Abstract:
This patent discloses methods and systems for remotely requesting a flood zone determination from a mobile device such as a smart phone. The methods and systems use the GPS receiver in the mobile device to determine the exact latitude and longitude of the user&#39;s location, thus eliminating the need for geocoding, eliminating errors introduced by manual data entry, and eliminating the need for the time consuming manual determination processes required, for example, for non-standard-addressed locations and for structures located near a 100-year flood zone.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have prepared extensive nationwide flood maps that categorize regions into flood insurance rate zones. For example, a “Zone A” region indicates that the region is more susceptible to flooding than a “Zone X” region. During the course of virtually every real estate transaction, one or more of the parties to the transaction needs to determine whether or not a given structure or piece of real property lies within an area that is susceptible to flooding. For example, a lender may use that information to condition a loan on the purchase of flood insurance, an insurance agent may use that information to quote and/or sell flood insurance, a residential home developer may use that information in planning the layout of home sites, a potential buyer may use that information in calculating an offer price, and a professional such as an appraiser or surveyor might use that information in preparation of an appraisal or survey. 
     A party interested in flood information typically relies on a service provider to perform a flood zone determination. Using the street address of the property, the service provider locates the address on special maps to determine the flood insurance rate zone for that address. However, manual determination of a flood zone is a time-consuming process, and service providers have developed complex computer software in an attempt to automate flood zone determinations. 
     Automated flood zone determination involves two steps. In the first step, a user enters a street address into special geocoding software which determines the longitude and latitude coordinates associated with the given street address. Methods of geocoding are known in the art. In the second step, special flood zone determination software uses the longitude and latitude coordinates to find the location in a database of digitized flood zone maps. Methods of flood zone determinations are known in the art. For example, American Flood Research Inc. uses third party geocoding software to convert a street address into a corresponding longitude and latitude, and then uses proprietary flood zone determination software to correlate the latitude/longitude to one of the FEMA flood insurance rate zones. 
     However, there are several known deficiencies in the current automated flood zone determination systems. First, not every location has a precise street address. In some rural locations, houses may be identified only by a mailing address, for example, “Route 4 Box 17.” Or, in an area under development, there simply may be no street name available. Second, even where there is a known street address, the system is still subject to human error. A user entering the address may transpose digits, enter the wrong street name/type, or enter the wrong city or state. For example, “100 Main Street, Ada, Okla.” and “100 Main Street, Ada, Ohio” are both actual addresses, but are separated by nearly a thousand miles. Third, a large plot of land, having a single street address, may encompass multiple flood zones that may or may not affect the actual structure. For example, there may be a creek bed several hundred feet away and thirty feet lower in elevation from the proposed home site. The system will be unable to respond to the request automatically, and, without manual intervention, the service provider will run the risk of an inaccurate flood determination. Fourth, in practice, while an interested party may make an in-field inspection of the property, in most instances, the party must return to the office to prepare and send the flood determination request to the service provider, or the party, if not using a flood zone determination service provider, will have to identify the appropriate flood insurance rate map and then locate the structure or property on that map. This creates additional paperwork which must be manually filed, it creates additional opportunities for data-entry errors, and it adds to the amount of time required to obtain the flood zone determination. Fifth, the special geocoding software is not foolproof, and on occasion, may not return the precise latitude and longitude coordinates for a given street address; while the geocoding software might allow manual correction of the coordinates using, for example, a satellite map overlay, this is time consuming and still subject to human error. 
