|
Insurance Abstract
This invention seeks to provide an insurance contract support system,
which enables an insurance agent or solicitor to invite a customer
to take out an insurance policy and negotiate an insurance contract
at any time and any place, using a device making no requirement
for maintenance on the agent or solicitor. To attain the object
as described above, the insurance contract support system of the
invention comprises a management device 2 to which each of terminal
devices 3 are connected through a network 4. The management device
2 stores insurance-related information relevant to insurance sales
and acquires terminal discriminating information of the specified
or unspecified terminal device 3 being accessed thereto, so as to
allow any of the terminal devices accessed to the management device
to make effective use of the insurance-related information, consequently
to assist the routine clerical work for operating insurance contract.
Insurance Claims
1. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, and an application assist means for issuing
insurance-related information for making said management device
available to said terminal device of any type in accordance with
terminal discriminating information obtained by said terminal discriminating
information acquisition means.
2. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, an information compensation means for
compensating information to be given to said terminal device based
on said terminal discriminating information from said terminal discriminating
information acquisition means, and an application assist means for
issuing insurance-related information for making said management
device available to said terminal device of any type in accordance
with terminal discriminating information obtained by said terminal
discriminating information acquisition means.
3. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, a terminal discriminating database storing
said terminal discriminating information in correlation with displaying
ability of description language of said terminal device, an information
compensation means for compensating information to be given to said
terminal device by collating said terminal discriminating information
from said terminal discriminating information acquisition means
with said terminal discriminating information, and an application
assist means for issuing insurance-related information for making
said management device available to said terminal device of any
type in accordance with terminal discriminating information obtained
by said terminal discriminating information acquisition means.
4. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, an information compensation means for
compensating information to be given to said terminal device, an
application assist means for issuing insurance-related information
for making said management device available to said terminal device
of any type in accordance with terminal discriminating information
obtained by said terminal discriminating information acquisition
means, and a contract conclusion means for concluding an insurance
contract applied from said terminal device.
5. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, an information compensation means for
compensating information to be given to said terminal device based
on said terminal discriminating information from said terminal discriminating
information acquisition means, an application assist means for issuing
insurance-related information for making said management device
available to said terminal device of any type in accordance with
terminal discriminating information obtained by said terminal discriminating
information acquisition means, and a contract conclusion means for
concluding an insurance contract applied from said terminal device.
6. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said management
device including: an insurance-related information database storing
insurance-related information, a terminal discriminating information
acquisition means for gaining information to discriminate said terminal
device connected to said management device and specified or unspecified
by said management device, a terminal discriminating database storing
said terminal discriminating information in correlation with displaying
ability of description language of said terminal device, an information
compensation means for compensating information to be given to said
terminal device by collating said terminal discriminating information
from said terminal discriminating information acquisition means
with said terminal discriminating information, an application assist
means for issuing insurance-related information for making said
management device available to said terminal device of any type
in accordance with terminal discriminating information obtained
by said terminal discriminating information acquisition means, and
a contract conclusion means for concluding an insurance contract
applied from said terminal device.
7. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 1,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
8. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 7,
wherein a sphere to assist an operation required for insurance contract
is variable with said authentication level determined by the authentication
means.
9. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 7,
wherein said connection information contain agent authentication
information for distinguishing whether a user being accessed to
said management device is authenticated or not.
10. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 8,
wherein said connection information contain agent authentication
information for distinguishing whether a user being accessed to
said management device is authenticated or not.
11. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 7,
wherein said connection information contain terminal authentication
information for distinguishing whether said terminal device being
accessed to said management device is authenticated or not.
12. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 8,
wherein said connection information contain terminal authentication
information for distinguishing whether said terminal device being
accessed to said management device is authenticated or not.
13. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 9,
wherein said connection information contain terminal authentication
information for distinguishing whether said terminal device being
accessed to said management device is authenticated or not.
14. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 10,
wherein said connection information contain terminal authentication
information for distinguishing whether said terminal device being
accessed to said management device is authenticated or not.
15. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 7,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
16. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 8,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
17. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 9,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
18. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 10,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
19. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 11,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
20. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 12,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
21. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 13,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
22. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 14,
wherein said connection information contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where said
terminal device is accessed to said management device is authenticated
or not.
23. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 9,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
24. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 10,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
25. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 11,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
26. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 12,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
27. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 13,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
28. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 14,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
29. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 15,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
30. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 16,
wherein said application assist means is provided for assisting
browsing of said insurance-related information with said terminal
device having the agent authentication information acquired by said
connection information acquisition means.
31. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 25,
wherein said application assist means assists routine clerical work
of operating and concluding insurance contract when said connection
information acquisition means acquires at least the agent authentication
information and the terminal authentication information.
32. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 26,
wherein said application assist means assists routine clerical work
of operating and concluding insurance contract when said connection
information acquisition means acquires at least the agent authentication
information and the terminal authentication information.
33. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 29,
wherein said application assist means assists routine clerical work
of operating and concluding insurance contract when said connection
information acquisition means acquires at least the agent authentication
information and the terminal authentication information.
34. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 30,
wherein said application assist means assists routine clerical work
of operating and concluding insurance contract when said connection
information acquisition means acquires at least the agent authentication
information and the terminal authentication information.
35. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 1,
wherein said insurance-related information database contains a plurality
of pieces of insurance-related information in accordance with said
available terminal devices so as to submit a corresponding one of
pieces of insurance-related information to said terminal device
based on said terminal discriminating information through said application
assist means.
36. An insurance contract support system comprising a management
device and a terminal device connected through a network, said terminal
device having a dedicated adapter connection means for permitting
a dedicated adapter to automatically connect said terminal device
to said management device for transmitting terminal authentication
information assigned by an insurance company to said terminal device
regardless of whether said terminal device is specified or unspecified,
and said management device including: an insurance-related information
database storing insurance-related information, and an application
assist means for issuing insurance-related information for making
said management device available to said terminal device.
37. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 2,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
38. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 3,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
39. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 4,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
40. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 5,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
41. The insurance contract support system set forth in claim 6,
wherein said management device further includes a connection information
acquisition means for acquiring connection information indicative
of connecting conditions between said management device and said
terminal device, and an authentication means for authenticating
said terminal device being accessed to said management device based
on said connection information to determine an authentication level.
Insurance Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to a system associated with procedures
involved in an insurance contract.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Insurance sales for getting an insurance contract have been
hitherto conducted while providing a face-to-face explanation of
a sales representative of an insurance company (insurance solicitor)
to a customer. However, the insurance sales have been increasing
through the spread of the Internet in recent years. Electronic commerce
has the advantage that a customer can use freely at any time without
feeling trouble with talking to an insurance solicitor and can ensure
a beneficial result for the insurance concern to reduce the cost
required for preparing various document papers such as a contract
document because the necessary items for insuring can be filled
in an insurance application form on a screen display. On the other
hand, the benefit of face-to-face selling is that a customer can
be made fully aware of articles of commerce or sufficiently take
the advice of the insurance solicitor. Furthermore, the face-to-face
sales for damage insurance have been often made through insurance
agents or brokers hired by more than one insurance administration
company, getting the convenience of offering discriminative services
tailored to each insurance company. Even though the electronic commerce
has been increasing with the Internet under most of these circumstances,
face-to-face selling for contract of insurance has been still used
at a high ratio.
[0003] The insurance agent or solicitor often invited a customer
to take out an insurance policy while showing catalogues or brochures
for insurance goods to the customer. When getting the insurance
contract, the insurance agent prepared the necessary application
forms for the contract of insurance so as to let the customer fill
in the application forms. In a case of handling car insurance, the
insurance agent or solicitor had to carry an explanatory booklet
for calculating an insurance premium on the basis of an appraisal
value of a subject vehicle for the purpose of canvassing the customers'
homes for applications of insurance. The explanatory booklet for
insurance contract is too heavy and bulky to carry around. In order
to reduce the burden of the insurance solicitor, there have been
developed a system for storing the contents of the explanatory booklet
for insurance and the necessary application forms in a memory of
a portable computer.
