Patent Issued for Virtual simulation for insurance (USPTO 11195233): Allstate Insurance Company

2021 DEC 29 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Carbery, Andrew L. (Bartlett, IL, US), Gee, Brennan (Roanoke, VA, US), Ismaili, Alinawaz (Skokie, IL, US), Koza, Daniel (Hinsdale, IL, US), Lowry, Francis (Clogher, IE), Owens, Theresa A. (Chicago, IL, US), Plachta, Christopher G. (Glenview, IL, US), Ramirez, Philip Peter (Arlington Heights, IL, US), filed on January 23, 2015, was published online on December 7, 2021, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11195233 is assigned to Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Selecting an appropriate level of insurance is a challenge for most insurance customers. It can be difficult to gauge what kinds of liability coverage, deductible levels, and other options a particular user may wish to have, and many users end up selecting coverage that is either too much coverage or not enough coverage. There remains an ever-present need to help insurance customers make better-informed decisions when selecting their insurance.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In light of the foregoing background, the following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the features described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of all of the features described herein. The following summary merely presents some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

“In some embodiments, a user may undertake a driving simulator on a computing device, and when a simulated accident occurs, the computing device may evaluate the estimated damages from the simulated accident. The computing device may then calculate a plurality of liability estimates for the user corresponding to different insurance coverage options, indicating how much the user would have paid for the simulated accident had the user purchased the different insurance coverage options, and present these liability estimates to the user. The user may then use these liability estimates to determine a level of coverage to select, and the computing device may initiate the establishment of insurance coverage for the user under the selected insurance options. The driving simulator may also offer the user the option of viewing a simulated accident from the perspective of another driver involved in the accident, or from a different viewing angle such as the driver’s passenger, or a point of view outside of the simulated automobile, such as overhead, behind, etc.

“In some embodiments, the driving simulator need not result in a simulated accident. The computing device may simply observe the user’s driving habits, and use those habits to determine an insurance premium rate, or level of risk and driving skill, for the user. The computing device may then offer the user a plurality of insurance coverage options with corresponding premium rates based on the user’s evaluated level of risk and driving skill. In some embodiments, the mere fact that the user subjected himself/herself to the driving simulator may earn the user a premium discount on insurance coverage.

“In some embodiments, the driving simulator may present the user with a variety of driving impairments to test the user’s ability to handle driving under adverse conditions.

“In some alternative embodiments, the computing device may offer simulations for activities other than driving. For example, a home simulation may be performed to observe and/or simulate a user’s home living conditions, and to assess the user’s risk for home accidents or crimes that would be covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy. The computing device may then offer the user a plurality of homeowner’s insurance coverage options, with information identifying different liability estimates under the different options.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A driving simulation system, comprising: a plurality of input/output devices, wherein the plurality of input/output devices comprise: a steering controller; an acceleration input device; a deceleration input device; and a head-wearable, virtual-reality display device; and a first computing device, wherein the first computing device comprises: an input/output module communicatively coupled to the plurality of input/output devices; at least one first processor communicatively coupled to the input/output module; and a first memory storing first computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the first computing device to: determine a type of driving simulation experience to generate; generate, based on the determined type of driving simulation experience, a simulation of a driving environment including a virtual vehicle; send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device for display the simulated driving environment; receive, via the input/output module and from at least one of the plurality of input/output devices, indications of user interactions controlling virtual driving of the virtual vehicle in the simulated driving environment; generate, based on the indications of the user interactions, a simulation of an accident involving the virtual vehicle in the simulated driving environment; send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device, the simulation of the accident for display in the simulated driving environment; calculate a cost estimate of damages associated with the simulated accident; receive, from a second computing device configured to determine a plurality of liability estimates based on the calculated cost estimate of the damages, the plurality of liability estimates for the damages, wherein the plurality of liability estimates correspond to coverage under a plurality of insurance policy options; and send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device for display, the plurality of liability estimates.

“2. The driving simulation system of claim 1, further comprising: the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is located remotely from the first computing device, and wherein the second computing device comprises: at least one second processor; and a second memory storing second computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one second processor, cause the second computing device to: receive, from the first computing device, information relating to the simulated accident and the calculated cost estimate of the damages; select, based on the information relating to the simulated accident and the calculated cost estimate of the damages, the plurality of insurance policy options; and determine the plurality of liability estimates using the plurality of insurance policy options.

