# US 11,443,385 B1 · Method for using electronic metadata to verify insurance claims > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,385 B1 - Document ID: US11443385B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/841,060 - Filed: 2020-04-06 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2008-10-07 - Assignees: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Applicants: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company - Inventors: Thomas A. McCall; William D. Bryant; John W. S. Riney; Christopher E. Gay - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443385B1 ## CPC - G06Q 40/08: Insurance - G06Q 20/3276: {using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device} - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G06Q 10/101: Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services - G06Q 20/387: {Payment using discounts or coupons (relating to marketing G06Q30/02)} - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes - G06Q 50/22: Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services - G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records - G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - G16H 80/00: ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract A method includes receiving a digital file from a customer, extracting metadata from the file, and verifying the metadata prior to accepting the digital file. The method may include verifying that a representation of a required physical token appears in the digital file. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method for processing a digital media file, the method comprising: specifying, by a server, a physical token associated with a customer upon receiving a request via network communications with a computing device, the request being associated with a purchase or cancellation of an insurance policy; responsive to the specifying, receiving, at the server, (i) a digital photograph file from the computing device that is representative of an image of an insurance-related subject, and (ii) an image of the physical token; extracting, by the server, metadata embedded in the digital photograph file; analyzing, by the server, the extracted metadata to determine that the digital photograph file has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution; determining, by the server, a date that the digital photograph file was captured based upon the extracted metadata; performing, by the server, an automated image recognition process that includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in the image of the insurance-related subject; verifying, by the server, the digital photograph file when it is determined that (i) the digital photograph file was captured within a predetermined date range, and (ii) the presence of the physical token is detected by the automated image recognition process; and in response to the verification of the digital photograph file and the analysis of the extracted metadata, accepting, by the server, the digital photograph file. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the physical token is a barcode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the physical token is a license plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the physical token is an identification card. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the physical token is a state issued driver's license. ### Claim 6 A computer implemented method of validating a digital photograph, the method comprising: specifying, by a server, a physical token that is required to appear in a digital photograph of an insurance-related subject in response to a request to purchase or cancel an insurance policy; responsive to the specifying, receiving, by the server, the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject from a computing device; analyzing, by the server, embedded metadata of the digital photograph to determine that the digital photograph has an image resolution exceeding a minimum resolution; performing, by the server, an automated image recognition process, including use of optical character recognition (OCR), on the digital photograph to detect a presence of the physical token in the digital photograph of the insurance-related subject; and responsive to the verification of the digital photograph and the analysis of the embedded metadata, accepting the digital photograph. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the digital photograph is associated with an insurance claim for the insurance policy covering the insurance-related subject. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the physical token is a barcode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the physical token is a license plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the physical token is a driver's license. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising examining the embedded metadata of the digital photograph to determine if the digital photograph was created following the provision of the specified physical token to the customer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the physical token is provided to the customer via the internet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the physical token is provided to the customer via mobile phone network. ### Claim 14 A computer system comprising: one or more computer processors for executing computer instructions, and a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing the computer instructions thereon, which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receive a request via communications with a computing device, the request being associated with a purchase or cancellation of an insurance policy; subsequent to receiving the request, receive a digital photograph file from the computing device including a date specified in metadata embedded in the digital photograph file; extract the embedded metadata from the digital photograph file; analyze the extracted metadata of the digital photograph file to determine an image resolution of an image associated with the digital photograph file; determine the date when the digital photograph file was captured based upon the embedded metadata; perform an automated image recognition process that includes using optical character recognition (OCR) to detect a presence of the physical token in the image; and accept the digital photograph file if (i) the date that the digital photograph file was captured is within a predetermined range (ii) the image resolution exceeds a minimum resolution, and (iii) the presence of the physical token is detected in the image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer is associated with an insurance customer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer is associated with an insurance agent.