[0004] As one example, Japanese Patent Application Publication
No. 2000-148844A1 discloses a system using a combination of a portable
terminal device storing a dedicated program exclusively for the
insurance agent and a printer to eliminate the use of brochures
and booklet for explaining insurance policy as noted above and application
forms. The portable terminal device in the aforementioned conventional
system is a laptop personal computer previously storing the necessary
data such as an insurant premium tariff and a schedule of appraisal
values of vehicles in various situations in the form of tables,
and calculating programs for deciding insurant premiums and appraisal
values of vehicles in accordance with various conditions on the
basis of input data. The insurance agent or solicitor goes on a
visit to a customer with the portable terminal device in his/her
hand, so that the necessary insurance application forms can be prepared
there with the aid of the previously stored data and programs while
inputting personal information data and vehicle information data
into the terminal device.
[0005] However, the insurant premium tariff is liable to vary with
insurance rates and revision of insurance goods, which are often
redefined at regular periods, and a standard price list of vehicles,
which is frequently changed with new-car sales. Hence, the data
stored in the portable terminal device described in Japanese Patent
Application Publication No. 2000-148844 must be reinstalled whenever
the insurant premium tariff or other information is changed, requiring
the insurance agent of a huge amount of clerical work for maintaining
the data stored in the terminal device and updating the data.
[0006] Furthermore, the conventional system requires the insurance
agent or solicitor to carry the brochures or catalogues showing
the insurance goods and insurance application forms all the times.
Namely, when the insurance agent or solicitor meets the customer
without the essential articles for insurance sales, the agent or
solicitor might miss an opportunity of capture a new insurance contract.
[0007] In the light of the problems in the conventional system,
the present invention seeks to provide an insurance contract support
system, which enables an insurance agent or solicitor to invite
a customer to take out an insurance policy and negotiate an insurance
contract at any time and any place, using a device making no requirement
for maintenance on the agent or solicitor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0008] To attain the object as described above according to the
present invention, there is provided an insurance contract support
system as noted below.
[0009] The insurance contract support system according to the present
invention comprises a management device and a terminal device connected
through a network, which management device includes an insurance-related
information database, a terminal discriminating information acquisition
means for gaining information for discriminating the type of the
terminal device connected to the management device and specified
or unspecified by the management device, and an application assist
means for issuing insurance-related information for making the management
device available to the terminal device of any type in accordance
with terminal discriminating information obtained by the terminal
discriminating information acquisition means.
[0010] According to the system, the management device becomes accessible
from the terminal device of any type on the basis of the terminal
discriminating information given from the management device to allow
the terminal device to use the insurance-related information, so
that even an unspecified terminal device can be used for conducting
insurance services. The management device has the insurance-related
information database for giving required insurance-related information
to the terminal device connected to the management device. Updating
and/or change of the insurance-related information can be collectively
implemented on the management device, thus to eliminate the need
for doing maintenance on each terminal device, which is needed for
the conventional terminal device. The application assist means has
another function of assisting the routine clerical work of making
up an estimate for insurance expense and making inquiries about
insurance information.
[0011] Further, the management device in the system of the invention
is provided with an information compensation means for compensating
information to be given to the terminal device on the basis of the
terminal discriminating information from the terminal discriminating
information acquisition means, so as to transmit the application
form from the application assist means to the terminal device through
the information compensation means.
[0012] With the information compensation means, the information
given to the terminal device is corrected on the basis of the terminal
discriminating information for the terminal device. The information
given to the terminal device includes not only the insurance-related
information but also an instruction form to ask for entering information
data into the terminal device. That is, one set of information data
suffices for the management device because the information data
submitted from the management device are compensated with the information
compensation means in accordance with the terminal device being
connected to the management device. Namely, a number of sets of
information data for various types of terminal devices are not needed
to be stored in the management device, so that only one set of information
data may be updated when the necessity arises, consequently to lighten
the burden imposed on the management device.
[0013] The management device in the system according to the invention
may be provided with a terminal discriminating database storing
the aforementioned terminal discriminating information in correlation
with displaying ability of description language of the terminal
device, so that the terminal discriminating information to be sent
to the terminal device is compensated being collated with the data
stored in the terminal discriminating database on the basis of the
indicative ability sought in the terminal discriminating database.
[0014] With the terminal discriminating database previously storing
the terminal discriminating information for specified or unspecified
terminal devices accessible to the management device in correlation
with the indicative ability of description language, the information
data to be submitted to the terminal device on the basis of the
terminal discriminating information acquired when connecting any
terminal device to the management device can be compensated properly.
[0015] Further, the management device in the system of the invention
may be provided with a contract conclusion means for concluding
an insurance contract applied from the terminal device.
[0016] With the contract conclusion means, the applied insurance
contract can be effected on the terminal device.
[0017] The management device in the system of the invention may
be further provided with a connection information acquisition means
for acquiring connection information indicative of connecting conditions
between the management device and the terminal device, and an authentication
means for authenticating the terminal device being accessed to the
management device on the basis of the connection information to
determine an authentication level.
[0018] In the system including the connection information acquisition
means and authentication means, reliability and security of the
connection between the management device and the terminal device
can be recognized by determining the authentication level on the
terminal device being accessed to the management device on the basis
of the connection information. This is intended to avoid the risk
posed by the management device capable of being accessed by the
unspecified or specified terminal device, which possibly causes
leakage of the insurance-related information given from the management
device to the terminal device and is cheated according to the circumstances
of connection between the management device and the terminal device.
[0019] The application assist means of the management device in
the system according to the invention has a functional sphere variable
with the authentication level determined by the authentication means.
[0020] The extent of providing the information by the management
device to the terminal device by the aid of the application assist
means is can be limited according to the authentication level. Consequently,
the security level of the system can be changed with the authentication
level.
[0021] The connection information obtained by the connection information
acquisition means may contain agent authentication information for
distinguishing whether a user using a terminal device being accessed
to the management device is authenticated or not
[0022] With the connection information containing the agent authentication
information, the authentication level can be determined according
to the agent authentication information indicative of which insurance
agent (insurance salesperson) accesses the management device.
[0023] Alternatively, the connection information obtained by the
connection information acquisition means may contain terminal authentication
information for distinguishing whether a terminal device being accessed
to the management device is authenticated or not
[0024] With the connection information containing the terminal
authentication information, the authentication level can be determined
according to the agent authentication information indicative of
which terminal device accesses the management device.
[0025] Alternatively, the connection information obtained by the
connection information acquisition means may contain location authentication
information for distinguishing whether a location from where a terminal
device is accessed to the management device is authenticated or
not.
[0026] With the connection information containing the location
authentication information, the authentication level can be determined
according to the agent authentication information indicative of
the location from where the terminal device accesses the management
device.
[0027] The application assist means in the insurance contract support
system of the invention may assist browsing of the insurance-related
information with the terminal device having the agent authentication
information acquired by the connection information acquisition means.
[0028] With this system, the insurance-related information cannot
be browsed if the agent authentication information is not acquired
by the connection information acquisition means in the management
device.
[0029] The application assist means in the insurance contract support
system of the invention may assist browsing of the insurance-related
information with the terminal device having both the agent authentication
information and the terminal authentication information acquired
by the connection information acquisition means.
[0030] With this system, the insurance-related information cannot
be browsed if both the agent authentication information and the
terminal authentication information are not acquired by the connection
information acquisition means in the management device.
[0031] The insurance-related information database in the insurance
contract support system of the invention may contain a plurality
of pieces of insurance-related information in accordance with the
types of the available terminal devices so as to submit a corresponding
one of pieces of insurance-related information to the terminal device
based on the terminal discriminating information through the application
assist means.
[0032] With this system using the plurality of pieces of insurance-related
information predetermined according to specified and unspecified
terminal devices, any terminal device can be used for the routine
clerical work for operating insurance contract.
