Patent Issued for Autonomous vehicle software version assessment (USPTO 11740885): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2023 SEP 20 (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 11740885, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Bennett, Shawn C. (Le Roy, IL, US), Binion, Todd (Bloomington, IL, US), Bryant, Ronny S. (Bloomington, IL, US), Chan, Aaron Scott (San Jose, CA, US), Cielocha, Steven C. (Bloomington, IL, US), Csanda, Carol Marie (Hudson, IL, US), Fields, Brian Mark (Phoenix, AZ, US), Gorsuch, Stacey (Bloomington, IL, US), Huang, Chien Che (Normal, IL, US), Kohaus, Stephen A. (Bloomington, IL, US), Main, Craig M. (Allen, TX, US), Novak, Richard A. (Plano, TX, US), Quakenbush, Terry (Bloomington, IL, US), Wazeer, Mohamed A. (Normal, IL, US), Wollenschlager, Torri (Bloomington, IL, US), Wu, Weixin (Normal, IL, US).

This patent was filed on June 27, 2020 and was published online on August 29, 2023.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Vehicles are typically operated by a human vehicle operator who controls both steering and motive controls. Operator error, inattention, inexperience, misuse, or distraction leads to many vehicle accidents each year, resulting in injury and damage. Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles augment vehicle operators’ information or replace vehicle operators’ control commands to operate the vehicle in whole or part with computer systems based upon information from sensors within the vehicle,

“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 sonic or all circumstances. The present embodiments may also facilitate risk assessment and premium determination for vehicle insurance policies covering vehicles with autonomous operation features. For instance, a consumer may opt-in to a rewards program that rewards them, such as in the form of insurance discounts, for affirmatively sharing data related to their vehicles and/or autonomous features with an insurance provider.

“In accordance with the described embodiments, the disclosure herein generally addresses systems and methods for updating an autonomous operation feature of an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, which update may include an update to a version of software. A computer (such as an on-board computer, mobile device, or server communicatively connected to the vehicle) associated with the vehicle may (1) receive an indication of an update associated with the autonomous operation feature; (2) identify a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles having the autonomous operation feature; (3) and/or cause the update to be installed within one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, such as via wireless communication or data transmission of a software update from a remote server to the on-board computer. The indication of the update may include a request to provide the update to the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles having the autonomous operation feature.

“In some embodiments, the computer may further (4) determine a change in a risk level associated with one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles corresponding to the update associated with the autonomous operation feature; (5) determine whether each change in the risk level meets one or more criteria for installing the update; and/or (6) cause the update to be installed for only the one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for which the change in the risk level meets the one or more criteria. The one or more criteria may include a reduction in risk of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude may be greater than or equal to zero. A change in one or more costs associated with an insurance policy associated with each of the one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles may further be determined, and the one or more criteria may include a reduction in the one or more costs associated with the insurance policy of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude may be greater than or equal to zero.

“In further embodiments, the computer may cause a notification regarding the update to be presented to each of one or more insurance customers associated with the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. The notification may include information regarding a cost associated with the update and information regarding a change in one or more costs associated with an insurance policy associated with the one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles. Once the notifications have been presented, the computer may receive an indication of acceptance of the update from the one or more insurance customers, in such embodiments, the update may be installed within one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles by transmitting (such as via wireless communication or data transmission) the update (such as an updated version of software controlling autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle functionality) to the one or more of the identified plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.