“3. The driving simulation system of claim 2, wherein the first computing device further comprises: a wireless network interface configured to communicate wirelessly with the second computing device to receive and transmit information relating to the simulated accident and the calculated cost estimate of the damages.

“4. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device further comprises a wireless network interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone of a user interacting with the simulated driving environment, and wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the first computing device to: transmit, via the wireless network interface and to the smartphone, the plurality of liability estimates and instructions for the smartphone to display, on a display of the smartphone, the plurality of liability estimates.

“5. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the first computing device to: generate a simulation of a driver distraction in the simulated driving environment; and output the simulated driver distraction.

“6. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input/output devices further comprise a second head-wearable virtual-reality display, and wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the first computing device to send, via the input/output module and to the second head-wearable, virtual-reality display for display, the simulated driving environment from a perspective of a passenger of the virtual vehicle.

“7. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device further comprises a wireless network interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone of a user interacting with the simulated driving environment, and wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the first computing device to transmit, via the wireless network interface and to the smartphone, information identifying a discount to be awarded to the user in response to the user using the driving simulation system and instructions for the smartphone to display, on a display of the smartphone, the information identifying the discount to be awarded to the user.

“8. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the first computing device further comprises a wireless network interface configured to communicate wirelessly with a smartphone of a user interacting with the simulated driving environment, and wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the at least one first processor, further cause the first computing device to transmit, via the wireless network interface and to the smartphone, information identifying premiums corresponding to the coverage under the plurality of insurance policy options and instructions for the smartphone to display, on a display of the smartphone, the information identifying the premiums corresponding to the coverage under the plurality of insurance policy options.

“9. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the driving simulation system comprises a kiosk.

“10. The driving simulation system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input/output devices further comprise a dashboard interface device, and wherein the dashboard interface device is configured to: display a simulated automobile dashboard, and receive, from the displayed simulated automobile dashboard, indications of user inputs controlling simulated dashboard operation of the virtual vehicle.

“11. A driving simulation system, comprising: a plurality of input devices, wherein the plurality of input devices comprises: a steering controller; an acceleration input device; and a deceleration input device; a head-wearable, virtual-reality display device; and a first computing device, wherein the first computing device comprises: an input/output module communicatively coupled to the plurality of input devices and the head-wearable, virtual-reality display; at least one first processor communicatively coupled to the input/output module; and a first memory storing first computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one first processor, cause the first computing device to: send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device for display, a simulation of a driving environment, including a first virtual vehicle and a second virtual vehicle; receive, via the input/output module and from at least one of the plurality of input devices, indications of user interactions controlling virtual driving of the first virtual vehicle in the simulated driving environment; generate, based on the indications of the user interactions, a simulation of a virtual vehicle accident between the first virtual vehicle and the second virtual vehicle, in the simulated driving environment, from a point of view of a driver of the first virtual vehicle; send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device, the simulation of the virtual vehicle accident from the point of view of the driver of the first virtual vehicle for display in the simulated driving environment; after receiving, via the input/output module and from the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device, an indication that the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device has displayed the simulation of the virtual vehicle accident from the point of view of the driver of the first virtual vehicle, generate, based on the indications of the user interactions, a simulation of the virtual vehicle accident between the first virtual vehicle and the second virtual vehicle, in the simulated driving environment, from a point of view of a driver of the second virtual vehicle; send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device, the simulation of the virtual vehicle accident from the point of view of the driver of the second virtual vehicle for display in the simulated driving environment; determine damage liability estimates, associated with the simulated virtual vehicle accident, under multiple different insurance options; and send, via the input/output module and to the head-wearable, virtual-reality display device for display, the damage liability estimates under multiple different insurance options.”

There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.

URL and more information on this patent, see: Carbery, Andrew L. Virtual simulation for insurance. U.S. Patent Number 11195233, filed January 23, 2015, and published online on December 7, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11195233.PN.&OS=PN/11195233RS=PN/11195233

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