[0033] In the insurance contract support system of the invention,
the terminal device may be provided with a dedicated adapter connection
means for permitting a dedicated adapter to automatically connect
the terminal device to the management device for transmitting the
terminal authentication information assigned by an insurance company
to the terminal device regardless of whether the terminal device
is specified or unspecified. The management device in this system
also includes the insurance-related information database storing
the insurance-related information associated with insurance contract
services of the insurance company and the application assist means
for transmitting the insurance-related information available to
the terminal device in accordance with the terminal authentication
information issued from the terminal device and assisting the routine
clerical work for operating insurance contract.
[0034] With this system, the terminal device can be automatically
connected to the management device merely by plugging the dedicated
adapter carried in the hand of the insurance salesperson or the
like into the terminal device without effecting any specific operation,
so that the terminal authentication information can be automatically
transmitted to the terminal device even unspecified. Thus, the management
device issues the insurance-related information in accordance with
the given terminal authentication information to assist the routine
clerical work for operating insurance contract.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment (1) of an
insurance contract support system.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram showing the embodiment
(1) of an insurance contract support system.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram showing the embodiment
(1) of an insurance contract support system.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation of a first working
example 1.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation of the first working
example 1.
[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a screen-displayed example on a terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates a screen-displayed example on a terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0043] FIG. 9 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0044] FIG. 10 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0045] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the operation of a second working
example 2.
[0046] FIG. 12 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0047] FIG. 13 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0048] FIG. 14 illustrates a screen-displayed example on the terminal
device of the insurance contract support system.
[0049] FIG. 15 is a flow chart of the operation of a third working
example 3.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0050] One embodiment of the insurance contract support system
according to the present invention will be described hereinafter
with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram
showing a first embodiment (1) of an insurance contract support
system, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are detailed block diagrams showing the
first embodiment (1) of the insurance contract support system. FIGS.
2 and 3 continue to each other at the point "*1" in the
drawings.
[0051] The insurance contract support system 1 in the embodiment
(1) of the invention comprises a management device 2 to which each
of terminal devices 3 are connected through a network 4.
[0052] An aspect in which the system of the invention is applied
to services of auto insurance, which is one of damage insurances,
will be described herein by way of example, but this invention may
be applied to any other life and nonlife insurance service business
including fire insurance and accident insurance.
[0053] The management device 2 essentially has an input and output
function, recording function, communication function, calculation
function and so on. It may be formed of a mainframe computer, work-station
computer or personal computer operable in collaboration with other
computers as a general manner. Alternatively, the management device
2 may of course be composed from a combination of a plurality of
servers and terminal devices or devices, and connected to external
database systems according to need. The management device 2 is installed
in an insurance company and connected to a host computer of the
insurance company.
[0054] The terminal device 3 essentially has an input and output
function, recording function, communication function, display function
and so on. It is provided with a button means, touch panel, key
board and/or mouse for fulfilling the input and output function.
For the display function (display screen), there may be used LCD,
CRT or the like. The terminal device may be a personal computer,
handheld mobile terminal (personal digital assistant; PDA), cell
phone, fixed-line phone, household appliance (television, refrigerator,
etc.), car navigation system, game console and so forth. The terminal
device 3 is used at the option of a user, sales representative of
an insurance agent, that is, there may be used a terminal device
installed in an insurance shop, a private personal computer owned
by the sales representative of the insurance agent or the customer,
or a terminal device equipped at an Internet cafe or a hotel.
[0055] The network 4 includes a communication system for Internet
or other communication means.
[0056] Next, the formation of the management device 2 will be explained
here. The management device 2 comprises an authentication section
21 for determining an authentication level based on the connection
information of the terminal device 3 being accessed to the management
device 2, an compensating section 23 for correcting the connection
information of the terminal device 3 accessed to the management
device 2, an application section 25 for applying for insurance policy,
a contract section 27 for signing insurance contract, and an accounting
section 29 for accounting the signed insurance contract.
[0057] First, the compensating section 23 will be explained. The
compensating section 23 includes an information compensation means
231 for compensating information assigned to the terminal devices
3 in accordance with the displaying ability of each of the terminal
devices. The compensating sections 23 are illustrated diversely
in FIGS. 2 and 3 for convenience of explanation, but these are equivalent
to each other. When the information is transmitted from the management
device 2 to the terminal device 3, it is necessarily compensated
by the information compensation means 231.
[0058] The compensating section 23 includes a terminal discriminating
database 232 storing terminal discriminating information for discriminating
the type of the terminal device 3 in correlation with displaying
ability of description language of the terminal device 3, and a
terminal discriminating information acquisition means 233 which
acquires terminal discriminating information of the terminal device
3 being accessed thereto. The information compensation means 231
verifies the acquired terminal discriminating information with the
terminal discriminating database 232 to compensate and transmit
the terminal discriminating information in accordance with the displaying
ability of the terminal device 3.
[0059] Since the terminal device 3 may choose to be identified
or not be identified in this system of the invention, it may be
of any personal computer, portable terminal or personal digital
assistant (PDA), cell phone, land phone, digital consumer electronics,
car navigation equipment, game machine or the like. Thus, the terminal
devices are different in displaying ability (description language,
function of a browser, display screen size, etc.) For example, there
are various description languages such as Compact-HTML, HDML, MML
and WML for cell phones, and various manners for displaying information
data on the cellphone's screen, which are different in line number,
character number, and color. Thus, various data on displaying ability
for a variety of terminal devices are previously memorized on the
terminal discriminating database 232 in correlation with the terminal
discriminating information. Consequently, only one set of information
(contents) suffices for various terminal devices to display the
given information on the displays of the respective terminal devices
because it is compensated for each of the terminal devices with
the compensating section 23, unlike the conventional system of this
kind necessitating a plurality of sets of information (contents)
for various terminal devices.
[0060] The terminal discriminating information is for discriminating
the type of the terminal device 3 and is automatically acquired
by the management device 2 when the terminal device 3 is connected
to the management device 2. In case of accessing to the management
device 2 by using a cell phone, the acquisition of the terminal
discriminating information enables discrimination of the type of
a cell phone connected to the management device through a cellphone
provider (carrier). In case of accessing to the management device
by using a portable terminal such as a personal digital assistant
(PDA) or personal computer, the type and version of browser installed
in the portable terminal can be discriminated. Of course, a next-generation
IPv6 may be used for discriminating the kind of home information
appliances.
[0061] Next, the authentication section 21 will be explained. The
authentication section 21 includes a connection information acquisition
means 211 for obtaining the connection information indicative of
the conditions under which the terminal device 3 is connected to
the management device 2, an authentication means 212 for authenticating
of the terminal device on the basis of the connection information
to determine an authentication level, and various database units
for collation of the connection information on the authentication
means 212. The database units may be disposed outside the management
device 2.
[0062] The connection information acquired by the connection information
acquisition means 211 contains terminal authentication information
for authenticating the terminal device and agent authentication
information for authenticating an insurance agent appointed by an
insurance company. If location authentication information for authenticating
a location at which the terminal device can be referred to, the
authentication level can be more increased. Namely, the connection
information enables the management device 2 to recognize the place
from which the terminal device 3 accesses to the management device
2. Since any type of terminal system or personal digital assistance
can be used as the terminal device 2, highly confidential information
may possibly be accessed even by an unauthorized user in a case
that the insurance company provides information from the management
device 2 to the terminal device 3. That is, there are cases where
the sales representative of the insurance agent loses his/her portable
terminal device, the terminal device is shared by the sales representative
of the insurance agent and an ineligible insurance producer, and
a computer of an Internet cafe or a customer is carelessly forgotten
to be switched off after use, consequently to leave insurance contract
data or insurance-related data, as typical examples. The information
for insurance contract contains important data such as the personal
information of the customer or insurant must be held in strict confidence
so as not to be misused. Accordingly, the system of the invention
can improve the security of personal information by recognizing
the status of the connection between the management device 2 and
the terminal device 3 and transmitting to the terminal device 3
the necessary information on the basis of the connection status.
