Patent Issued for Determining corrective actions based upon broadcast of telematics data originating from another vehicle (USPTO 11004280)

2021 JUN 18 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Hayward, Gregory (Bloomington, IL, US), filed on May 21, 2019, was published online on May 11, 2021.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 11004280 is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

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

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents 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 mobile device configured to receive telematics data when the mobile device is traveling in a moving vehicle associated with a first driver and take corrective action when a travel event exists may be provided. The mobile device may include a memory unit storing computer readable instructions; a transceiver; and a processor interconnected or in communication with the memory unit, and the transceiver. The processor and/or transceiver may be configured to: receive telematics data generated from an originating vehicle or a mobile device traveling within the originating vehicle, or a telematics-related message via a data transmission or wireless communication; (i) analyze the telematics data, and determine or identify that a travel event associated with the originating vehicle exists, or (ii) otherwise determine that the travel event exists from analysis of the telematics-related message; and when the travel event is determined to exist, determine whether the travel event is relevant to the moving vehicle or a route that the moving vehicle is presently traveling, and if so, take or direct corrective action such that safer vehicle travel for the moving vehicle is facilitated based upon (a) the telematics data that is collected by the originating vehicle or associated mobile device, or (b) information regarding the travel event that the originating vehicle has encountered or is presently encountering. The mobile device may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“For instance, the travel event may be based upon or determined from the telematics data that reveals vehicle, traffic, congestion, road construction, or weather conditions. The telematics data may include speed, acceleration, deceleration, location, and/or lane information associated with the originating vehicle or a mobile device traveling within the originating vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the telematics data may include time, braking, acceleration, left turn, right turn, heading, GPS (Global Positioning System) speed, GPS latitude and longitude, gyroscope, battery level, and/or telephone usage information or data associated with the originating vehicle or a mobile device traveling within the originating vehicle.

“The corrective action may include generating, displaying, and providing an alert for the driver of the moving vehicle; and/or re-routing the moving vehicle to avoid an area associated with the travel event. The processor may be configured to generate data associated with an amount of time or mileage usage of the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality, and transmit that data to an insurance provider remote server, to facilitate an insurance provider providing an insurance discount based upon the amount of usage of the telematics data-based risk mitigation or prevention functionality.

“In another aspect, a smart vehicle controller of a smart vehicle configured to (i) receive telematics data when the smart vehicle is traveling, the smart vehicle being associated with a first driver, and (ii) take corrective action when a travel event exists. The smart vehicle controller may include: a memory unit storing computer readable instructions, vehicle navigation information, and/or virtual road maps; a transceiver; and a processor interconnected or in communication with the memory unit, and the transceiver.

“The processor and/or transceiver may be configured to: receive telematics data generated from an originating vehicle or a mobile device traveling within the originating vehicle, or a telematics-related message via a data transmission and/or wireless communication; (i) analyze the telematics data, and determine or identify that a travel event exists that is associated with the originating vehicle, or (ii) otherwise determine that the travel event exists from analysis of the telematics-related message; and/or when the travel event is determined to exist, determine whether the travel event is relevant to the moving vehicle or a route that the moving vehicle is presently traveling by comparing a GPS location of the travel event and a present GPS location of the smart vehicle, and if so, take or direct corrective action such that safer vehicle travel for the smart vehicle is facilitated based upon (a) the telematics data that is collected by the originating vehicle, or (b) information regarding the travel event that the originating vehicle has encountered or is presently encountering. The smart vehicle may include additional, fewer, or alternate functionality, including that 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 Figures depict preferred embodiments for purposes of illustration only. Alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A destination computing device associated with a destination vehicle or a destination driver, comprising: a communication unit, comprising one or more transceivers, configured to receive a telematics-related message, the telematics-related message being transmitted from an originating computing device based upon telematics data that is generated by one or more sensors of the originating computing device, and the telematics-related message indicates a travel event at a location of the originating computing device based upon the telematics data; one or more processors configured to determine that the travel event is relevant to the destination vehicle when a location of the originating vehicle, as determined from the received telematics-related message, is within a threshold distance of a current location of the destination computing device, and to direct at least one corrective action when the travel event is determined to be relevant to the destination vehicle, the at least one corrective action including at least one of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to alert the destination driver 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 location of the originating computing device, the indication of the location of the originating computing device including at least one of a text indication of the location, a graphical indication of the location, or a map indicating the 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.