“In each of the embodiments or aspects described above, the methods may be provided in corresponding computer systems including at least one or more processors and a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions. The computer systems may further include or be communicatively connected to one or more sensors, communication components or devices, or other equipment as described herein. In yet another aspect, a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions corresponding to each of the embodiments or aspects described above may be provided. Each of the methods or executable instructions of the computer systems or computer-readable media may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method for updating an autonomous operation feature, comprising: collecting, by one or more processors, operating data for an autonomous or semiautonomous vehicle during operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle by electronic communication with an on-board computer of the vehicle; generating, by one or more processors, at least one risk level associated with an update to the autonomous operation feature based upon virtual or physical testing of the update associated with the autonomous operation feature; determining, by one or more processors, a weighted risk level for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, wherein the weighted risk level is determined based upon the at least one risk level and the operating data to facilitate installation of updates to autonomous operation features; determining, by one or more processors, whether a risk level change associated with installation of the update for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle meets one or more risk-related criteria for installing the update; and causing, by one or more processors, the update to be installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle when the risk level change meets the one or more risk-related criteria.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more risk-related criteria include a reduction in risk of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude is greater than or equal to zero.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more risk-related criteria include a reduction in the at least one cost associated with an insurance policy of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude is greater than or equal to zero.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including: causing, by one or more processors, a notification regarding the update to be presented to an insurance customer associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; and receiving, at one or more processors, an indication of acceptance of the update from the insurance customer: wherein causing the update to be installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle includes transmitting, by an update module, the update to the autonomous or semiautonomous vehicle in response to the received indication of acceptance.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the notification regarding the update includes information regarding a cost associated with the update and information regarding a change in at least one cost associated with an insurance policy associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the update associated with the autonomous operation feature includes a request to provide the update to the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the update comprises an update to a version of software associated with the autonomous operation feature.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including: determining, by one or more processors, that the update has been installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; and adjusting, by one or more processors, an insurance policy associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle once the update is determined to have been installed.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by one or more processors, the update to be automatically installed when the determined weighted risk level meets a predetermined criteria and the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is not in operation.

“10. A computer system for updating an autonomous operation feature, comprising: one or more processors; and a program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the computer system to: collect operating data for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle during operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle by electronic communication with an on-board computer of the vehicle; generate at least one risk level associated with an update to the autonomous operation feature based upon virtual or physical testing of the update associated with the autonomous operation feature; determine a weighted risk level for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, wherein the weighted risk level is determined based upon the at least one risk level and the operating data to facilitate installation of updates to autonomous operation features; determine a risk level change associated with installation of the update for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; determine whether the risk level change meets one or more risk-related criteria for installing the update; and cause the update to be installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle when the risk level change meets the one or more risk-related criteria.

“11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the program memory further includes executable instructions that cause the computer system to: determine a change in at least one cost associated with an insurance policy based upon the determined risk level change associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more risk-related criteria include a reduction in the at least one cost associated with the insurance policy of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude is greater than or equal to zero.

“12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the indication of the update associated with the autonomous operation feature includes a request to provide the update to the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle having the autonomous operation feature.

“13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the update comprises an update to a version of software associated with the autonomous operation feature.

“14. The computer system of claim 10, further including executable instructions that cause the computer system to: determine that the update has been installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; and adjust an insurance policy associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle once the update is installed.

“15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the program memory further includes executable instructions that cause the computer system to automatically install the update when the determined weighted risk level meets a predetermined criteria and the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is not in operation.

“16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for updating an autonomous operation feature that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to: collect operating data for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle during operation of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle by electronic communication with an on-board computer of the vehicle; generate at least one risk level associated with an update to the autonomous operation feature based upon virtual or physical testing of the update associated with the autonomous operation feature; determine a weighted risk level for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, wherein the weighted risk level is determined based upon the at least one risk level and the operating data to facilitate installation of updates to autonomous operation features; determine a risk level change associated with installation of the update for the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; determine whether the risk level change meets one or more risk-related criteria for installing the update; and cause the update to be installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle when the risk level change meets the one or more risk-related criteria.

“17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including executable instructions that cause the computer system to: determine a change in at least one cost associated with an insurance policy based upon the determined risk level change associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more risk-related criteria include a reduction in the at least one cost associated with the insurance policy of at least a threshold magnitude, which threshold magnitude is greater than or equal to zero.

“18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the update comprises an update to a version of software associated with the autonomous operation feature.

“19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including executable instructions that cause the computer system to: determine that the update has been installed within the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle; and adjust an insurance policy associated with the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle after the update has been installed.

“20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including executable instructions that cause the computer system to automatically install the update when the determined weighted risk level meets a predetermined criteria and the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is not in operation.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Bennett, Shawn C. Autonomous vehicle software version assessment. U.S. Patent Number 11740885, filed June 27, 2020, and published online on August 29, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11740885)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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