[0063] The connection information acquisition means 211 in the
embodiment (1) of the invention includes a terminal authentication
information acquisition means 2111 for obtaining the terminal authentication
information, and an agent authentication support means 2112 for
transmitting an agent authentication information entry form for
urging the agent to enter the agent authentication information previously
appointed by the insurance company, an agent authentication information
acquisition means 2113 for obtaining agent authentication information
filled in the agent authentication information entry form, and a
location authentication information acquisition means 2114 for obtaining
the location authentication information.
[0064] The terminal authentication information obtained by the
terminal authentication information acquisition means 2111 indicates
which terminal device 3 is accessed to the management device 2 and
is automatically transmitted to the management device 2 when the
terminal device 3 is connected to the management device 2. Even
if the management device does not acquire the terminal authentication
information from the terminal device 2, the terminal device 3 may
be accessed to the management device 2, but the authentication level
as described later is influenced. The prescribed terminal device
3 implies a terminal station placed at an insurance agent office
or shop, a user terminal set possessed by a sales representative
(insurance salesperson) of the insurance agent, or the like.
[0065] In a case of using a desktop computer or portable computer
such as personal digital assistance (PDA) as the terminal device
3, the terminal authentication information is installed in advance
on the terminal device 3, so as to automatically submit the terminal
authentication information from the terminal device 3 to the management
device at the time of connecting the terminal device to the management
device (referred to as "client authentication"), temporarily
generate one-time password that changes with every use in accordance
with system time or counter value in the terminal device or management
device to enhance the security (one-time password authentication),
or collate user's autographic information such as a signature with
individual data previously stored on the management device (signature
authentication, or sometimes referred to as biometric authentication).
The one-time password authentication enables coinstantaneous terminal
and agent authentication. In a case of using a cell phone as the
terminal device 3, the authentication can be conducted by plugging
a dedicated adapter into the user's cell phone or giving a one-time
password to the user. By inserting the dedicated adapter into the
cell phone, automatic connection of the cell phone to the management
device 2 can be fulfilled, simultaneously submitting the authentication
data stored on the dedicated adapter to the management device. In
this case, when the sales representative of the insurance agent
brings his/her cell phone with its dedicated adapter, his/her authentication
information can be automatically submitted to the management device
by inserting the adapter into the cell phone. The adapter should
be possessed by a person authorized by the insurance company, and
as a general rule, it is required to provide one adapter for every
one insurance agency, but when the insurance agency has a plurality
of salespersons (employees), the insurance company may supply as
many adapters as the number of employees. The terminal authentication
information containing information of the insurance agency (agent's
name, kind of agency, contact information, etc.) is stored on the
database in correlation with authentication manner (for client authentication,
one-time password authentication or signature authentication and
model type of adapter).
[0066] The agent authentication support means 2112 transmits an
instruction form to ask for entering the agent authentication information
to the terminal device 3 being accessed to the management device
2 through the compensating section 23. The agent authentication
information is personal data such as ID code and password, which
is indicative of who is connected to the management device 2. As
a general rule, one piece of agent authentication information is
provided for every one insurance agency, but when the insurance
agency has a plurality of salespersons (employees), the insurance
company may give the insurance agency a plurality of authentication
information. Realistically speaking, there are many associated concerns
(channels) acting as insurance agencies such as a specialized insurance
agency, car maintenance shop, second-hand car dealership, new-car
sales dealership, and auto distributor, so the agent authentication
information may contains data capable of discriminating the associated
concerns. The agent authentication information is previously stored
on the agent authentication information database 214 in correlation
with the agency information (agent's name, kind of agency, contact
information, etc.) assigned to the insurance agent in advance. The
meaning of the insurance agent implies insurance salespersons (insurance
solicitors) employed for person-to-person selling by the insurance
agency.
[0067] The location authentication information acquired by the
location authentication information acquisition means 2114 is indicative
of where the terminal device 3 is accessed to the management device
2. The location authentication information may be created from an
IP address or other specific data, but is not initially allocated
as a verification code by the insurance company. Thus, the location
authentication information is produced by identifying whether the
specific terminal device 3 is accessed to the management device
2 through a registered network from the IP address or other specific
data. The information indicative of the usage of the network and
IP address is stored on the location authentication information
database 215 in correlation with the agency information (agents
name, kind of agency, contact information, etc.) That is, when acquiring
the location authentication information stored on the location authentication
information database 215, it is deemed that the terminal device
3 is accessed from a high-security place to the management device
2. As the high-security place, there are enumerated premises of
an insurance sales agency and insurance company, and network environment
offered by the insurance company. On the contrary, an Internet cafe,
business satellite office in a hotel, customer's home, and home
of the insurance salesperson of the insurance agency may be said
as low-security places. When using the portable computer, personal
digital assistant (PDA) and cell phone as the terminal device 3,
the authentication cannot be executed with reference to the location
authentication information, but fulfilled referring to the agent
authentication information and terminal authentication information.
[0068] The authentication means 212 includes a collation means
2121 for collating the connection information, and a level determination
means 2122 for determining an authentication level according to
whether the connection information can be obtained or not and/or
the terminal device can be identified or not. When the terminal
authentication information, agent authentication information and
location authentication information are obtained, the collation
means 2121 performs confirmation whether these information data
coincide with the corresponding data stored previously on the terminal
authentication information database 213, agent authentication information
database 214 and location authentication information database 215.
[0069] The level determination means 2122 performs determination
of the authentication level according to what combination of the
connection information data (terminal authentication information,
agent authentication information and location authentication information)
recognized by the collation means 2121 is authenticated. The level
determination is shown in Table 1 below by way of example. TABLE-US-00001
TABLE 1 Availability of information Terminal .largecircle. X Authentication
Information Agent .largecircle. X .largecircle. X Authentication
Information Location .largecircle. X .largecircle. X .largecircle.
X .largecircle. X Authentication Information Authentication 1 1
or 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 Level
[0070] In the Table 1, the case where all the acquired terminal
authentication information, agent authentication information and
location authentication information coincide with the authentication
data stored on the database is expressed as .largecircle., and the
case where all the acquired authentication information do not coincide
with the same is expressed as x. The authentication level is classified
into four levels, Level 1 to Level 4, according to the combination
of terminal authentication information, agent authentication information
and location authentication information. As seen from Table 1, the
case in which all the terminal authentication information, agent
authentication information and location authentication information
are determined as .largecircle. falls into the highest level, Level
1. The case in which the agent authentication information is determined
as .largecircle. and one or both of the terminal authentication
information and location authentication information are determined
as X falls into Level 2. In this case, there is an exception that
the case where an unverified portable personal digital assistance
(PDA) or cell phone is used as the terminal device 3, but the agent
authentication information and terminal authentication information
are authenticated falls into Level 1. The case where the agent authentication
information and terminal authentication information are determined
as x falls into the lowest level, Level 4. The other cases than
those mentioned above fall into Level 3.
[0071] The classification of the levels shown in Table 1 is shown
by way of example only, and it should not be limited thereto. The
location authentication information is classified into two in this
example, but it may be further classified into subclasses. The agent
authentication information is also subclassified in accordance with
the nature (channel) of the insurance agency. The connection information
in this embodiment comprehends the terminal authentication information,
agent authentication information and location authentication information,
but it should not be limited to these component factors. For example,
in this system, the location authentication information may be omitted,
and instead, the authentication may be prosecuted by combining the
terminal authentication information and agent authentication information,
or using only the agent authentication information, or adding any
other authentication information to the agent authentication information.
[0072] Next, the application section 25 will be explained. The
application section 25 includes a service information means 251
for notifying available services offered from the management device
2 by the insurance company to the terminal device 3, an application
assist means 252 for issuing insurance-related information for issuing
insurance-related information for making the management device available
to the terminal device of any type in accordance with terminal discriminating
information and assisting the routine clerical work of making an
insurance policy application form with reference with the information
sent from the terminal device 3, an insurance-related information
database 253 storing insurance contract business information as
the insurance-related information, and application form drawing
means 254 for making an insurance application form on the basis
of the information sent from the terminal device 3. The insurance-related
information database 253 is composed of a plurality of database
units and may be disposed outside the management device 2.
