IP Library › Patent Application 15899894
Patent Application
App. No. 15/899,894

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ANALYZING VEHICLE FINANCING VIA BLOCKCHAIN

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
15/899,894
Abstract

The present embodiments relate to systems and methods for using a blockchain that tracks vehicle lifecycles by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or other vehicle identifier to determine whether a vehicle is over or under financed. A mileage report and VIN is received and a transaction is broadcast to the blockchain tracking. An actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle is then determined using the mileage report and/or other information stored in the shared ledger including a loan payoff value, financing value, etc. regarding the vehicle and searchable according to VIN. It is then determined whether the vehicle is over-financed or under-financed by comparing to loan payoff value with the ACV.

Claims (50)

1 . A computer-implemented method of utilizing blockchain technology to determine whether a vehicle is over or under financed, the method comprising:

requesting, via one or more processors, that a vehicle adds a mileage report to a blockchain;

responsive to the request, receiving, via one or more processors, an update to the blockchain that includes the requested the mileage report and a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the mileage report and the VIN being associated with the vehicle;

accessing, via the one or more processors, the blockchain, wherein the blockchain is operated by nodes on a distributed network, the blockchain tracking a lifecycle of the vehicle by VIN;

estimating, via the one or more processors, an actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle based upon, at least in part, the mileage report;

retrieving, via the one or more processors, outstanding vehicle loan information, the outstanding vehicle loan information indicating a financing value of the vehicle;

determining, via the one or more processors, whether the vehicle is over-financed or under-financed, wherein the vehicle is over-financed when the financing value is greater than the ACV of the vehicle and the vehicle is under-financed when the financing value is less than the ACV of the vehicle.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprises:

generating, via the one or more processors, a refinancing loan offer for vehicle refinancing based upon an amount that the vehicle is over-financed or under-financed.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation that estimates ACV of the vehicle includes a reliance on indications of vehicle features of the vehicle stored on the blockchain.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation that updates the vehicle blockchain with the mileage report is an automatic operation performed by the vehicle and triggered by a vehicle event.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle event is a periodic event.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the operation that updates the vehicle blockchain with the mileage report includes a cryptographic proof-of-identity of an entity performing the updating operation.

7 . (canceled)

8 . A validating network node on a shared ledger system for handling a total loss based on over-financing or under-financing, the validating network node comprising:

a network interface configured to interface with one or more processors;

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions and configured to interface with the one or more processors; and

the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory and configured to:

receive a claim of a loss relating to a vehicle, the vehicle having a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN);

access a blockchain using the VIN as a search parameter to collect VIN lifecycle information relating to the vehicle;

access the blockchain using the VIN as a search parameter to collect financing information relating to the vehicle, the financing information indicating an financing value of the vehicle;

determine whether the vehicle satisfies an under-financing condition;

determine whether the vehicle is a total loss at least in part on the VIN lifecycle information relating to the vehicle; and

remit a payment to an owner of the vehicle if the vehicle satisfies the under-financing condition, the payment being the difference between the actual cash value and the financing value.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

transfer a vehicle title if the determining operation determines that the vehicle is a total loss.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

receive telematics data from the vehicle indicating the vehicle has been in a collision.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

receive telematics data from the vehicle indicating damage the vehicle has sustained in a collision.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

validate proof-of-identity information of one or more entities that have updated a state of the vehicle on the blockchain.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operation that determines whether the vehicle is a total loss includes determining an actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

request a mileage report to be taken and stored on the blockchain.

15 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

not transfer a vehicle title if the determining operation determines that the vehicle is not a total loss.

16 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors configured to interface with the memory are further configured to:

broadcast a transaction to nodes on a blockchain network reflecting the vehicle's status as a total loss.

17 . A method of providing vehicle refinancing based upon a blockchain, the method comprising:

requesting that a vehicle adds a mileage report to a blockchain;

responsive to the request, receiving an update to the blockchain that includes the requested mileage report and a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), the mileage report and the VIN being associated with the vehicle;

identifying a vehicle profile regarding the vehicle on the blockchain by the VIN, the vehicle profile including lifecycle information of the vehicle;

determining an estimated value of the vehicle based upon the lifecycle information of the vehicle;

retrieving a financing value of the vehicle from the lifecycle information of the vehicle;

determining whether the vehicle satisfies an under-financing condition based upon the financing value being less than the estimated value of the vehicle; and

generating a re-financing loan offer to an owner of the vehicle if the vehicle satisfies the under-financing condition.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein an amount of the re-financing loan offer equals the estimated value of the vehicle.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising broadcasting a transaction to a network of the blockchain, the transaction reflecting the generating operation.

20 . (canceled)

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2018
From: LEISE, WILLIAM J.; GRAFF, DOUGLAS A.; MCCULLOUGH, STACIE A.; CALL, SHAWN M.; BELLAS, ERIC; SKAGGS, JAMIE; ALT, JACOB J.; MOORE, ERIC R.; KING, VICKI
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 044980/0097 →