Patent Issued for Electronics to remotely monitor and control a machine via a mobile personal communication device (USPTO 11661073): Hartford Fire Insurance Company

2023 JUN 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Hagen, David K. (Southington, CT, US), King, Maureen (Burlington, CT, US), Kowal, Henry Z. (Simsbury, CT, US), Luc, Scott A. (Waxhaw, NC, US), Schneider, Andrew J. (Madison, CT, US), filed on August 23, 2018, was published online on May 30, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11661073 is assigned to Hartford Fire Insurance Company (Hartford, Connecticut, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Machines, such as motor vehicles and the like, are often used in a non-complaint manner. That is, machines are used beyond the rules and laws that define their use. Often operators of machines misrepresent or underrepresent how they use their machines. Sometimes such misrepresentations are intentional to enable the user to obtain certain benefits and to be able to use the machines outside the rules and laws. Other times, operators do not even realize how they operate the machine. As such, a need exists for electronics for remotely monitoring and/or controlling the use of a machine. Moreover, it may be desirable to provide systems and methods for remotely monitoring and/or controlling the use of a machine that provides faster, more accurate results.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “According to some embodiments, systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means are provided for remotely monitoring and/or controlling the use of a machine that provides faster, more accurate results and that allow for flexibility and effectiveness when responding to those results. Some embodiments may monitor operation of a machine and provide feedback to maintain use within certain parameters. Mobile personal communication device sensors are each configured to monitor at least one machine parameter (speed, acceleration, location, etc.), generate a signal encapsulating the monitored machine parameter, and transmit the generated sensor signals to a control unit of the communication device. The control unit may receive the generated sensor signals, store the received signals, and selectively combine the received signals. The communication device also includes a transmitter coupled to the control unit capable of transmitting the combined signal. A transceiver remote from the machine may determine a current machine condition and compare that condition to received conditions from other machines. Feedback may then be provided to adjust operation of the machine based on the comparison. For example, an operator interface may provide audio and/or visual feedback to the operator of a vehicle.

“Some embodiments comprise: means for accessing a risk relationship data store containing electronic records, each electronic record including a risk relationship identifier along with at least one operator identifier and at least one machine identifier; means for receiving, at a back-end application computer server, machine information representing operation of the machine, from an application executing on the mobile personal communication device, including at least one of geo-position information and machine kinematics data, via a distributed communication network; means for determining a risk relationship identifier associated with the received machine information; based on the received machine information, means for automatically predicting an operator identifier associated with the received machine information, wherein said prediction utilizes a prediction algorithm based on a pattern detected via a machine learning analysis of past operator usage of the machine; means for calculating a risk score for the risk relationship based on the at least one of the geo-position information and machine kinematics data along with the predicted operator identifier; and means for updating the appropriate electronic record in the risk relationship data store with the calculated risk score.

“In some embodiments, a communication device associated with a back-end application computer server exchanges information with remote devices in connection with an interactive graphical user interface. The information may be exchanged, for example, via public and/or proprietary communication networks.