[0073] The service information means 251 serves to transmit information
of services, which the management device 2 can offer to the terminal
device 3, so as to display the information on the display of the
terminal device 3 in the form of a menu 2511. On the menu 2511,
the available services offered from the insurance company to the
insurance agent are itemized with adequate item names, respectively.
For instance, the services offered by the insurance company include
an insurance contract service for forging an insurance contract,
a sales assistance service for assisting the insurance sales, an
information inquiry service for asking for various insurance-related
information, an accident-related information service, and other
services. Further, the insurance contract service is mainly for
renewable car insurance contract, new car insurance contract, insurance
contract accounting, and acceptance of change. The sales assistance
service is mainly for premium estimation, and premium settlement
(including credit-card authorization). The information inquiry service
is mainly for inquiring for available insurance contract, insurance
policy, record of concluded insurance contract and pending insurance
contract, contents of insurance policy, rules and regulations of
insurance policy, insurance covenant, and other information. The
accident-related information service is mainly for progress report
of disposition of car accident, acceptance of disposition of car
accident, and handling of insurance claims. The aforementioned services
are just examples among many and should be limited thereto. These
services are notified to the terminal device 2 in the form of the
menu 2511. The menu 2511 may be formed in a hierarchical tree-structure
on the display of the terminal device.
[0074] Determination which ones of the services offered by the
insurance company are available to the customer or the insurance
agent depends on the authentication level decided by the authentication
section 212 in accordance with the terminal device 3 accessible
to the management device. The routine clerical work performed by
the management device 2 for assisting the operation of the terminal
device 3 is indicated as distinction of services available to the
terminal device 3. The application assist means 252 assists the
operation of browsing the insurance-related information on the display
of the terminal device upon acquirement of at least the agent authentication
information from the terminal device, and the operation of handling
the insurance contract upon acquirement of at least the agent authentication
information and terminal authentication information. The services
offered by the insurance company and the authentication levels necessary
for enjoying the available services are shown in Table 2 below by
way of example. TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Required Authentication Services
Level Insurance Contract Renewable car insurance contract 1 New
car insurance contract 1 Acceptance of change 1 Insurance contract
accounting 1 Insurance Sales Premium trial-calculation 2 or more
Premium payment and settlement 1 Information Inquiry Insurance information
inquiry 1 Record of concluded and pending 1 insurance contracts
Contents of insurance policy, and 2 or more rules and regulations
of insurance policy Announcement of insurance 2 or more company
Phone directory 2 or more Accident-related Progress report of disposition
of 1 Information car accident Acceptance of disposition of car 1
accident Handling of insurance claims 1
[0075] In the case of the authentication Level 1 based on Table
1, which indicates that the authenticated user (insurance agent)
uses the authenticated terminal device 3 at a high-security level
place, all the services are available to the user. In the case of
the authentication Level 3 or Level 4 based on Table 1, which indicates
that the terminal device is not used by an authenticated user (insurance
agent) and thus the management device cannot acquire the agent authentication
information, none of services can be offered. In the case of the
authentication Level 2 based on Table 1, which indicates that the
authenticated user (insurance agent) uses an unauthenticated terminal
device, the service information offered by the insurance company
to the terminal device is in the treat of being used fraudulently.
In this case, only the information inquiry service other than the
insurance-related services and the sales assistance service for
assisting the insurance sales is available to the user. That is,
the highly confidential information concerned with insurance contract
operation or individual insurance policy (inquiries of insurance
policy and accident-related information) is not available.
[0076] Incidentally, the authentication level in Table 2 is set
at Level 3 or Level 4, but services (brief information of insurance
goods or advertising contents) available correspondingly to the
authentication levels may be provided. To prescribe the agent authentication
information so as to identify the status of a person responsible
of the insurance agent (individual authority) and kind (channel)
of the insurance agent, the information to be disclosed may be restricted
in accordance with the nature of the agency identification data
acquired by the management device when take advantage of various
information services inquired by the user. That is, in a case where
the agency identification data are categorized in accordance with,
for example, the salesperson individual and sales representative
of the insurance agency, and representative for selling insurance
of a car dealer, the scope of customers' data to be disclosed at
the request of the insurance agency may be expanded to subjective
data of salesperson individual and concerned insurance sales branch
and ultimately up to the company-wide data of the insurance company.
On the menu showing the services offered to the terminal device
2 by the insurance company, all the services may be displayed in
a selectable manner to choose further menu options according to
the authentication level, or only the services available to the
user or customer according to the authenticated level may be displayed.
[0077] The application assist means 252 serves to transmit to the
terminal device 3 an instruction form to ask for entering the necessary
insurance-related information in accordance with the service selected
on the terminal device 3 in order for assisting various routine
clerical works for proceeding with the insurance contract as indicated
on the menu 2511. The information displayed on the terminal device
3 in connection with the available services may include insurance-related
information, which is allowed merely to be browsed, and fill-in
forms to be filled out following the instructions displayed on the
terminal device. Ordinarily, one of new contract procedure and renewal
contract procedure must be alternatively chosen in performing insurance
contract services, which are different in arranging procedure, and
a common procedure in estimating premium and effecting insurance
contract, consequently to temporarily suspend a clerical work for
arranging insurance contract. To cope with such a clerical work,
the application assist means 252 is provided with a plurality of
matching means capable of preparing a plurality of required forms
to be transmitted to the terminal device 3 so as to fitly choose
combination and/or operating order of the matching means in accordance
with interaction between themselves and the terminal device 3.
[0078] The means associated with the new insurance contract service,
which is incorporated in the application assist means 252, include
a vehicle information assist means for producing a vehicle information
entry form to assist entering of vehicle information data (vehicle
type, car registry number, vehicle name, type number, initial registration
date, etc.), an insurant information assist means for producing
an insurant information entry form to assist entering of insurant
information data (name, phonetic name, postal zip code, domicile,
phone number, e-mail address, etc.), a recommended insurance advice
means for transmitting information of insurance contract recommended
to the customer or insurant selected according to the vehicle information,
and a trial-calculation representation means for representing a
trial-calculation result 23241 of insurance premium estimated according
to the contract desired by the customer or insurant. The means associated
with the renewal insurance contract include an expiration information
transmission means for notifying contract expiration information
of the contracted insurance (expiration list or the like) of the
insurant (customer already insured) to which the sales representative
of the insurance agent already accessed to the management device
2 provides support, an expiration notice transmission means for
transmitting notice of insurance expiration information, which was
already mailed to the insurant prior to the expiration date of an
insurance policy, and an insurant information transmission means
for displaying insurant information (name, phonetic name, postal
zip code, domicile, phone number, e-mail address, etc.) The application
assist means further comprises other means for providing variety
of other service information.
[0079] The insurance related information database 253 further comprises
means for assisting the operation of the application assist means
252, which include an insurance policy database 2531 storing an
insurance policy in correlation with the vehicle information, a
premium trial-calculation database 2532 for tentatively calculating
the insurance premium in accordance with the insurance contract,
an expiration information database 2533 storing expiration information
such as the insurance agent having charge of the insurant whose
insurance policy is expiring, expiration date, recommended insurance
plan and other information, and an insurant database 2534 storing
the insurance information of the insurant (name, phonetic name,
postal zip code, domicile, phone number, e-mail address, etc.)
[0080] The application form drafting means 254 is provided for
making up an application form 2541 upon receiving the vehicle information
inputted on and submitted from the terminal device 3 by using the
application assist means 252, and the application data including
the insurant information and the insurance policy selectively or
optionally concluded, and other information data.
[0081] The application assist means 252 and the insurance related
information database 253 should not be limited to the foregoing
and may be modified or compensated in number according to the procedures
of preparing the application form and the services prescribed by
the management device 2. As the need arises, image data of a driver's
license and/or a vehicle inspection certificate or electronic data
of license information stored in an IC memory may be submitted from
the terminal device 3 to the management device 2.
