Method for using electronic metadata to verify insurance claims

1. A computer implemented method for processing a digital media file, the method comprising:

specifying, by a server, a physical token associated with a customer upon receiving a request, via network communications with a computing device, for the purchase or cancellation of an insurance policy associated with the customer;

receiving, at the server, (i) a digital photograph file from the computing device that is representative of an image of an insurance-related subject associated with the insurance policy, and (ii) an image of the physical token;

electronically extracting, by the server, metadata embedded in the digital photograph file to provide extracted metadata;

analyzing, by the server, the extracted metadata to determine that the digital photograph file has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution;

determining, by the server, a date that the digital photograph file was captured based upon the extracted metadata;

determining, by the server, whether the date when the digital photograph file was captured is within a predetermined date range;

performing, by the server, an automated image recognition process to determine whether the physical token is contained within the image of the insurance-related subject, wherein the automated image recognition process includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in the image of the insurance-related subject;

verifying, by the server, the digital photograph file when it is determined that (i) the digital photograph file was captured within the predetermined date range, and (ii) the physical token is contained within the image of the insurance-related subject; and

in response to the verification of the digital photograph file and the analysis of the extracted metadata, applying a discount or refund to an insurance policy in accordance with the received request for the purchase or cancellation of the insurance policy.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical token is a barcode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical token is a license plate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical token is an identification card.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical token is a state issued driver's license.

6. A computer implemented method of validating an insurance claim, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request to make an insurance claim via communications with a computing device for a loss associated with an insurance-related subject covered by an insurance policy;

specifying, by the server, a physical token that is required to appear in a digital photograph of the insurance-related subject when the insurance claim is received;

receiving, by the server, a digital photograph of the insurance-related subject from the computing device in association with the received insurance claim;

analyzing, by the server, embedded metadata of the digital photograph to determine that the digital photograph has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution; and

performing, by the server, an automated image recognition process on the digital photograph to verify that the physical token appears in the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject associated with the received insurance claim,

wherein the automated image recognition process includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject, and

wherein the verification of the digital photograph and the analysis of the embedded metadata are conditions that are satisfied prior to the server processing the insurance claim.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical token is a barcode.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical token is a license plate.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical token is a driver's license.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising examining the embedded metadata of the digital photograph to determine if the digital photograph was created following the provision of the specified physical token to the customer.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical token is provided to the customer via the internet.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the physical token is provided to the customer via mobile phone network.

13. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors for executing computer instructions, and

a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing the computer instructions thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request via communications with a computing device for the purchase or cancellation of an insurance policy associated with a customer;

receive a digital photograph file from the computing device including a date specified in metadata embedded in the digital photograph file;

extract the embedded metadata from the digital photograph file to provide extracted metadata;

analyze the extracted metadata of the digital photograph file to determine that the digital photograph file has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution;

determine the date when the digital photograph file was captured based upon the embedded metadata;

compare the date that the digital photograph file was captured to a predetermined date range;

perform an automated image recognition process that includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in an image included in the digital photograph file;

accept the digital photograph file if (i) the date that the digital photograph file was captured is within the predetermined range (ii) the image resolution exceeds the minimum resolution, and (iii) the presence of the physical token is detected in the image; and

in response to accepting the digital photograph file, apply a discount or refund, respectively, in accordance with the received request for the purchase or cancellation of the insurance policy associated with the customer.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the computer user is an insurance customer.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the computer user is an insurance agent.

16. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors for executing computer instructions, and;

a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing the computer instructions thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a request from communications with a computing device to make an insurance claim for a loss associated with an insurance-related subject covered by an insurance policy;

specify a physical token that is required to appear in a digital photograph of the insurance-related subject when the insurance claim is received;

receive a digital photograph of the insurance-related subject from the computing device in association with the received insurance claim;

analyze embedded metadata of the digital photograph to determine that the digital photograph has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution; and

perform an automated image recognition process to the digital photograph to verify the digital photograph by determining that the physical token appears in the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject associated with the received insurance claim,

wherein the automated image recognition process includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject, and

wherein the verification of the digital photograph and the analysis of the embedded metadata are conditions that are satisfied prior to the one or more computer processors processing the insurance claim.