Patent Issued for Analyzing telematics data to determine travel events and corrective actions (USPTO 11048269)

2021 JUL 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States) has been issued patent number 11048269, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Hayward, Gregory (Bloomington, IL, US).

This patent was filed on April 9, 2019 and was published online on June 29, 2021.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Conventional telematics devices may collect certain types of data regarding vehicle operation. However, conventional telematics devices and data gathering techniques may have several drawbacks.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In one aspect, telematics data and/or geographic location data may be collected, monitored, measured, and/or generated by one or more computing devices associated with a vehicle. The telematics data may include various metrics that indicate the direction, speed, and/or motion of the vehicle in which the data is associated. The geographic location data may include a geographic location of the vehicle, such as latitude and longitude coordinates, for example. The one or more computing devices may include a mobile computing device positioned within the vehicle, an on-board computer integrated within the vehicle, and/or a combination of these devices working in conjunction with one another. The one or more computing devices may broadcast the telematics data and/or the geographic location data to one or more other devices.

“The telematics data and/or the geographic location data may be received and/or processed by one or more other computing devices to determine whether an anomalous condition exists, such as a traffic accident, for example. These one or more other computing devices may be external computing devices (e.g., a remote server), another mobile computing device, a smart traffic infrastructure device (e.g., a smart traffic light), etc. If an anomalous condition is detected, the geographic location of the vehicle associated with the telematics data may be used as a condition to decide whether to generate an alert at (or send an alert notification to) the one or more other computing devices associated with nearby vehicles.

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method may be provided regarding using telematics (and/or other) data to provide telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality. The method may include (a) receiving telematics data, at or by (1) a mobile device associated with a driver, and/or (2) a smart vehicle controller of a vehicle associated with the driver, via wireless communication and/or data transmission; (b) analyzing or reviewing the telematics data, at or by the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller) to determine that a travel event exists (that is revealed by the telematics data) based upon the telematics data and/or a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the travel event (such as revealed by the telematics data); © if the travel event exists, then further determining if the travel event presents an issue or problem for the driver (e.g., owner of the mobile device or smart vehicle, an insured driver of the vehicle, etc.), via the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller), such as by determining that the GPS location of the travel event is located along or on the current travel route of the vehicle, and/or in a vicinity or ahead of the current GPS location of the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller); and/or (d) if so, automatically taking a preventive or corrective action, at or via the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller) that alleviates a negative impact of the travel event on the driver and/or vehicle to facilitate safer and/or more efficient vehicle travel.

“In another aspect, a computer-implemented method may be provided for using telematics (and/or other) data at a destination vehicle or device to provide telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality. The method may include (a) receiving telematics data, at or by (1) a mobile device associated with a driver, and/or (2) a smart vehicle controller of a vehicle associated with the driver, via wireless communication and/or data transmission; (b) analyzing or reviewing the telematics data, at or by the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller) to determine that a travel event exists (that is revealed by the telematics data); © comparing a GPS location, at or by the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller), of the travel event (such as revealed by the telematics data) with a current GPS location or current travel route of the mobile device (and/or smart vehicle controller); (d) based upon the comparison, determining if the travel event presents an issue or problem for the driver of the vehicle, via the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller), such as by determining that the GPS location of the travel event is located along or on the current travel route of the vehicle, and/or in a vicinity (e.g., within a predetermined distance (such as 5 miles for highway travel, or 3 blocks for city street travel)) or ahead of the current GPS location of the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller); and/or (e) if so, automatically taking a preventive or corrective action, at or via the mobile device (or smart vehicle controller) that alleviates a negative impact of the travel event on the driver to facilitate safer and/or more efficient vehicle travel. The method may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“Advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present embodiments may be capable of other and different embodiments, and their details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method of using telematics data to provide telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, the method comprising: receiving, via a destination computing device associated with a destination vehicle and a destination driver, the telematics data from an originating computing device; determining, via the destination computing device based upon an analysis of the telematics data, a geographic location of a travel event using Global Positioning System (GPS) data; identifying, via the destination computing device, a relevance of the travel event by determining, using the telematics data, whether the geographic location of the travel event is located (i) along a current travel route of the destination vehicle, or (ii) within a threshold distance of a current GPS location of the destination computing device; and when the travel event is identified to be relevant, at least one of: (i) providing, via the destination computing device, a graphical user interface (GUI) to alert the destination driver, the GUI including a display of: (a) an indication of a description of the travel event, the indication of the description of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the description or a graphical indication of the description, and (b) an indication of the geographic location of the travel event, the indication of the geographic location of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the geographic location, a graphical indication of the geographic location, or a map indicating the geographic location, or (ii) automatically taking at least one other corrective action, via the destination computing device, to affect driving of the destination vehicle.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device is located within an originating vehicle when the one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device has exceeded a threshold speed for a threshold duration of time.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telematics data includes data indicative of a driving speed limit at a location corresponding to the geographic location of an originating vehicle, and further comprising: identifying, via the destination computing device, the travel event based upon a comparison of the speed of the originating vehicle to the driving speed limit.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the geographic location of the travel event is located within the threshold distance of the current GPS location of the destination computing device includes determining whether the destination vehicle is within a geofence that has a shape matching a road upon which an originating vehicle is traveling.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other corrective action includes generating an alternate travel route that avoids the geographic location of the travel event.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telematics data is indicative of one or more of GPS speed, lane information associated with an originating vehicle, time, turning associated with the originating vehicle, battery level associated with the originating computing device, and telephone usage information associated the originating computing device.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the telematics data indicates that an originating vehicle is experiencing one or more of high traffic conditions, congestion, road construction, and extreme weather conditions.