     Therefore, what is needed in an automated flood determination system is a mechanism that not only speeds up the process but provides precise latitude and longitude coordinates for all real properties, thus eliminating the need for geocoding, which is limited to geocodable addresses and has the potential for geocoding errors, and eliminating the need for any manual intervention for locating real property. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention incorporates a number of known technologies into a novel system for making flood zone determinations. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention use a mobile application client (an “App”), written to operate on a properly-equipped mobile communications device, to record and transmit longitude and latitude coordinates and a photograph to a flood search service, written to operate on a traditional computer server. The flood search service interfaces with a flood zone determination system to retrieve the flood insurance rate zone corresponding to the longitude and latitude coordinates and sends that flood insurance rate zone back to the App. The flood search server platform also maintains a database for managing users, requests, and responses. The flood zone determination system is a computer programmed to locate a given set of coordinates in a specific flood insurance rate zone. This includes the application of special algorithms, flood insurance rate maps, regulations, and other rules associated with flood zone determination, to identify the flood insurance rate zone associated with the coordinates. 
     By way of example, the present invention could include an App running on a “smart phone.” The user, through the App&#39;s interface, instructs the App to (a) use the smart phone&#39;s GPS receiver to record the latitude and longitude of the current location, (b) use the smart phone&#39;s camera to take a picture of the current location, and (c) use the smart phone&#39;s data services to send the latitude and longitude coordinates, the picture, and user identification information to a flood search service. The flood search service obtains the flood insurance rate zone from the flood determination server, records the request and results in its local flood search database, and then sends information related to results back to the App. The App then presents the information, which could include the rate zone identifier, map overlays, a formal flood certificate, flood insurance information, and the like, on the smart phone display. 
     Thus, the present invention addresses the deficiencies in current flood zone determination systems: Since it provides precise latitude and longitude coordinates rather than relying on geocoding software, it eliminates the uncertainty associated with real properties lacking a precise or non-geocodable street address, it eliminates the uncertainty associated with real properties encompassing multiple flood zones or having structures close to a flood zone, it eliminates the potential for human error associated with manual data entry, and it eliminates the need for manual correction or verification. Since it may associate a photographic record with the latitude and longitude used in determining the flood insurance rate zone, the present invention adds an extra level of confidence in the results. Thus, the present invention completes the flood zone determination for all real properties much faster and more accurately than current systems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a block diagram for an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the remote flood zone determination process. 
         FIGS. 3   a - 3   e  show example user interface screen shots during various steps in an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows the flow of messages during an embodiment of the remote flood zone determination process. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram for an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, Mobile Device  100  is an HTC Titan II™ equipped with a 16 MP Camera  101  and a GPS receiver  102 , having a Data Network Interface  104  which is capable of connecting to a Data Network  200  using 4G LTE, and running the Windows® Phone operating system along with Flood Search App Client  105  software to implement a portion of the present invention. Data Network  200  is the AT&amp;T 4G LTE data network. Flood Search Server Platform  300  is a Dell PowerEdge 1950 computer running the Windows 2003 Server operating system and a Flood Search Service  301 . Flood Search Engine  302  resides on Flood Search Server Platform  300  and implements a portion of the present invention. Flood Search Database  303  resides on Flood Search Server Platform  300  and stores user information and search results. Flood Search Engine  302  has a Data Network Interface  304  connected to Data Network  200  and a Data Network Interface  305  connected to a Local Area Network  400 . Flood Determination Platform  500  is a Dell PowerEdge 1950 computer running the Windows 2008 Server operating system along with proprietary Flood Zone Determination Software  501  used by but not within the scope of the present invention. Flood Maps Database  502  resides on Flood Determination Platform  500  and stores information used in the flood determination process as well as the digitized FEMA flood insurance rate maps. Flood Determination Platform  500  has a Data Network Interface  504  connected to Local Area Network  400 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the remote flood zone determination process. First, User  106  starts Flood Search App Client  105  by tapping on the appropriate icon on Display  103 . Flood Search App Client  105  then prompts User  106  with a number of options, one of which is the option of making a new flood request. After selecting this option, Flood Search App Client  105  prompts User  106  to point Camera  101  at the point of interest (for example, a structure located on Real Property  108 ) and provides a “take picture” icon on Display  103  (the icon will only be active once Flood Search App Client  105  confirms that GPS Receiver  102  has stable longitude and latitude coordinates). After pointing Camera  101  at the point of interest, User  106  taps on the icon to take the picture. At roughly the same time as Flood Search App Client  105  takes Picture  109 , it retrieves the latitude and longitude Coordinates no from GPS Receiver  102 . 
