless phones, computer networks such as the Inter-
`net, satellite communication systems, and the like. Such
`an apparatus allows the status of the insurance contract
`to be adjusted virtually without any restrictions as to the
`current position of the insurance holder or the object of
`the insurance respectively.
`[0020] The information receiving member may rely for
`its functionality on at least a part of the computer system
`of the apparatus of the present invention. A set of in-
`structions to be carried out by the data processing mem-
`ber and stored on the data storage member may be the
`basis to provide the functionality of the information re-
`ceiving member of the present invention. Alternatively,
`the information receiving member may be separate from
`the computer system of the apparatus of the present in-
`vention.
`
`[0021] The apparatus of the present invention further
`comprises a insurance contract status assessment
`member. This member is capable of determining a
`change in the insurance contract status based on its in-
`put, namely the information received by the information
`receiving member. The member is capable of interpret-
`ing the input information received by the information re-
`ceiving member and in particularso where the informa-
`tion is received from a external information gathering de-
`vice. As used herein, the term "interpreting" means the
`received information is put in relation with the various
`possible statuses of the insurance contract such as by
`comparing received numerical data with ranges provid-
`ed by the insurance contract status assessment mem-
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`ber. The latter numerical ranges may be part of the in-
`surance contract data stored on the data storage mem-
`ber. The output of the insurance contract status assess-
`ment memberof the present invention is the currentsta-
`tus of the insurance contract after taking into consider-
`ation the received information. Preferably, this output is
`subsequently stored in that data storage member.
`[0022] The insurance contract status assessment
`member may rely for its functionality on at least a part
`of the computer system of the apparatus of the present
`invention. A set of instructions to be carried out by the
`data processing member and stored on the data storage
`member may be the basis to provide the functionality of
`the insurance contract status assessment member of
`
`the present invention. Alternatively, the in