Patent Issued for Electrical data processing system for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device (USPTO 11580852): Allstate Insurance Company

2023 MAR 08 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Gibson, Timothy W. (Barrington, IL, US), Hayes, Howard (Glencoe, IL, US), Kumar, Surender (Palatine, IL, US), Madigan, Regina (Mountain View, CA, US), filed on March 17, 2020, was published online on February 14, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11580852 is assigned to Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Traffic accidents and other unsafe conditions on or affecting roads is surprisingly common. Drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other parties often rely on their own abilities to avoid accidents and unsafe conditions. However, conditions for these individuals may be made even safer using certain traffic infrastructure, vehicle capabilities, and mobile device capabilities, many of which currently are not being utilized.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. The summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the description below.

“Aspects of the disclosure relate to a system comprising a traffic device having a traffic device computer, one or more traffic signals, and/or a transceiver. The system may comprise first memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the traffic device computer, cause the traffic device to transmit, via the transceiver and to a vehicle and infrastructure computing device, information indicative of a status of the one or more traffic signals. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may comprise a vehicle and infrastructure control computer and/or second memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the vehicle and infrastructure control computer, cause the vehicle and infrastructure computing device to receive, from the traffic device, the information indicative of the status of the one or more traffic signals. The computing device may determine that the information indicative of the status of the one or more traffic signals indicates that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from a red light to a green light and a time that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from the red light to the green light. In response to determining that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from the red light to the green light, the computing device may determine an amount of time between the time that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from the red light to the green light and a time that a vehicle at a location of the traffic device moved. In response to determining that the amount of time exceeds a threshold amount of time, the computing device may determine that a driver of the vehicle is distracted.

“In some aspects, the system may comprise a traffic camera. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may receive, from the traffic camera, one or more images of the vehicle captured by the traffic camera. Based on the one or more images of the vehicle captured by the traffic camera, the computing device may determine the time that the vehicle at the location of the traffic device moved. Additionally or alternatively, the system may comprise a mobile device having one or more of a position sensor, speed sensor, or acceleration sensor. The computing device may receive, from the mobile device or the vehicle, data indicative of one or more of a position, speed, or acceleration of the vehicle. Based on the data indicative of one or more of the position, speed, or acceleration of the vehicle, the computing device may determine the time that the vehicle at the location of the traffic device moved.

“In some aspects, the vehicle and infrastructure computing device may determine that the vehicle is at the location of the traffic device and that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is not red. In response to determining that the vehicle is at the location of the traffic device and that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is not red, the computing device may send an instruction to one or more mobile device of the driver to prevent driver interaction with the mobile device while the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is not red. The instruction may be configured to disable one or more applications of the mobile device, such as a messaging application.

“In some aspects, the vehicle and infrastructure computing device may determine that the vehicle is at the location of the traffic device and that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is red. In response to determining that the vehicle is at the location of the traffic device and that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is red, the computing device may send an instruction to one or more mobile device of the driver to enable use of the mobile device while the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is red. The vehicle and infrastructure computing device may determine that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from red to green. In response to determining that the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device switched from red to green, the computing device may send an instruction to the one or more mobile device of the driver to prevent driver interaction with the mobile device while the one or more traffic signals of the traffic device is green.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system comprising sensor device configured to capture one or more images indicative of one or more conditions associated with a vehicle at an intersection of one or more roads; a communication interface configured to receive, from a transceiver associated with the sensor device over a communication network, the images indicative of one or more vehicle conditions associated with the vehicle at the intersection; and a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to: calculate, based on the conditions associated with the vehicle, a risk score for the intersection; determine, based on the risk score, a modified operating condition; determine one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the intersection; dynamically generate instructions regarding the modified operating condition for transmission over the communication network to one or more computing device associated with the one or more vehicles, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one of the one or more vehicles are adjusted to be different than instructions regarding the modified operating conditions for at least one other of the one or more vehicles; and providing the generated instructions regarding the modified operating condition to a display device associated with the at least one vehicle, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating conditions for at least one other vehicle is provided to a different display device associated with the at least one other vehicle.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is part of a mobile device associated with a driver of the at least one vehicle, and wherein the generated instructions are executable by the mobile device to disable one or more applications of the mobile device.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified speed limit of the intersection, and wherein the modified speed limit for the at least one vehicle is adjusted to be different than the modified speed limit for the at least one other vehicle.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified usage of one or more lanes of the intersection, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one vehicle is based on a current lane in which the at least one vehicle is driving, and wherein the at least other vehicle is driving in a different lane.

