Patent Issued for Maintaining a distributed ledger for VIN recordkeeping (USPTO 11216429): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2022 JAN 21 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Alt, Jacob J. (Downs, IL, US), Bellas, Eric (Bloomington, IL, US), Call, Shawn M. (Bloomington, IL, US), King, Vicki (Bloomington, IL, US), Leise, William J. (Normal, IL, US), Magerkurth, Melinda Teresa (Utica, IL, US), Moore, Eric R. (Heyworth, IL, US), Skaggs, Jaime (Chenoa, IL, US), filed on June 16, 2020, was published online on January 4, 2022.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11216429, is State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Conventional techniques associated with tracking and maintaining vehicles have limitations associated with tracking each vehicle’s current location, current owner, and/or current condition. Conventional techniques may also have other drawbacks.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle may be provided. The method may include (1) receiving, by one or more processors, vehicle data from one or more remote computing devices; (2) detecting, by the one or more processors, a vehicle-related event from analysis of the vehicle data; (3) identifying, by the one or more processors, a VIN of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; (4) generating, by the one or more processors, a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the vehicle-related event; and/or (5) transmitting, by the one or more processors, to a server the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger for the particular vehicle. The method may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, a computer-implemented method for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle may be provided. The method may include (1) receiving, by one or more processors, vehicle data from one or more remote computing devices; (2) detecting, by the one or more processors, a vehicle-related event from analysis of the vehicle data; (3) identifying, by the one or more processors, a VIN of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; (4) generating, by the one or more processors, a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the vehicle-related event; (5) transmitting, by the one or more processors, to a server the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger for the particular vehicle; and/or (6) updating, by the one or more processors, a copy of the VIN-based distributed ledger for the particular vehicle. The method may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“In yet another aspect, a computer system configured for creating and/or maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle may be provided. The computer system may include one or more processors, servers, transceivers, and/or servers configured to: (1) receive vehicle data from one or more remote computing devices; (2) detect a vehicle-related event from analysis of the vehicle data; (3) identify a VIN of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; (4) generate a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the detected change in the condition of the vehicle or vehicle-related event; and/or (5) transmit, to a server, the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger for the particular vehicle. The system may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“The methods discussed herein may be implemented via computer systems, and may include additional, less, or alternate actions or functionality. Systems or computer-readable media storing instructions for implementing all or part of the methods described above and elsewhere herein may also be provided in some aspects. Systems for implementing such methods may include one or more of the following: a special-purpose computing device, a personal electronic device, a processing unit of a vehicle, a remote server, one or more sensors, one or more communication modules configured to communicate wirelessly via radio links, radio frequency links, and/or wireless communication channels, and/or one or more program memories coupled to one or more processors of the personal electronic device, processing unit of the vehicle, or remote server. Such program memories may store instructions to cause the one or more processors to implement part or all of the method described above. Additional or alternative features described herein below may be included in some aspects.

“Advantages will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of the preferred aspects, which have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the present aspects may be capable of other and different aspects, 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 claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle, the method comprising: detecting, by the one or more processors, a vehicle-related event from analysis of vehicle data; identifying, by the one or more processors, a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; generating, by the one or more processors, a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the vehicle-related event; and transmitting, by the one or more processors, to a server the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger is a transactional record and a copy of the distributed ledger is maintained at each node of a plurality of nodes of a shared network.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a change in ownership information; title status; lienholder information; lien payoff amount; insurance policy start date, insurance policy end date, insurance claim open date, insurance claim close date; vehicle build data; maintenance data; telematics data, odometer data, or combinations thereof.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data is received from a remote server associated with a vehicle manufacturer, repair facility, bank, a remote computing device associated with a connected vehicle or vehicle owner, or combinations thereof.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method comprising: forming a consensus among a plurality of computing nodes to update the distributed ledger with the transaction, either locally, remotely, or both.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to vehicle financing, and the transaction describes terms of a vehicle loan, including interest rate, length of loan, and amount of payoff.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance of the vehicle, and the transaction provides owner authorization to repair the vehicle, owner authorization of payment to the repair facility, payment of a deductible, owner e-signature on required forms, or combinations thereof.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance or repair of the vehicle, and the transaction details of an estimate provided by a repair facility to repair the vehicle, a list of parts needed to repair the vehicle, or combinations thereof.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a smart contract that governs the vehicle, and the transaction provides details relevant to the smart contract, such as lien payment or payoff, current owner, current owner contact information, vehicle transfer, insurance contract update, or combinations thereof.

“9. A computer-implemented method for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle, the method comprising: detecting, by the one or more processors, a vehicle-related event from analysis of vehicle data; identifying, by the one or more processors, a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; generating, by the one or more processors, a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the vehicle-related event; transmitting, by the one or more processors, to a server the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger for the particular vehicle; and updating, by the one or more processors, a copy of the VIN-based distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger is a transactional record and a copy of the distributed ledger is maintained at each node of a plurality of nodes of a shared network.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a change in ownership information; title status; lienholder information; lien payoff amount; insurance policy start date, insurance policy end date, insurance claim open date, insurance claim close date; vehicle build data; maintenance data; telematics data, odometer data, or combinations thereof.

“11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to vehicle financing, and the transaction describes terms of a vehicle loan, including interest rate, length of loan, and amount of payoff.

“12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance of the vehicle, and the transaction provides owner authorization to repair the vehicle, owner authorization of payment to the repair facility, payment of a deductible, owner e-signature on required forms, or combinations thereof.

“13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance or repair of the vehicle, and the transaction details of an estimate provided by a repair facility to repair the vehicle, a list of parts needed to repair the vehicle, or combinations thereof.

“14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a smart contract that governs the vehicle, and the transaction provides details relevant to the smart contract, such as lien payment or payoff, current owner, current owner contact information, vehicle transfer, insurance contract update, or combinations thereof.

“15. A computer system configured for creating and/or maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a particular vehicle, the computer system comprising one or more processors, servers, transceivers, and/or servers configured to: detect a vehicle-related event from analysis of vehicle data; identify a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle when a vehicle-related event is detected; generate a transaction including (i) the vehicle’s VIN, and (ii) describing the detected change in the condition of the vehicle or vehicle-related event; and transmit, to a server, the transaction to facilitate maintaining a VIN-based distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger is a transactional record and a copy of the distributed ledger is maintained at each node of a plurality of nodes of a shared network.

“16. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a change in ownership information; title status; lienholder information; lien payoff amount; insurance policy start date, insurance policy end date, insurance claim open date, insurance claim close date; vehicle build data; maintenance data; telematics data, odometer data, or combinations thereof.

“17. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to vehicle financing, and the transaction describes terms of a vehicle loan, including interest rate, length of loan, and amount of payoff.

“18. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance of the vehicle, and the transaction provides owner authorization to repair the vehicle, owner authorization of payment to the repair facility, payment of a deductible, owner e-signature on required forms, or combinations thereof.

“19. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a maintenance or repair of the vehicle, and the transaction details of an estimate provided by a repair facility to repair the vehicle, a list of parts needed to repair the vehicle, or combinations thereof.

“20. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-related event relates to a smart contract that governs the vehicle, and the transaction provides details relevant to the smart contract, such as lien payment or payoff, current owner, current owner contact information, vehicle transfer, insurance contract update, or combinations thereof.”

For more information, see this patent: Alt, Jacob J. Maintaining a distributed ledger for VIN recordkeeping. U.S. Patent Number 11216429, filed June 16, 2020, and published online on January 4, 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=11216429.PN.&OS=PN/11216429RS=PN/11216429

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