[0082] The variety of information entry forms to be transmitted
from the application assist means 252 to the terminal device 3 may
be provided in the form of a frequently used menu automatically
customized on the basis of a history of usage, or in an easy manner
of possibly saving the character inputting operation so as to select
the necessary items from a hierarchical menu while omitting unwanted
input items, under the assumption of using a cell phone as the terminal
device 3 by way of example. Thus, the system of the invention can
take into account utilization of the services offered by the insurance
company using the cell phone having many restrictions.
[0083] Next, the contract section 27 will be explained. The contract
section 25 is provided with an application form transmission means
271 for transmitting the application form 2541 drawn up on the basis
of the application information to the terminal device 3, a contract
conclusion means 272 for completing the insurance contract upon
receiving confirming information indicative of confirmation of the
application form from the terminal device 3, a payment means 273
for arranging for insurance payment, and a contract completion notification
means 274 for notifying completion of the insurance contract to
the terminal device 3.
[0084] The application form transmission means 271 serves to transmit
the application form 2541 drawn up by the application form drafting
means 254 to the terminal device 3 to display the form on the terminal
device. The complete data required for the insurance contract, which
are the same as those filled in a conventional application form
are displayed on the display screen of the terminal device.
[0085] The contract conclusion means 272 is provided with a confirmation
assist means 2721 for transmitting to the terminal device 3 a confirming
information entry form 2721 for assisting the filling-in of the
confirming information data, and a confirming information detection
means 2722 for detecting whether or not the confirming information
is submitted from the terminal device 3. The confirming information
is dedicated for determining that the contents of the application
form 2541 is confirmed by the insurant by use of the management
device 2, correspondingly to a written contract under seal. Since
the sales representative should give an explanation of the important
details (insurance coverage, nonresponsibility clause, insurance
policy terms for insurants age, and duty of notification of change
of insurance policy and possible accidents) of the insurance policy
in confirming the application data, the confirming information semantically
implies that the insurant has been made aware of the insurance policy.
The important details explained to the insurant contains obligation
of representation and notification, insurance coverage, roles of
the insurance agent, general contractual conditions and so forth.
The confirming information should preferably be an insurant's own
or specific information such as date of the insurant's birth, which
the sales representative of the insurance agent does not know, in
order to prevent impropriety. It is desirable for the insurant to
block views of others including the sales representative of the
insurance agent when entering the confirming information. There
are other confirming methods using the number of the health insurance
card or public number of the insurant, if any, or individual identification
means, which will possibly be established by the government in future.
[0086] The payment means 273 is provided for carrying out the procedure
for insurance payment upon submitting a form for applying payment
of insurance benefit and filling in the necessary information on
the terminal device 3. The payment means 273 allows the insurant
to select a method of insurance payment (cash payment, credit card,
direct debit and net debit transactions, convenience banking payment,
cellphone's payment, etc.), and assists the filling-in of the data
necessary for payment of the insurance benefit. The insurance payment
information contains the credit card number, expiration date of
the credit card and other personal information in the case of the
credit card or net debit transactions, the account number, account
holder's name and other personal information in the case of the
account transfer payment, and information such as the name of the
appointed convenience banking and e-mail address to which a store
reception number is sent in the convenience banking payment. For
the cellphone's payment, credit card data saved in an IC chip in
the cellphone of the customer are used. In the case of using the
credit card settlement, authorization (acceptance of credit card
transactions) can be conducted via communication line.
[0087] The contract completion notification means 274 serves to
transmit to the terminal device 3 a contract completion notice upon
completion of the payment procedure in the payment means 273 after
detecting the confirming information by the confirming information
detection means 2722 and then display the contract completion notice
on the terminal device. Thus, the sales representative of the insurance
agent and the customer or insurant can recognize the conclusion
of the insurance contract. The customer or insurant comes in very
useful when receiving notification of the conclusion of insurance
contract, which is sent to customers mail address (E-mail address
of a cell phone, personal computer or the like of the customer or
insurant). In a case of making arrangements for insurance contract
by using an unauthorized terminal device, the notification of the
conclusion of insurance contract should be sent to the ascertained
terminal device of the insurance agency by E-mail, consequently
to allow the insurance agency to appropriately confirm the conclusion
of insurance contract.
[0088] Next, the accounting section 29 will be described. The accounting
section 29 is provided with an accounting assist means 291 for transmitting
to the terminal device 3 an accounting instruction form 2911 for
giving accounting instructions to record accounting of the concluded
insurance contract, an insurance accounting means 292 for accounting
the concluded insurance contract to the insurance company in accordance
with the accounting instruction information received from the terminal
device 3, a completed accounting notification means 293 for transmitting
to the terminal device 3 a completed accounting notice 2931 of the
completed accounting of the insurance contract, and confirmation
drawing means 294 for making up a concluded contract confirmation
to be given to the customer.
[0089] The accounting instruction information is entered into the
terminal device 3 referring to the accounting instruction form 2911
given from the accounting assist means 291. The accounting instruction
information is provided for reporting the contents of the concluded
insurance contract to the insurance company and conclusively confirming
the agents decision accounting for the concluded insurance contract.
Only by selecting the item "booking" 2912 on the display
of the terminal device 3, the agents decision can be submitted.
[0090] The contents of the concluded insurance policy fulfilled
in the contract section 27 is recorded by using the insurance accounting
means 292 in accordance with the accounting instructions sent from
the terminal device 3. The booking of the concluded insurance contract
is registered in database on the insurance policy in the host computer
of the insurance company. This online data processing method is
alternative to a conventional procedure using a system for sending
the necessary documents by postal mail or facsimile and reading
the data on the documents using an OCR device. The insurance accounting
means 292 serves to enter into the host computer 5 the contents
on the application form 2541 drawn up in the interactional sequences
described above using the management device 2 without modification.
Although the concluded insurance policy is booked with direction
by the terminal device 3 in this embodiment (1), it may be booked
without direction by the terminal device 3 at the time of concluding
the insurance contract.
[0091] The completed accounting notification is displayed on the
display of the terminal device 3 by the completed accounting notification
means 293 to make the booking of the concluded insurance contract
known to the sales representative of the insurance agent.
[0092] With the confirmation drawing means 294, a written contract
confirmation to be sent to the insured customer or insurant by postal
mail is made up. The contract documents are sent from the insurance
company directly to the insurant by postal mail along with the insurance
policy, so that even unauthorized or fraudulent contract can be
learnt and signed off from the reaction or feedback from the customer.
Although the written contract confirmation is sent to the customer
in this embodiment by postal mail, it may be sent to the customer's
e-mail address by e-mail.
[0093] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the terminal
device 3 is an optional element basically having functions of receiving
the information from the management device 2, displaying the information
to permit the user to enter required data referring to various instruction
forms, and submitting the entered information to the management
device 2.
[0094] In a case of using a cell phone as the terminal device 3,
a dedicated adapter connection means 31 may be used with an detachable
dedicated adapter, which is inserted into the terminal device, so
that the terminal device intended to access to the management device
2, if specified or unspecified, as to automatically connect the
terminal device 3 to the management device. There are previously
stored the terminal authentication information and URL information
of the management device 2 in the dedicated adapter, so that the
terminal device 3 can be automatically accessed to the management
device 2 only by inserting the detachable dedicated adapter into
the terminal device 3. The cell phone to which the dedicated adapter
possessed by the sales representative of the insurance agent is
attached can be identified as the authenticated terminal device
3 by the management device 2 of the insurance company when plugging
the dedicated adapter into the cell phone in conducting the insurance
contract. When putting this system to practical use with the dedicated
adapter, the cell phone owned by the customer or insurant may be
used, but it is desirable to use the cell phone possessed by the
salesperson or sales representative of the insurance agent because
of the security reasons.
