Patent Issued for Autonomous vehicle operation feature monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness (USPTO 11348182): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2022 JUN 16 (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 11348182, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Christensen, Scott T. (Salem, OR, US), Farris, Scott (Bloomington, IL, US), Hayward, Gregory (Bloomington, IL, US), Konrardy, Blake (San Francisco, CA, US).

This patent was filed on September 24, 2019 and was published online on May 31, 2022.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Vehicle or automobile insurance exists to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic accidents and against liability that could arise therefrom. Typically, a customer purchases a vehicle insurance policy for a policy rate having a specified term. In exchange for payments from the insured customer, the insurer pays for damages to the insured which are caused by covered perils, acts, or events as specified by the language of the insurance policy. The payments from the insured are generally referred to as “premiums,” and typically are paid on behalf of the insured over time at periodic intervals. An insurance policy may remain “in-force” while premium payments are made during the term or length of coverage of the policy as indicated in the policy. An insurance policy may “lapse” (or have a status or state of “lapsed”), for example, when premium payments are not being paid or if the insured or the insurer cancels the policy.

“Premiums may be typically determined based upon a selected level of insurance coverage, location of vehicle operation, vehicle model, and characteristics or demographics of the vehicle operator. The characteristics of a vehicle operator that affect premiums may include age, years operating vehicles of the same class, prior incidents involving vehicle operation, and losses reported by the vehicle operator to the insurer or a previous insurer. Past and current premium determination methods do not, however, account for use of autonomous vehicle operating features. The present embodiments may, inter alia, alleviate this and/or other drawbacks associated with conventional techniques.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present embodiments may be related to autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle functionality, including driverless operation, accident avoidance, or collision warning systems. These autonomous vehicle operation features may either assist the vehicle operator to more safely or efficiently operate a vehicle or may take full control of vehicle operation under some or all circumstances. The present embodiments may also facilitate risk assessment and premium determination for vehicle insurance policies covering vehicles with autonomous operation features.

“In accordance with the described embodiments, the disclosure herein generally addresses systems and methods for evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle. An on-board computer or mobile device may monitor and record vehicle operating data, including information regarding the decisions made by the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology, regardless of whether the decisions are actually used to control the vehicle. A server may receive the operating data and may process this data to determine risk levels associated with operation of the vehicle.

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle may be provided. The computer-implemented method may include collecting a virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality from the vehicle, determining an insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality based upon, at least in part (i.e., wholly or partially), analysis of the virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, determining an adjustment to the insurance policy based upon, at least in part (i.e., wholly or partially), the determined insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, and/or causing the adjustment to the insurance policy to be implemented. The adjustment to the insurance policy may include one or more of generating, updating, or adjusting one or more of the following: a premium, a rate, a discount, a reward, a deductible, or a limit. Additionally, or alternatively, the insurance-based risk may include a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident. The method may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, a computer system for evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle may be provided. The computer system may include one or more processors, one or more communication modules adapted to communicate data, and a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions. The executable instruction may, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to collect a virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality from the vehicle via the one or more communication modules, determine an insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality based upon analysis of the virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, determine an adjustment to the insurance policy based upon the determined insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, and/or cause the adjustment to the insurance policy to be implemented. The adjustment to the insurance policy may include one or more of generating, updating, or adjusting one or more of the following: a premium, a rate, a discount, a reward, a deductible, or a limit. Additionally, or alternatively, the insurance-based risk may include a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident. The system may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In yet another aspect, a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for evaluating risk associated with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology for a vehicle may be provided. The instructions may, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to collect a virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality from the vehicle, determine an insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality based upon analysis of the virtual log of actual driving performance of the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, determine an adjustment to the insurance policy based upon the determined insurance-based risk associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality, and/or cause the adjustment to the insurance policy to be implemented. The adjustment to the insurance policy may include one or more of generating, updating, or adjusting one or more of the following: a premium, a rate, a discount, a reward, a deductible, or a limit. Additionally, or alternatively, the insurance-based risk may include a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident. The instructions of the computer-readable medium may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology, the method comprising: generating, by one or more processors of a computer system configured to virtually test responses of computer instructions associated with autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology within a virtual environment, a virtual test scenario related to vehicle operation; applying, by the one or more processors of the computer system, the virtual test scenario to a package of computer instructions configured to instruct a processor of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality; determining, by the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario; and determining, by the one or more processors of the computer system, a performance metric associated with the package of computer instructions based at least in part upon the one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario, wherein the performance metric is associated with a risk level associated with use of the package of computer instructions in vehicle operation.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual test scenario includes virtual sensor data representative of one or more conditions associated with an increased risk of a vehicle accident.

“3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more conditions of the virtual test scenario include one or more of the following: road conditions, construction, traffic conditions, actions of other vehicles, or weather conditions.

“4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining, by one or more processors, the risk level associated with the package of computer instructions based upon the determined performance metric.

“5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the risk level associated with the package of computer instructions includes determining whether the package of computer instructions made a correct decision given the one or more conditions of the virtual test scenario.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual test scenario includes a virtual simulation of virtual traffic traveling on a virtual road, including a plurality of virtual vehicles.

“7. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual test scenario further includes a virtual route and a virtual speed for each of the plurality of virtual vehicles traveling on the virtual road.

“8. The method of claim 1, wherein the risk level indicates a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident.

“9. A computer system for evaluating autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology, comprising: one or more processors; a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing (i) a package of computer instructions configured to instruct a processor of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality and (ii) executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to virtually test responses of the package of computer instructions within a virtual environment by: generating a virtual test scenario related to vehicle operation; applying the virtual test scenario to the package of computer instructions; determining one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario; and determining a performance metric associated with the package of computer instructions based at least in part upon the one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario, wherein the performance metric is associated with a risk level associated with use of the package of computer instructions in vehicle operation.

“10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the virtual test scenario includes virtual sensor data representative of one or more conditions associated with an increased risk of a vehicle accident.

“11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to determine the risk level associated with the package of computer instructions based upon the determined performance metric by determining whether the package of computer instructions made a correct decision given the one or more conditions of the virtual test scenario.

“12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the virtual test scenario includes a virtual simulation of virtual traffic traveling on a virtual road, including a virtual route and a virtual speed for each of a plurality of virtual vehicles.

“13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the risk level indicates a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident.

“14. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for evaluating autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technology that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to: access a package of computer instructions configured to instruct a processor of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle to perform an autonomous or semi-autonomous functionality; generate a virtual test scenario related to vehicle operation; apply the virtual test scenario to the package of computer instructions; determine one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario; and determine a performance metric associated with the package of computer instructions based at least in part upon the one or more responses of the package of computer instructions to the applied virtual test scenario, wherein the performance metric is associated with a risk level associated with use of the package of computer instructions in vehicle operation.

“15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the virtual test scenario includes virtual sensor data representative of one or more conditions associated with an increased risk of a vehicle accident.

“16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further storing executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine the risk level associated with the package of computer instructions based upon the determined performance metric by determining whether the package of computer instructions made a correct decision given the one or more conditions of the virtual test scenario.

“17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the virtual test scenario includes a virtual simulation of virtual traffic traveling on a virtual road, including a virtual route and a virtual speed for each of a plurality of virtual vehicles.

“18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the risk level indicates a risk of the vehicle being involved in a vehicle accident.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Christensen, Scott T. Autonomous vehicle operation feature monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness. U.S. Patent Number 11348182, filed September 24, 2019, and published online on May 31, 2022. 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=11348182.PN.&OS=PN/11348182RS=PN/11348182

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