“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition are executable by the first autonomous vehicle, and include one or more control signals for controlling the first autonomous vehicle.

“6. The system of claim 2, wherein the dynamically generated instructions for the at least one vehicle enable or disable the mobile device based on a status of a traffic device.

“7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further generates instructions executable by a mobile device of a pedestrian located within the predetermined distance of the intersection, the instructions executable to modify a display of the mobile device and disable one or more functionalities of the mobile device.

“8. A computing device comprising: a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein the instructions are executed by the processor to: calculate, based on one or more images indicative of one or more conditions associated with a vehicle at an intersection of one or more roads, a risk score for the intersection; determine, based on the risk score, a modified operating condition; determine one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the intersection; dynamically generate instructions regarding the modified operating condition for transmission over a communication network to one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more vehicles, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one of the one or more vehicles are adjusted to be different than instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one other of the one or more vehicles; and provide the generated instructions regarding the modified operating condition to a display device associated with the at least one vehicle, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating conditions for at least one other vehicle is provided to a display device associated with the at least one other vehicle.

“9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the images are received via a transceiver that is part of a mobile device associated with the at least one vehicle, and wherein the generated instructions are executable by the mobile device to disable one or more applications of the mobile device.

“10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified speed limit of the intersection, and wherein the modified speed limit for the at least one vehicle is different than the modified speed limit for the at least one other vehicle.

“11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified usage of one or more lanes of the intersection, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one vehicle is based on a current lane in which the at least one vehicle is driving, and wherein the at least other vehicle is driving in a different lane.

“12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the at least one vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle, and wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition are executable by the first autonomous vehicle, and include one or more control signals for controlling the first autonomous vehicle.

“13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the dynamically generated instructions for the at least one vehicle enable or disable the mobile device based on a status of a traffic device.

“14. A method comprising: receiving, from a sensor device, one or more images indicative of one or more conditions associated with a vehicle at an intersection comprising one or more roads; calculating, based on the conditions associated with the vehicle, a risk score for the intersection; determining, based on the risk score, a modified operating condition; determining one or more vehicles within a predetermined distance of the intersection; dynamically generate instructions regarding the modified operating condition for transmission over a communication network to one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more vehicles, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one of the one or more vehicles are adjusted to be different than instructions regarding the modified operating condition for at least one other of the one or more vehicles; and provide the generated instructions regarding the modified operating condition to a display device associated with the at least one vehicle, wherein the instructions regarding the modified operating conditions for at least one other vehicle is provided to a display device associated with the at least one other vehicle.

“15. The method of claim 14, wherein images are received via a transceiver that is part of a mobile device associated with the at least one vehicle, and wherein the generated instructions are executable by the mobile device to disable one or more applications of the mobile device.

“16. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified speed limit of the intersection, and wherein the modified speed limit for the at least one vehicle is different than the modified speed limit for the at least one other vehicle.

“17. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified operating condition is a modified usage of one or more lanes of the intersection and wherein the modified speed limit for the at least one vehicle is adjusted to be different than the modified speed limit for the at least one other vehicle.

“18. The method of claim 17, at least one vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle, and further comprising transmitting, to the first autonomous vehicle the instructions that include one or more control signals for controlling the first autonomous vehicle.

“19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dynamically generated instructions for the at least one vehicle enable or disable the mobile device based on a status of a traffic device.

“20. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transmitting, to a mobile device of a pedestrian located within the predetermined distance of the intersection, instructions executable to modify a display of the mobile device and disable one or more functionalities of the mobile device.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Gibson, Timothy W. Electrical data processing system for monitoring or affecting movement of a vehicle using a traffic device. U.S. Patent Number 11580852, filed March 17, 2020, and published online on February 14, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11580852)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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