[0095] Irrespective of the structure in the aforementioned embodiment
(1), there may be omitted the information compensation means 231
of the compensating section 23 and terminal discriminating database
232, so as to previously hold the information to be primitively
transmitted from the management device 2 to the terminal device
3 according to the type of the terminal device 3, so that the information
corresponding to the respective terminal device 3 accessible to
the management device in accordance with prescribed terminal discriminating
information. For instance, the application section 25 may be provided
with a plurality of insurance-related information for various types
of the terminal devices 3 accessible to the management device.
[0096] The insurance contract support system 1 in the embodiment
(1) will be clarified hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 through
15. FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow charts showing the operating of the first
working example 1. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the operating
of the second working example 2. FIG. 11 continues onto FIG. 5.
FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the operating of the second working
example 3. FIGS. 6 to 10 and FIGS. 12 to 14 are the screen-displayed
examples on the display of the terminal device.
WORKING EXAMPLE 1
[0097] There will be described herein the first working example
1 in which the system in this working example 1 is applied for placing
new insurance contract while the management device 2 receives both
the terminal authentication information and the agent authentication
information. This example may be applied to the other procedures
than that for new insurance contract.
[0098] First, the sales representative of the insurance agent handles
a specified or unspecified terminal device 3 to be connected to
the management device 2 via the network 4 in conducting the insurance
contract. Since the new insurance contract requires the highest
authentication level "Level 1", the sales representative
of the insurance agent accesses a Web site administered by the management
device 2 via the Internet by using the terminal device installed
in the insurance agency office or shop.
[0099] Since the personal computer set up as the terminal device
3 in the insurance agency office or business shop is connected to
the management device 2, the terminal authentication information
for client authentication is transmitted to the terminal authentication
information acquisition means 2111 of the management device 2 at
the time of connection (S101). The terminal discriminating information,
which indicates that the terminal device 3 being accessed to the
management device is the personal computer, is transmitted to the
terminal discriminating information acquisition means 233, as the
case may depend on the kind and version of a browser installed on
the computer, and at the same time, the location authentication
information identified with an IP address is transmitted to the
location authentication information acquisition means 233 (S102).
The terminal discriminating information transmitted to the management
device 2 is collated with data stored on the terminal discriminating
database 232 to determine how the information is compensated by
the information compensation means 231 when transmitted to the terminal
device 2 (S103). The information to be transmitted from the management
device 2 to the terminal device 2 after this time is always compensated
with the information compensation means 231. This compensation of
the information to be transmitted to the terminal device 3 is necessarily
made according to the personal computer serving as the terminal
device.
[0100] Subsequently, the agent authentication information entry
form is transmitted from the agent authentication support means
2112 of the management device 2 to the corresponding terminal device
3 (S104). On the terminal device 3 which receives the agent authentication
information entry form, an instruction image for letting the sales
representative enter a given ID code and password. The sales representative
of the insurance agent or insurance solicitor enters the ID code
and password previously given to the insurance agent into the terminal
device, so that the ID code and password entered by the sales representative
are submitted to the management device 2 (S105) and inputted into
the agent authentication information acquisition means 2113 (S106).
Regardless of whether the terminal authentication information is
submitted, the agent authentication information entry form is transmitted
from the agent authentication support means 2112 to the relevant
terminal device 3. However, since the contract service is performed
at the highest authentication level, it is required to make the
terminal device 3 responsive to the prescribed authentication level
so as to get the sales representative to submit not only the prescribed
terminal authentication information but also the agent authentication
information to the management device. Since the personal computer
is used as the terminal device 3 in this embodiment, the terminal
device 3 should be used in such surroundings that the location authentication
information with a high-security level can be transmitted to the
management device. Subsequently, to authenticate the user of the
terminal device 3 with the authentication means 212, the terminal
authentication information and the agent authentication information
are verified with the terminal authentication information database
213 and agent authentication information database 214 by using the
collation means 2121 (S107). Then, the authentication level of the
terminal device 3 attempting to be connected to the management device
is determined in accordance with a combination of the terminal authentication
information and agent authentication information (S108). The authentication
level in this situation is the highest Level 1 since both the terminal
authentication information and agent authentication information
are received.
[0101] Next, the services contributing to the terminal device 3
is notified in the form of a menu to the terminal device through
the service information means 251 in accordance with the result
of determination of the authentication level obtained by the level
determination means 2122 (S109). Since the authentication level
in this case is determined as the highest level, all the available
services are displayed on the display of the terminal device 3,
so that the customer can select whichever service the customer wants.
The example of the representation of the displayed menu 2511 is
shown in FIG. 6. The menu 2511 contains the major items "Contract
Services" 2512, "Sales Assist" 2513, "Enquiry"
2514, and "Accident" 2515, and the minor items "Auto
Insurance (renewal)" 25121, "Auto Insurance (new)"
25122, "Trial Calculation" 25131, "Settlement"
25132, "Phone Directory" 25141, and "Contract Enquiry"
25142. Some of services shown in Table 2 are displayed as the available
services. As an example, the item "Auto Insurance (new)"
25122 is selected to pursue new insurance contract and notified
to the management device 2 (S110).
[0102] The application data entry form for one selected from various
insurance services is given to the terminal device 3 by using the
application assist means 252 in the management device 2 in order
to make up an application form for new insurance contract of the
auto insurance (S111). The application data entry form sent from
the management device is displayed on the display of the terminal
device 3, so as to allow the sales representative of the insurance
agent or the customer to enter the necessary information data into
the application data entry form displayed on the screen. The application
data entered into the terminal device are submitted to the management
device 2 in sequence (S112), and then, a new contract application
form 2341 is drawn up (S113). These processes (S112)-(S113) may
be repeated as circumstances demand. The forms transmitted from
the management device 2 include a vehicle information entry form
for vehicle data such as the vehicle type, car registry number,
vehicle name, type number, and initial registration date of the
subject vehicle, and an insurant information entry form for insurant
data such as the name, phonetic name, postal zip code, domicile,
phone number, and e-mail address of the subject insurant. Further
information such as recommended insurance advice and trial-calculation
result may be transmitted to the terminal device according to the
data or selection entered into the terminal device 3. Information
exchange between the management device 2 and terminal device 3 is
made while referring to the data stored on the insurance-related
information database 253. When the customer asks for the estimate
of premium but does not apply for insurance contract on this occasion,
formulation of the application form for insurance contract is discontinued,
and then, the data entered into the application form as shown in
FIG. 7 displayed are stored for calculation of estimated premium.
The trial-calculation result may be printed out or transmitted to
the terminal device of the customer or insurant.
[0103] Upon completion of the application form 2541 with the application
assist means 252 as shown in FIG. 8, the completed form is transmitted
from an application form transmission means 271 to the terminal
device 3 and displayed there (S114 and S115). The details of the
contract policy prepared are confirmed while the sales representative
give the explanation of the contract policy to the customer, showing
the application form on the display of the terminal device. Upon
completing confirmation of the details of the contract policy, "Confirm
Important Matters" 25411 is selected to be transmitted to the
management device 2. In response thereto, a confirming information
entry form 27211 is transmitted from the confirmation assist means
2721 of the contract conclusion means 272 in the management device
2 to the terminal device 3 (S116).