     Flood Search App Client  105  then provides a “submit” icon on Display  103  to prompt the user to submit the information. When User  106  taps on the appropriate icon, Flood Search App Client  105  sends a Flood Search App Request  111  using HTTP (all data message traffic between Flood Search App Client  105  and Flood Search Service  301  uses HTTP). Flood Search App Request  111  includes Picture  109 , Coordinates no, and any additional information necessary or useful to associate Picture  109  and Coordinates  110  with this specific Flood Search App Request in (for example, an identifier associated with User  106 , a time/date stamp, and/or an index number), to Flood Search Service  301  which forwards it to Flood Search Engine  302 . Flood Search Engine  302  stores Flood Search App Request  111  information in Flood Search Database  303 , extracts Coordinates  110  from Flood Search App Request in and forwards Coordinates  110  on to Flood Determination Platform  500  via Local Area Network  400 . 
     Flood Zone Determination Software  501  on Flood Determination Platform  500  uses its proprietary software, Coordinates  110 , and the digitized FEMA flood insurance rate maps in Flood Maps Database  502  to make the flood zone determination. Flood Zone Determination Software  501  then sends back Flood Zone Determination Results  503 , including the flood zone identifier and the coordinates of the flood zone along with any additional information needed to associate Flood Zone Determination Results  503  with Flood Search App Request  111 , to Flood Search Engine  302 . 
     Once Flood Search Engine  302  has received Flood Zone Determination Results  503 , it extracts and stores the information into Flood Search Database  303 . It then creates a Flood Search App Response  306  message which it sends, via Flood Search Service  301 , back to Flood Search App Client  105 . The Flood Search App Response  306  includes Coordinates  110 , the flood zone identifier associated with Coordinates  110  and the coordinates defining the perimeter of the associated flood zone. Flood Search App Client  105  then uses the information in Flood Search App Response  306  to display the results in text form and/or map form on Display  103 . When displaying the results in map form, Flood Search App Client  105  will overlay the flood zone perimeter and location of Real Property  108  on a street map and aerial map provided by other software on Mobile Device  100  (for example, Bing Maps). 
       FIGS. 3   a - 3   e  show examples of what User  106  might see on Display  103  during the course of using an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3   a  shows Display  103  prior to taking Picture  109  of Real Property  108 ,  FIG. 3   b  shows Display  103  prior to accepting Picture  109 ,  FIG. 3   c  shows Display  103  prior to submitting Flood Search App Request  111  to Flood Search Engine  302 ,  FIG. 3   d  shows the text version of Display  103  after Flood Search App Client  105  has received Flood Search App Response  306 , and  FIG. 3   e  shows the map version of Display  103  after Flood Search App Client  105  has received Flood Search App Response  306 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the flow of messages during an embodiment of the remote flood zone determination process. 
     Additional Hardware, Software, and Network Embodiments 
     In the first embodiment, Mobile Device  100  was identified as a HTC Titan II. In other embodiments, Mobile Device  100  can be virtually any device having a central processing unit, memory, a user interface, a digital camera, a GPS receiver, and a wireless network interface. By way of example and not limitation, Mobile Device  100  could be a laptop computer, a net book computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, or any other comparable device known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Further, in the first embodiment, Display  103  on Mobile Device  100  was a touch screen interface. In other embodiments, Display  103  can be a non-touch display, and Mobile Device  100  would require another mechanism for allowing User  106  to interface with Mobile Device  100 , such as a physical keypad or voice interface. Also in other embodiments, Mobile Device  100  could include an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and/or other sensor. In other embodiments, Mobile Device  100  need not include a Camera  101 ; while Picture  109  provides an additional level of confidence in the results, it is not essential in determining the flood insurance rate zone. 
     In the first embodiment, Data Network  200  was identified as a 4G LTE data network. In other embodiments, Data Network  200  could be virtually any wireless communications mechanism used to send and receive data to and from a Mobile Device  100 . By way of example and not limitation, Data Network  200  could be a mobile broadband network based on GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSPA, CDMA, and the like, it could be a wireless LAN based on one of the IEEE 802.11 standards, it could be a satellite-based Internet link, or it could be any other comparable network known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. 