“A technical effect of some embodiments of the invention is an improved and computerized way for remotely monitoring and/or controlling the use of a machine that provides faster, more accurate results. With these and other advantages and features that will become hereinafter apparent, a more complete understanding of the nature of the invention can be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and to the drawings appended hereto.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system associated with a risk relationship between an enterprise and an entity in connection with a vehicle and a mobile personal communication device, comprising: a risk relationship data store containing electronic records, each electronic record including a risk relationship identifier along with at least one driver identifier and at least one vehicle identifier; and a back-end application computer server associated with a data processing service to reduce processing performed by the mobile personal communication device, including: a communication port to receive encrypted vehicle information, representing operation of the vehicle, from an application executing on the mobile personal communication device, including association of the vehicle with a primary axis of movement and at least one of geo-position information and vehicle kinematics data, via a distributed communication network, and a back-end application computer processor, and a back-end application computer memory storing instructions that, when executed by the back-end application computer processor, cause the back-end application computer server to: receive the encrypted vehicle information from the mobile personal communication device, decrypt the encrypted vehicle information to create vehicle information, determine a risk relationship identifier associated with the received vehicle information, based on the received vehicle information, automatically predict a current driver identifier of a person who is currently driving the vehicle associated with the received vehicle information, wherein said prediction utilizes all of: movement of the mobile personal communication device relative to the primary axis of movement prior to operation of the vehicle, a prediction algorithm based on a pattern detected via a machine learning analysis of past driver usage of the vehicle in connection with the current driver of the vehicle and other drivers of the vehicle, wherein the pattern is based on clustering of given driver characteristics in data to identify discrete segments of use associated with a particular driver signature, and location information of the vehicle compared to employment information of the current driver of the vehicle received with biographical information during a creation of the electronic record, store, based on the predicted current driver identifier, at least some of the vehicle information in a database, identify, by the application executing on the mobile personal communication device, distracted operation of the vehicle via identification of at least one of: (i) accessing a text message, (ii) creating a text message, (iii) accessing an email message, (iv) accessing streaming video, and (v) accessing a chat application, calculate a risk score for the risk relationship based on all of: 1. the identified distracted operation, 2. the at least one of the geo-position information, 3. vehicle kinematics data along with the predicted current driver identifier, and 4. at least one machine safety feature associated with the vehicle identifier, wherein the risk score represents a risk assessment that includes expected claims and losses associated with the vehicle, compare the vehicle kinematics data with an expected value for the predicted current driver identifier; adjust the risk relationship based on the comparison; and update an appropriate electronic record in the risk relationship data store with the calculated risk score.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine learning analysis is associated with at least one of: (i) a location of operation, (ii) a time-of-day of operation, (iii) a day-of-week of operation, and (iv) a time-of-year of operation.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is associated with a primary direction of movement and said prediction is based at least in part on a location of the mobile personal communication device relative to the primary direction of vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle exchanges information with the mobile personal communication device and said prediction is based at least in part on the exchanged information, and further wherein the exchanged information is associated with at least one of: (i) a manual driver selection, (ii) a location of the mobile personal communication device within the vehicle, (iii) a command to start the vehicle, and (iv) telematics information associated with the vehicle.

“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the distracted operation is associated with participating in a telephone call and at least one of: (i) accessing the text message, (ii) creating the text message, (iii) accessing the email message, (iv) accessing streaming video, and (v) the chat application.

“6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle safety feature is associated with (i) adaptive headlights, and at least one of: (ii) an autonomous operation feature, (iii) a camera, (iv) a sensor, (v) an automatic braking feature, (vi) a brake warning feature, (vii) a parking feature, and (viii) a lane departure warning.

“7. The system of claim 6, wherein a determination that a safety feature is associated with the vehicle identifier is based on a safety feature database containing indications of safety features in connection with vehicle identifiers.

“8. The system of claim 7, wherein the safety feature database is maintained by at least one of: (i) a vehicle manufacturer, (ii) vehicle dealerships, (iii) a governmental department of motor vehicles, and (iv) a third-party service.

“9. The system of claim 1, wherein the risk relationship is an automobile insurance policy, the enterprise is an insurance company, and the mobile personal communication device is a smartphone.

“10. The system of claim 9, wherein the risk score is used to adjust at least one of: (i) an insurance premium percentage discount, (ii) an insurance premium monetary discount, (iii) an insurance coverage amount, and (iv) a deductible amount.

“11. The system of claim 9, wherein the automobile insurance policy comprises at least one of: (i) a potential automobile insurance policy, (ii) a newly issued automobile insurance policy, and (iii) an automobile insurance policy renewal.

“12. The system of claim 9, wherein the risk score is made available to another insurance company in connection with a future automobile insurance policy associated with the current driver.

“13. The system of claim 9, wherein risk score is used to target the current driver with an insurance offer.

“14. The system of claim 9, wherein the risk score is used to facilitate an incremental insurance policy associated with at least one of: (i) a number of miles driven, and (ii) an amount of time spent driving.

“15. The system of claim 9, wherein the information from the smartphone is further used in connection with at least one of: (i) vehicle diagnostics, (ii) accident detection, (iii) insurance claim processing, and (iv) a first notice of loss.

“16. The system of claim 9, wherein the prediction of the current driver identifier is further based on at least one of: (i) social media data, and (ii) third-party data.

“17. The system of claim 9, wherein the smartphone device is further to receive information from an apparatus coupled to, or in direct communication with, the vehicle.

“18. The system of claim 1, wherein prior to storing the electronic record, the communication port is adapted to receive risk relationship type data and zip code data for the entity, and in response to receipt of the risk relationship type data and the zip code data, a web browser module executing on the mobile personal communication device updates a user interface with additional questions associated with receipt of at least one of the risk relationship type data and the zip code data.”

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

URL and more information on this patent, see: Hagen, David K. Electronics to remotely monitor and control a machine via a mobile personal communication device. U.S. Patent Number 11661073, filed August 23, 2018, and published online on May 30, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11661073)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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