“2. The destination computing device of claim 1, wherein the telematics-related message is transmitted from the originating computing device upon the originating computing device detecting the travel event via an analysis of the telematics data.

“3. The destination computing device of claim 2, wherein the travel event is detected by the originating computing device when the speed of the originating computing device, as indicated by the telematics data, is less than a posted speed limit at a location of the originating computing device.

“4. The destination computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication unit is further configured to periodically listen for the telematics-related message in accordance with an initial frequency and, upon receiving the telematics-related message, to modify the initial frequency to an increased frequency.

“5. The destination computing device of claim 1, wherein the telematics data includes data regarding an operation of the originating vehicle that is obtained via the originating computing device communicating with one or more vehicle sensors that are integrated as part of the originating vehicle.

“6. The destination computing device of claim 1, wherein the travel event is indicative of one or more of abnormal traffic conditions, congestion, road construction, an weather conditions.

“7. The destination computing device of claim 1, wherein the telematics data is indicative of one or more of Global Positioning System (GPS) speed, lane information associated with the 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.

“8. A smart vehicle control system associated with a destination vehicle or a destination driver, the smart vehicle control system comprising: a communication unit, comprising one or more transceivers, configured to receive a telematics-related message, the telematics-related message being transmitted from an originating computing device based upon telematics data that is generated by one or more sensors of the originating computing device, and the telematics-related message indicates a travel event at a location of the originating computing device based upon the telematics data; a smart vehicle controller configured to determine that the travel event is relevant to the destination vehicle when a location of the originating vehicle, as determined from the received telematics-related message, is within a threshold distance of a current location of the destination computing device, and to direct at least one corrective action when the travel event is determined to be relevant to the destination vehicle, the at least one corrective action including at least one of providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to alert the destination driver 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 location of the originating computing device, the indication of the location of the originating computing device including at least one of a text indication of the location, a graphical indication of the location, or a map indicating the 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 smart vehicle control system of claim 8, further comprising: a driving control system, comprises at least one driving controller, configured to direct the at least one corrective action by autonomously re-routing the destination vehicle to avoid the travel event.

“10. The smart vehicle control system 8, wherein the telematics-related message is transmitted upon the originating computing device detecting the travel event when the speed of the originating computing device, as indicated by the telematics data, is less than a posted speed limit at a location of the originating computing device.

“11. The smart vehicle control system of claim 8, wherein the communication unit is further configured to periodically listen for the telematics-related message in accordance with an initial frequency and, upon receiving the telematics-related message, to modify the initial frequency to an increased frequency.

“12. The smart vehicle control system 8, wherein the telematics data includes data regarding an operation of the originating vehicle that is obtained via the originating computing device communicating with one or more vehicle sensors that are integrated as part of the originating vehicle.

“13. The smart vehicle control system 8, wherein the travel event is indicative of one or more of abnormal traffic conditions, congestion, road construction, and weather conditions.

“14. The smart vehicle control system 8, wherein the telematics data is indicative of one or more of Global Positioning System (GPS) speed, lane information associated with the 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.

“15. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, via a destination computing device associated with a destination vehicle and a destination driver, a telematics-related message, the telematics-related message being transmitted from an originating computing device based upon telematics data that is generated by one or more sensors of the originating computing device, and the telematics-related message indicates a travel event at a location of the originating computing device based upon the telematics data; determining, via the destination computing device, that the travel event is relevant to the destination vehicle when a location of the originating vehicle, as determined from the received telematics-related message, is within a threshold distance of a current location of the destination computing device; and when the travel event is determined to be relevant to the destination vehicle, (1) 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 location of the originating computing device, the indication of the location of the originating computing device including at least one of a text indication of the location, a graphical indication of the location, or a map indicating the location, or (ii) taking at least one other corrective action, via the destination computing device, to affect driving of the destination vehicle, and (2) displaying, via the destination computing device, 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.

“16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the telematics-related message is transmitted from the originating computing device upon the originating computing device detecting the travel event via an analysis of the telematics data.”

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

For additional information on this patent, see: Hayward, Gregory. Determining corrective actions based upon broadcast of telematics data originating from another vehicle. U.S. Patent Number 11004280, filed May 21, 2019, and published online on May 11, 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=11004280.PN.&OS=PN/11004280RS=PN/11004280

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