     In the first embodiment, Flood Search Server Platform  300  and Flood Determination Platform  500  were identified as Dell computers running the Window Server operating system. In other embodiments, each of these computers could be could be virtually any computer that has a network interface and a processor with sufficient speed to execute the resident software. By way of example and not limitation, these computers could be one of any number of computers manufactured and sold by Dell, Apple, HP, IBM, Oracle, or any other comparable computer known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Further, in other embodiments, these computers could be running any operating system available for the hardware platform. By way of example and not limitation, this could be any of the Unix-derived operating systems, Windows, Apple OS X, z/OS, and any other comparable computer known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. 
     Further, in the first embodiment, Flood Search Server Platform  300  and Flood Determination Platform  500  were identified as physically-separate computers. In other embodiments, the software associated with each could run on the same computer, the software could be distributed over multiple computers, all or part of the software could be running on multiple computers operating as a cluster, or the software could be configured in any other manner known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Further, if the software is distributed over multiple computers, those computers could be connected via Local Area Network  400  as in the first embodiment, or alternatively, they could be connected over a wide area network or over a combination of local and wide area networks. 
     Further, in the first embodiment, Flood Search Database  303  and Flood Maps Database  502  were directly accessible by their respective platforms. In other embodiments, either or both databases could be housed on a separate platform and accessed via a network, both databases could reside on the same platform and accessed directly or via a network, both databases could be combined into a single database and/or combined with other databases, or the databases could be arranged in any other functionally comparable configuration known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. Further, the term “database” in the context of this patent does not imply any particular database management system, but instead, simply refers to any organized collection of data, whether it resides in memory, on disk, or both. 
     Further, in the first embodiment, messages sent by Flood Search App Client  105  were routed to Flood Search Service  301 . Flood Search Service  301  may be an off-the-shelf web server configured to coordinate requests and responses with Flood Search Engine  302 , it may be a limited-function server that merely understands how to route requests and responses between Flood Search App Client  105  and Flood Search Engine  302 , or its functionality may be integrated into Flood Search Engine  302  itself. Further, in the first embodiment, messages between Flood Search App Client  105  and Flood Search Engine  302  used the HTTP protocol. Using HTTP simplifies the design and operation of the system since it is a well-known protocol, there is an abundance of available source code for its implementation and integration in applications, and HTTP message are typically allowed to pass through firewalls. However, in other embodiments, other message transport protocols could be used. By way of example and not limitation, messages could be sent using HTTPS, SMS, MMS, proprietary messaging protocols, or any other comparable messaging technology known to a person having ordinary skill in the art. 
     Further, in the first embodiment, Flood Search App Client  105  used Bing Maps as the source for the street map when displaying the flood zone overlay. In other embodiments, other map service providers could be used. By way of example and not limitation, this could be Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest, or any other comparable service provider. 
     Additional Feature Embodiments 
     The first embodiment described above provides the basic features of the present invention. In other embodiments, Flood Search Engine  302  or Flood Search Service  301  could provide User  106  (or Other User  112 ) with a web-based interface to Flood Search Database  303 . For example, a User  106  or Other User  112  could, via Flood Search App Client  105  or through a traditional web browser client, log into Flood Search Website  307  and review previous Flood Search App Requests in and Flood Search App Responses  306  based on location, date, or other characteristic, or simply review a history of all Flood Search App Requests  111  and Flood Search App Responses  306  associated with User  106  or Other User  112 . In addition, User  106  or Other User  112  could print previous requests and results, download them to another computer or separate file, forward them via email, or send them to some other external computer using virtually any electronic transfer mechanism. 
     Further, in other embodiments, the user interface on the Flood Search App Client  105  could provide the typical features associated with app user interfaces, such as undo and redo, online help, auditory alerts, history, user preferences, account updates, emailing and/or texting results, sorting and searching information, purchasing additional flood search requests, and the like. 