[0104] Then, the confirming information entry form 27211 is displayed
on the display of the terminal device 3 as shown in FIG. 9, so as
to let the customer enter the customer's personal information such
as the customer's birthday 27212. Entering of the customer's birthday
27212 implies acceptance of the insurance contract by the customer
after being informed of the details of the insurance contract. Then,
"Conform/Submit" is selected to be transmitted to the
management device 2 (S117). Consecutively, the payment means 273
in the management device 2 is worked to assist the procedure of
payment (S118). In the procedure of payment, upon reception of a
payment selection form sent from the management device 2, the customer
selects any of "Cash Payment", "Credit Card Payment",
or other payment method, the customer prefers. Upon entering the
necessary item on the payment selection form, the input data are
transmitted to the management device 2 (S119). These processes (S118)-(S119)
may be repeated as circumstances demand. Through these procedures,
the insurance contract is concluded, consequently to transmit a
contract completion notification from the contract completion notification
means 274 in the management device 2 to the terminal device (S120),
and display the notification sent from the management device on
the screen of the terminal device 3 (S121). The contract completion
notification is visible to the customer on the screen of the terminal
device, so that the customer can be made aware of conclusion of
the insurance contract. Then, an accounting instruction form is
transmitted from the accounting instruction form 291 of the management
device 2 to the terminal device (S122), and displayed on the display
of the terminal device as shown in FIG. 10, and thereupon, by selecting
"Accounting" 2912 on the terminal device, it is notified
to the management device 2 (S123), the contents of the application
form 2541 are accounted for by the host computer 5 of the insurance
company through the insurance accounting means 292 (S124).
[0105] This electronic accounting system prevents erroneous procedures
such as reading mistake, which often occurred heretofore and eliminates
the need for preparing OCR data of the insurance contract information.
Besides, no specific operation is needed for transmitting the information
data, and preparation of the application form can easily be performed
only by giving an accounting command at the end of the procedures
for preparing the application form without imposing any burden on
the insurance agent and the insurance company (including the branch
offices thereof). Upon completion of the accounting procedure involving
in proceeding with the insurance contract, a completed accounting
notification is transmitted from the completed accounting notification
means 293 to the terminal device 3 (S125-S126). Seeing the notification
on the display, the sales representative of the insurance agent
can make sure completion of the accounting. Upon accounting the
insurance contract, a written contract confirmation to be submitted
to the customer or insurant is made up with the confirmation drawing
means 294 of the management device 2 (S127). The written contract
confirmation is formally printed out and forwarded to the customer
by postal mail after 3 business days of conclusion of the insurance
contract. The forwarding by mail of the written contract confirmation
to the customer prevents a fraudulent contract placed without customer's
knowledge or other irregularities in a contract, thus to ensure
appropriate procedures for making an insurance contract. After concluding
the insurance contract the customer desires, there may be employed
a follow-up service system for allowing the customer or insurant
to confirm the conditions of the insurance contract by telephone
or through a network as quick as a call center of the insurance
company receives inquiry from the customer or insurant. This follow-up
system can dispel anxieties about insurance operation.
Working Example 2
[0106] The working example 2 for carrying forward the procedures
for a continuing insurance contract with the management device 2
getting both the terminal authentication information and the agent
authentication information will be described here. The same operation
as in the new insurance contract described above will be omitted.
[0107] Conventionally, an application form for continuing insurance
contract was heretofore forwarded by postal mail to the customer
or insurant having the insurance policy close to the expiration,
thus causing the drop of the percentage of contract conclusion.
Consequently, an insurance solicitor of the insurance company or
insurance agent often canvasses for renewal insurance. Thus, even
accidental encounter of the insurance agent with the customer having
the insurance contract expiring soon marks a great opportunity for
getting the insurance contract. If the insurance solicitor or agent
does not carry an exclusive portable terminal device, which has
been so far used, and/or sales papers such as insurance guide brochures
at a time like this, the insurance solicitor or agent can offer
various insurance services by using his/her own terminal device
3. For example, in proceeding with sales dealings for insurance
contract at a coffee shop with the customer, the insurance solicitor
or agent can automatically accessed to the Web site managed by the
insurance company merely by plugging a dedicated adapter to his/her
cell phone via Internet.
[0108] Thus, the terminal authentication information is automatically
transmitted to the management device 2 by plugging the dedicated
adapter into the terminal device 3 to connect the terminal device
to the management device 2 with the dedicated adapter connection
means 31 (S101). Simultaneously, the terminal discriminating information
acquisition means 233 acquires the terminal authentication information
indicating that the terminal device connected to the management
device is the cell phone, referring to the information data sent
from a cell-phone operator (carrier). However, since the cell phone
is used in this case, the location authentication information cannot
be acquired (S201). Thus, the management device 2 determines how
the terminal discriminating information is compensated through the
information compensation means 231, referring to terminal discriminating
database 232, when transmitting the information to the terminal
device 3 (S103). The subsequent processing is carried out while
compensating the information data to be transmitted from the management
device 2 to the terminal device 3 in accordance with the displaying
ability of the terminal device 3. The compensation appropriate for
the cell phone serving as the terminal device is always performed
every time the information data are transmitted to the terminal
device.
[0109] Subsequently, the management device 2 transmits the agent
authentication information entry form to the corresponding terminal
device 3 through the agent authentication support means 2112 (S104),
and then, upon entering the ID number and password previously authenticated
to the sales representative of the insurant agency, the entered
data are submitted to the agent authentication information acquisition
means 2113 of the management device 2 (S105-S106). Then, the terminal
authentication information and agent authentication information
are authenticated by the authentication means 212 of the management
device 2 (S107). In this case, since the location authentication
information is not recognized, but the terminal authentication information
and agent authentication information are authenticated, the authentication
level is determined as Level 1 by the level determination means
2122 (S108). Consequently, the menu 2511 is transmitted to the terminal
device 3 through the service information means 251 (S109). On the
menu 2511 as shown in FIG. 6, "Auto Insurance (renewal)"
25121 is selected and notified to the management device 2 (S110).
Thereafter, various application data entry forms for preparing an
application form for renewal contract of auto insurance in the management
device 2 are transmitted from the application assist means 252 to
the terminal device 3 (S111). The relevant application data entry
form is displayed on the display of the terminal device to permit
the sales representative or customer to enter the required information
into the form in sequence, to submit the entered information to
the management device 2 (S112) and to make up the required renewal
contract application form 2541 as shown in FIG. 8 (S113). The renewal
contract application form by way of example may be prepared by searching
the expiration information database 2533 on the basis of the agent
authentication information and transmitting a list of expiration
information of the customer in the charge of the sales representative
of the insurance agent to the terminal device 3. The list of expiration
information on the display of the terminal device 3 contains the
names 25332 of the customers each having the insurance policy close
to the expiration as shown in FIG. 12. The sales representative
searches within the list of expiration information 25331 to retrieve
the target name of the customer now in the charge of the sales representative,
and then, selects "Next" 25333, so that the notice of
insurance expiration information 25334, which was already sent to
the customer by mail or the like, is displayed on the display of
the terminal device 3. On the display of the terminal device 3,
three types of recommended insurance advice for renewal contract
are displayed as shown in FIG. 13. When selecting "Modified
Contract" 25336 on the display, other contract information
is displayed instead of the contract information 25335. By selecting
one of three types of the contract information upon changing the
contract type and pressing "Trial-calculation" 25337,
a command for trial calculation of insurance premium is submitted
to the management device 2.
[0110] In the management device 2, the insurance premium for the
newly contracted or renewal insurance is provisionally calculated
referring to the premium trial-calculation database 2532, and then,
the calculating result 25321 of the insurance premium is transmitted
from the trial-calculation representation means to the terminal
device 3. Thus, the calculating result 25321 is displayed on the
display of the terminal device 3 as shown in FIG. 7. When the customer
consents the contract conditions including the estimated insurance
premium on the display of the terminal device, "Next"
25322 is selected to notify the customer's consents to the management
device 2. In a case of requesting to change the contract conditions,
save the trial calculating result or suspend the procedures, the
requested form can be arbitrarily displayed. Next, the insurant
information 25341 of the insurant registered beforehand in the insurant
database 2534 is retrieved from the database with the insurant information
transmission means 2327 of the management device 2. Upon confirming
the insurant information 25341 thus retrieved and displayed on the
display of the terminal device as shown in FIG. 14, "Apply"
25342 is selected to be transmitted to the management device 2.
Then, an application form 2541 is made up with the application form
drafting means 254 of the management device 2 on the basis of the
contract policy selected at the terminal device 3 and the confirmed
insurant information (S113). The subsequent procedures are the same
as in that for the new insurance contract as described above (S114-S127).
According to the working example 2 d |