IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,949,926
Granted Patent B1
US 10,949,926 · App. 15/955,213 · Granted Mar 16, 2021

Fault determination of blockchain subrogation claims

Inventors: Shawn M. Call (Bloomington, IL); Jaime Skaggs (Chenoa, IL); Eric Bellas (Bloomington, IL); Douglas A. Graff (Mountain View, MO); William J. Leise (Normal, IL); Vicki King (Bloomington, IL); Jacob J. Alt (Downs, IL); Eric R. Moore (Heyworth, IL); Stacie A. McCullough (Bloomington, IL)
Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
G06Q40/08G06Q20/0655
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,949,926
App. No.
15/955,213
Filed
Apr 17, 2018
Granted
Mar 16, 2021
Kind
B1
Art Unit
3691
USPC
705/4
Abstract

A shared ledger operated by a group of network participants according to a set of consensus rules manages and resolves subrogation claims between a clamant and a defendant with arbitration. Evidence regarding the value of the subrogation claim is sent to the shared ledger by the parties to the subrogation claim such as sending data to a smart contract deployed on the shared ledger. The parties to the subrogation claim or entities that are not parties to the subrogation claim may broadcast data relating to fault to the blockchain. The data relating to fault may be evaluated by the parties or entities acting on the parties' behalf to determine fault. A fault determination may be broadcast to the blockchain based upon the analysis of the data relating to fault. Once the claim is resolved, arbitrator may release funds on the chain to the prevailing party or may accept confirmation that any payments have been made between the parties off-chain.

Claims (42)

1. A computer-implemented method of settling a subrogation claim by a shared ledger, the method comprising, via one or more processors, servers, and/or associated transceivers:

paying a claim to an insured for an insured loss;

generating a subrogation claim;

deploying the subrogation claim to a shared ledger maintained by a plurality of participants in a shared ledger network according to a set of consensus rules, the subrogation claim identifying a subrogation defendant;

broadcasting an update to the subrogation claim deployed to the shared ledger, the update including data relating to fault in the subrogation claim, the data including one or more of:

biometric data collected from a driver of a vehicle and transmitted from the vehicle to the shared ledger, or data from vehicles not involved in a crash giving rise at least in part to the subrogation claim and transmitted from the vehicles to the shared ledger, wherein the update further includes a proof-of-identity to cryptographically prove that the update is originated by a participating entity, and wherein the update is appended to the shared ledger in response to the plurality of participants in the share ledger network determining that the update satisfies the set of consensus rules; and

receiving a subrogation claim settlement payment upon resolution of the subrogation claim, wherein the subrogation claim is closed upon receipt of the subrogation claim settlement payment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim includes telematics data from one or more vehicles involved in a crash, the crash being at least one basis for the subrogation claim.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim includes data from one or more devices having a sensor, the devices not being located on a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving data relating to fault in the subrogation claim by inspecting contents of a block in the shared ledger;

determining whether the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim weighs in favor of fault of a party to the subrogation claim; and

broadcasting another update to the shared ledger, the another update including results of the determining operation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining operation includes determining whether a vehicle violated one or more road laws.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining operation includes determining whether a driver of a vehicle was under the influence of an intoxicant.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determining operation includes determining whether a driver of a vehicle did not focus attention on road conditions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subrogation claim is an electronic subrogation claim.

9. A validating network node on a shared ledger network comprising:

a transceiver configured to exchange shared ledger data with peer network nodes, the shared ledger data including subrogation claim transactions, the subrogation claim transactions including data relating to fault in the subrogation claim in a subrogation dispute, the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim including one or more of: biometric data collected from a driver of a vehicle and transmitted from the vehicle to the shared ledger, or data from vehicles not involved in a crash giving rise at least in part to the subrogation claim and transmitted from the vehicles to the ledger, wherein the subrogation claim transactions further include a proof-of-identity to cryptographically prove that a subrogation claim transaction is originated by a participating entity;

a storage media configured to store a copy of the shared ledger; and

a transaction validator configured to apply a set of consensus rules to shared ledger data received from the peer network nodes, the transaction validator being further configured to append shared ledger data received from peer nodes to the copy of the shared ledger if the shared ledger data satisfies the consensus rules.