     Further, in other embodiments, the coordinate received from Flood Search App Client  105  may be in a specific coordinate system (for example, GSW84) and such coordinate systems must be used by Flood Zone Determination Software  501 . Flood Zone Determination Software  501 , if needed, may perform conversions, recalculations, and rescaling to ensure accurate flood zone determination results by Flood Zone Determination Software  501  and in the display of the maps on Display  103 . By way of example and not limitation, in order to display a flood zone overlay on a Bing map on Display  103 , the perimeter of the flood zone overlay must be precisely scaled and positioned to match the Bing map. One method to accomplish this would be for the system to send a request to Bing Maps asking for the latitude and longitude of a boundary map around Coordinates  110  at a specific zoom level (for example, 2000 feet). Upon receipt of the response from Bing Maps, Flood Zone Determination Software  501  would use those boundary coordinates to scale the coordinates defining the perimeter of the associated flood zone map overlay. In so doing, when Flood Search App Client  105  overlays the flood zone perimeter on the Bing map on Display  103 , User  106  will be able to see precisely where the flood zone begins and ends in reference to the base Bing map. 
     Further, in other embodiments, when displaying the information from Flood Search App Response  306 , Flood Search App Client  105  could allow the User  106  to toggle between the text and map versions of the results, zoom and pan the map version of the results, add and remove various map overlays such as aerial photographs, landmarks, political boundaries, terrain, elevation, nearby flood zones, and other map-related features. 
     Further, where Real Property  108  may be partly within and/or near a 100-year flood plain, it may be necessary to determine whether any part of a structure on Real Property  108  is within that 100-year flood plain. Therefore, in other embodiments, Flood Search App Client  105  may be configured to accept additional pairs of Coordinates  110  before sending Flood Search App Requests  111 , into which the additional pairs of Coordinates  110  have been inserted. Flood Search Engine  302  would receive and forward the Coordinates  110  to Flood Determination Software  501  for the flood zone determination. By way of example and not limitation, Flood Search App Client  105  could instruct User  106  to stand at various locations of Real Property  108  and submit the additional pairs of Coordinates  110 . The additional pairs of Coordinates  110  could define a straight line corresponding to the back wall of a house or structure on Real Property  108 , a polygon corresponding to the perimeter of a house or structure on Real Property  108 , or any other geometric shape. If a 100-year flood zone intersects any part of the geometric shape, the structure on Real Property  108  would be determined to be in a 100-year flood plain and flood insurance would be recommended or required. 
     Further, in other embodiments, Flood Search App Client  105  could send other readings from sensors integrated into Mobile Device  100 , for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a range finder, or a stereoscopic camera, to Flood Search Engine  302 . Flood Search Engine  302  (or Flood Search App Client  105 ) could use this additional information to calculate the longitude and latitude of the polygon associated with a structure at which the camera was aimed when User  106  took Picture  109 . The longitude and latitude of this polygon could be used in making a flood zone determination where the Real Property  108  sits on the boundary of multiple flood insurance rate zones. 
     Further, in other embodiments, where the results indicate the property is in a 100-year flood zone where insurance is recommended or may be required, Flood Search Engine  302  could send additional insurance-related information to Flood Search App Client  105 . Such information could include contact information about insurance options, contact information for insurance agents, insurance quotes, and/or contracts for the purchase of insurance. 
     Further, in other embodiments, along with the basic flood zone determination and map, Flood Search Engine  302  could send additional related information to Flood Search App Client  105  for display. By way of example and not limitation, additional information may include detailed information about the flood zone, including an indication of whether or not there was community participation on the flood zone, the community panel, the date of the applicable flood zone panel, an indicator of whether or not flood insurance was recommended or required, map overlays for neighboring flood zones, distance to nearest 100-year flood zone, a standard flood hazard determination form (for example, FEMA form 81-93 or some variant), and/or an elevation certificate (for example, FEMA form 81-31). 
     Further, in other embodiments, Flood Search Database  303  could contain additional information manually entered by User  106  and sent by Flood Search App Client  105  to Flood Search Engine  302 ; by way of example and not limitation, such information might include notes about what User  106  observed at Real Property  108 . Further, Flood Search Database  303  could contain additional information automatically collected by Flood Search App Client  105  and sent to Flood Search Engine  302 ; by way of example and not limitation, such information might include the Camera  101  angle, direction, and distance from a structure when User  106  took Picture  109 . Further, Flood Search Database  303  could contain additional information provided by Flood Zone Determination Software  501 ; by way of example and not limitation, such information might include version numbers associated with Flood Zone Determination Software  501  or Flood Maps Database  502 . 
     Table 1 below lists examples of information that could be stored on a per-request basis in Flood Search Database  303 . 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Request-related data 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Request Date 
               
