Home telematics devices and insurance applications

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for implementing a method comprising:

• receiving a digital stream comprising one or more streams of disturbances of an operating device located in a residence, wherein the one or more streams of disturbances are selected from the group consisting of (a) transient voltage noise, (b) continuous, line-synchronous voltage noise, (c) continuous, high-frequency voltage noise, (d) pressure waves in the plumbing infrastructure, and (e) acoustic responses of a gas regulator;
• conditioning the digital stream;
• sampling the digital stream by sliding a sampling window to form digitized samples;
• digitally acquiring a vector of features from the digitized samples;
• responsive to determining that the vector of features has changed, reacquiring the digitized samples;
• responsive to determining that the vector of features represents a new operating device not listed in an operating device inventory for the residence, storing the vector of features as a device signature for the operating device in the operating device inventory for the residence;
• classifying the operating device as a particular type of device found in the residence;
• electronically preparing an insurance claim for the operating device by using the device signature for the operating device, wherein the claim is prepared on behalf of an owner of the operating device;
• after electronically preparing the insurance claim for the operating device, automatically detecting the presence of the operating device based at least in part on the vector of features;
• and
• responsive to detecting the presence of the operating device based at least in part on the vector of features, generating a fraud indication for the operating device.

A system comprising one or more processors, one or more memory storage areas, wherein the system is configured for:

• receiving a digital stream comprising one or more streams of disturbances of an operating device located in a residence, wherein the one or more streams of disturbances are selected from the group consisting of (a) transient voltage noise, (b) continuous, line-synchronous voltage noise, (c) continuous, high-frequency voltage noise, (d) pressure waves in the plumbing infrastructure, and (e) acoustic responses of a gas regulator;
• conditioning the digital stream;
• sampling the digital stream by sliding a sampling window to form digitized samples;
• digitally acquiring a vector of features from the digitized samples;
• responsive to determining that the vector of features has changed, reacquiring the digitized samples;
• responsive to determining that the vector of features represents a new operating device not listed in an operating device inventory for the residence, storing the vector of features as a device signature for the operating device in the operating device inventory for the residence;
• classifying the operating device as a particular type of device found in the residence;
• electronically preparing an insurance claim for the operating device by using the device signature for the operating device, wherein the claim is prepared on behalf of an owner of the operating device;
• after electronically preparing the insurance claim for the operating device, automatically detecting the presence of the operating device based at least in part on the vector of features;
• and
• responsive to detecting the presence of the operating device based at least in part on the vector of features, generating a fraud indication for the operating device.