10. The validating network node of claim 9 , wherein data relating to fault in the subrogation claim includes data broadcast to the shared ledger by an entity not party to the subrogation claim.

11. The validating network node of claim 9 , wherein data relating to fault in the subrogation claim includes forensic data of a vehicle prior to a crash.

12. The validating network node of claim 9 , wherein the subrogation claim transactions include a determination of fault in the subrogation dispute.

13. The validating network node of claim 12 , wherein determination of fault includes a judgment of liability.

14. The validating network node of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the subrogation claim transactions includes a request for collection services on a judgment.

15. A computer-implemented method of settling a subrogation claim by a shared ledger, the method comprising, via one or more processors, servers, and/or associated transceivers:

monitoring a blockchain maintained by a plurality of participants in a blockchain network according to a set of consensus rules for an indication of a subrogation claim, the subrogation claim a) identifying a subrogation claimant, b) including evidence regarding an insured loss and a proof-of-identity to cryptographically prove that the evidence of the insured loss is originated by a participating entity, and c) including data relating to fault in the subrogation claim, the data including one or more of: biometric data collected from a driver of a vehicle and transmitted from the vehicle to the shared ledger, or data from vehicles not involved in a crash giving rise at least in part to the subrogation claim and transmitted from the vehicles to the shared ledger;

determining a party at fault in the subrogation claim based at least in part on the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim;

broadcasting to the blockchain network an indication of liability of the party determined to be at fault in the determining operation; and

remitting a payment to the subrogation claimant in settlement of the subrogation claim wherein the subrogation claim is closed after the payment is remitted.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining operation includes determining a fractional amount of damages liability.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the data relating to fault in the subrogation claim includes at least one of:

data broadcast to the blockchain by a party to the subrogation claim;

data broadcast to the blockchain by an entity not a party to the subrogation claim; and/or

a request for analysis by an entity not a party to the subrogation claim.

18. A computer-implemented method of settling a subrogation claim by a shared ledger, the method comprising, via one or more processors, servers, and/or associated transceivers:

paying a claim to an insured for an insured loss;

generating a subrogation claim, the subrogation claim: a) identifying a subrogation defendant, b) including information regarding the insured loss, and c) including data relating to fault in the subrogation claim, the data including one or more of: biometric data collected from a driver of a vehicle and transmitted from the vehicle to the shared ledger, or data from vehicles not involved in a crash giving rise at least in part to the subrogation claim and transmitted from the vehicles to the shared ledger;

deploying the subrogation claim to a shared ledger maintained by a plurality of participants in a shared ledger network according to a set of consensus rules;

broadcasting an update to the subrogation claim deployed to the shared ledger, wherein the update includes a proof-of-identity to cryptographically prove that the update is originated by a participating entity, and wherein the update is appended to the shared ledger in response to the plurality of participants in the share ledger network determining that the update satisfies the set of consensus rules; and

receiving a subrogation claim settlement payment upon resolution of the subrogation claim, wherein the subrogation claim is closed after the receipt of the settlement payment.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER 15599213 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045609 FRAME 0074. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: SKAGGS, JAIME; CALL, SHAWN M.; BELLAS, ERIC; GRAFF, DOUGLAS A.; LEISE, WILLIAM J.; KING, VICKI; MCCULLOUGH, STACIE A.; ALT, JACOB J.; MOORE, ERIC R.
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 046933/0543 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2018
From: SKAGGS, JAIME; CALL, SHAWN M.; BELLAS, ERIC; GRAFF, DOUGLAS A.; LEISE, WILLIAM J.; KING, VICKI; MCCULLOUGH, STACIE A.; ALT, JACOB J.; MOORE, ERIC R.
To: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 045609/0074 →
Continuity (8)
Provisional Application 62584364 · Nov 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62584424 · Nov 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62584435 · Nov 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62555174 · Sep 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62555177 · Sep 7, 2017
Provisional Application 62555014 · Sep 6, 2017
Provisional Application 62555002 · Sep 6, 2017
Provisional Application 62510664 · May 24, 2017
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