“8. A destination computing device associated with a destination vehicle and a destination driver, comprising: a communication unit comprising a transceiver and configured to receive telematics data from an originating computing device; one or more processors configured to: determine, based upon an analysis of the telematics data, a geographic location of a travel event using Global Positioning System (GPS) data; identify a relevance of the travel event by determining, using the telematics data, whether the geographic location of the travel event is located (i) along a current travel route of the destination vehicle, or (ii) within a threshold distance of a current GPS location of the destination computing device; when the travel event is identified to be relevant, automatically direct at least one corrective action to alert the destination driver, the at least one corrective action including at least one of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) or at least one other corrective action that affects driving of the destination vehicle; and a display configured to at least one of (i) provide the GUI, the GUI including a screen showing (a) an indication of a description of the travel event, the indication of the description of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the description or a graphical indication of the description, and (b) an indication of the geographic location of the travel event, the indication of the geographic location of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the geographic location, a graphical indication of the geographic location, or a map indicating the geographic location, or (ii) present insurance policy pricing adjustment information associated with the destination driver that is based upon a destination driver risk due to the identified travel event, so as to promote or reward risk averse behavior and safer driving.

“9. The destination computing device of claim 8, wherein one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device is located within an originating vehicle when the one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device has exceeded a threshold speed for a threshold duration of time.

“10. The destination computing device 8, wherein the telematics data includes data indicative of a driving speed limit at a location corresponding to the geographic location of an originating vehicle, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify the travel event based upon a comparison of the speed of the originating vehicle to the driving speed limit.

“11. The destination computing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether the geographic location of the travel event is located within the threshold distance of the current GPS location of the destination computing device based upon whether the destination vehicle is within a geofence that has a shape matching a road upon which an originating vehicle is traveling.

“12. The destination computing device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to automatically direct the at least one preventive or corrective action by generating an alternate travel route that avoids the geographic location of the travel event.

“13. The destination computing device of claim 8, wherein the telematics data is indicative of one or more of GPS speed, lane information associated with an originating vehicle, time, turning associated with the originating vehicle, battery level associated with the originating computing device, and telephone usage information associated the originating computing device.

“14. The destination computing device of claim 8, wherein the telematics data indicates that an originating vehicle is experiencing one or more of high traffic conditions, congestion, road construction, and extreme weather conditions.

“15. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium associated with a destination computing device that is associated with a destination vehicle and a destination driver, the computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the destination computing device, cause the destination computing device to: receive telematics data generated by an originating computing device; determine, based upon an analysis of the telematics data, a geographic location of a travel event using Global Positioning System (GPS) data; identify a relevance of the travel event by determining, using the telematics data, whether the geographic location of the travel event is located (i) along a current travel route of the destination vehicle, or (ii) within a threshold distance of a current GPS location of the destination computing device; when the travel event is identified to be relevant, perform at least one of: (i) provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to alert the destination driver, the GUI including a display of (a) an indication of a description of the travel event, the indication of the description of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the description or a graphical indication of the description, and (b) an indication of the geographic location of the travel event, the indication of the geographic location of the travel event including at least one of a text indication of the geographic location, a graphical indication of the geographic location, or a map indicating the geographic location, or (ii) automatically cause at least one other corrective action to affect driving of the destination vehicle.

“16. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device is located within an originating vehicle when the one or more sensors indicate that the originating computing device has exceeded a threshold speed for a threshold duration of time.”

There are additional claims. Please visit full patent to read further.

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Hayward, Gregory. Analyzing telematics data to determine travel events and corrective actions. U.S. Patent Number 11048269, filed April 9, 2019, and published online on June 29, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=11048269.PN.&OS=PN/11048269RS=PN/11048269

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