               
                   
                 Request Time 
               
               
                   
                 Longitude and latitude coordinates 
               
               
                   
                 Street address 
               
               
                   
                 Location description 
               
               
                   
                 Photograph 
               
               
                   
                 Mobile device identification 
               
               
                   
                 User identification 
               
               
                   
                 Flood search app client software version 
               
               
                   
                 Flood search app server software version 
               
               
                   
                 Flood zone determination software version 
               
               
                   
                 Direction of camera 
               
               
                   
                 Angle of camera 
               
               
                   
                 Distance from camera to structure 
               
               
                   
                 Free-form notes 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Further, in other embodiments, Flood Search App Client  105  could require the user to provide some form of identification before allowing User  106  to initiate the remote flood zone determination process. One method to do this would be to require the User  106  to enter a personal identification number (PIN)  107 . Flood Search App Client  105  would send this PIN  107  to Flood Search Engine  302  which would determine if PIN  107  is found in Flood Search Database  303 . If PIN  107  exists, Flood Search Engine  302  would send a message to Flood Search App Client  105  instructing it to allow User  106  to proceed. If it does not exist, Flood Search Engine  302  would send an error message back to Flood Search App Client  105  which would display appropriate text on Display  103  and allow User  106  to enter a correct PIN  107 . In other embodiments, the Flood Search App Client  105  could use any identification mechanism associated with User  106 , in lieu of or in addition to PIN  107 . By way of example and not limitation, this could be a username/password combination, an email address, the phone number associated with Mobile Device  100 , a public key certificate, or any other identifier. 
     Additionally, the user identifier could be stored on Mobile Device  100  so that once entered, User  106  need not manually enter the identifier on every invocation of Flood Search App Client  105 . Further, in other embodiments, instead of having a preconfigured entry for User  106  in Flood Search Database  303 , Flood Search App Client  105  could be initially loaded with a unique identifier having a fixed number of flood search App requests enabled. Flood Search App Client  105  would send the unique identifier to Flood Search Engine  302 . If the unique identifier was not already in Flood Search Database  303 , Flood Search Engine  302  would add the entry; if the unique identifier was already in Flood Search Database  303 , Flood Search Engine  302  would which would confirm that the fixed number of requests has not been exceeded. Thereafter, each time User  106  made a request through Flood Search App Client  105 , Flood Search Engine  302  would decrement the number of requests remaining. 
     Table 2 below lists examples of information that could be stored on a per-user basis in Flood Search Database  303 . 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 User-related data 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Name 
               
               
                   
                 Company 
               
               
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                 Phone number 
               
               
                   
                 Email address 
               
               
                   
                 PIN 
               
               
                   
                 User name 
               
               
                   
                 Password 
               
               
                   
                 Requests completed 
               
               
                   
                 Requests remaining 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.