Patent Issued for Transportation analytics systems and methods using a mobility device embedded within a vehicle (USPTO 11810199): State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

2023 NOV 24 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventors Cope, Craig (Bloomington, IL, US), filed on September 29, 2020, was published online on November 7, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 11810199 is assigned to State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (Bloomington, Illinois, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Individuals use mobile devices (e.g., mobile telephones) for a variety of purposes and often carry mobile devices while traveling. Such usage may be source of data. For example, mobile devices may be equipped to generate data (e.g., telematics data) using instruments built into the mobile device, such as an accelerometer or global positioning system (GPS) device. This data obtained from mobile devices may be useful for a variety of applications.

“However, there may be current limitations in the ability of computing devices to utilize such data in automated processes. For example, known usage-based insurance applications may have several drawbacks or limitations. In order to implement these applications, different forms of information may need to be reconciled by human beings, which may result in lack of timeliness, inaccuracies, inconvenience, or other drawbacks. Further, the premium may vary from period to period, which increases the complexity of the payment process for insured users, insurers, and/or other entities related to the insurance transaction.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The present embodiments may relate to, inter alia, systems and methods for generating transportation analytics using a mobility device embedded within a vehicle. In one aspect, an improved system and method may provide usage-based insurance (UBI) based upon an individual driver’s actual driving behavior determined from telematics data. UBI may include insurance that is paid for by time or distance. For instance, UBI may provide insurance coverage by mile traveled, or by period of time-such as hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly insurance or insurance by the hour, day, week, month, or other time period.

“In exemplary embodiments, the systems and methods may be performed by a transportation analytics (“TA”) computing device. The TA computing device may collect and analyze telematics data (e.g., acceleration, position, velocity, orientation, etc.) gathered by a mobile device of a user during a trip of the user. For example, the user may use the mobile device to obtain a ride via a transportation platform (e.g., a rideshare, bike share, and/or powered scooter share platform), and the TA computing device may receive telematics data collected by the mobile device during the ride. Additionally, the user may obtain a ride using a transportation device (e.g., a motor vehicle, bicycle, powered scooter, and/or other transportation device) capable of communicatively linking to the mobile device of the user, and the TA computing device may receive telematics data from the mobile device collected during the trip taken using the linked vehicle. The TA computing device may identify trips based upon the telematics data and use the telematics data to analyze the transportation behavior of the user, for example, to calculate an insurance premium. An insurer and/or transportation platform may provide an insurance subscription to the user that may have a premium that is calculated based upon use of the transportation platform. The TA computing device may, in response to calculating the insurance premium, automatically transfer the insurance premium from the insured user to the insurer.

“In one aspect, a transportation analytics (TA) computing device may be provided. The TA computing device may include at least one processor and/or associated transceiver in communication with at least one memory device. The at least one processor and/or associated transceiver may be configured to: (1) receive, from a user mobile device corresponding to a user, telematics data corresponding to a trip taken using a transportation platform; (2) store, for each trip, the telematics data in a database in association with a trip identifier and a timestamp; (3) perform a lookup in the database to identify, based upon the timestamps, telematics data corresponding to a time period; (4) calculate, in response to identifying the telematics data, based upon the identified telematics data, a premium amount; and/or (5) transfer, in response to calculating the premium amount, the premium amount from a transportation platform account associated with the transportation platform to an insurer account associated with an insurer. The TA computing device may include additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, a computer-implemented method for transportation analytics may be provided. The computer-implemented method may be performed by a transportation analytics (TA) computing device including at least one processor and/or associated transceiver in communication with at least one memory device. The computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, by the TA computing device, from a user mobile device corresponding to a user, telematics data corresponding to a trip taken using a transportation platform; (2) storing, by the TA computing device, for each trip, the telematics data in a database in association with a trip identifier and a timestamp; (3) performing, by the TA computing device, a lookup in the database to identify, based upon the timestamps, telematics data corresponding to a time period; (4) calculating, by the TA computing device, in response to identifying the telematics data, based upon the identified telematics data, a premium amount; and/or (5) transferring, by the TA computing device, in response to calculating the premium amount, the premium amount from a transportation platform account associated with the transportation platform to an insurer account associated with an insurer. The computer-implemented method may include additional, less, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, at least one non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon may be provided. When executed by a transportation analytics (TA) computing device including at least one processor and/or associated transceiver in communication with at least one memory device, the computer-executable instructions may cause the at least one processor and/or associated transceiver to (1) receive, from a user mobile device corresponding to a user, telematics data corresponding to a trip taken using a transportation platform; (2) store, for each trip, the telematics data in a database in association with a trip identifier and a timestamp; (3) perform a lookup in the database to identify, based upon the timestamps, telematics data corresponding to a time period; (4) calculate, in response to identifying the telematics data, based upon the identified telematics data, a premium amount; and/or (5) transfer, in response to calculating the premium amount, the premium amount from a transportation platform account associated with the transportation platform to an insurer account associated with an insurer. The computer-executable instructions may direct additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A transportation analytics (TA) computing device comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device and a user mobile device corresponding to a user, the user mobile device configured to communicatively link to a plurality of transportation devices of different types, the at least one processor configured to: in response to the user mobile device being communicatively linked to a first transportation device of the plurality of transportation devices, the first transportation device in communication with a transportation platform, receive telematics data from the user mobile device that is collected by the user mobile device, the telematics data identifying the type of the first transportation device; identify a trip associated with a period of time that the user mobile device is communicatively linked to the first transportation device, the trip defined as the period of time from when the first transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device to when the first transportation device ceases to be communicatively linked to the user mobile device; store the telematics data in a database in association with a trip identifier corresponding to the trip, an identifier representing the type of the first transportation device that is associated with the trip, and a first time stamp determined based on the period of time in which the first transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device; perform a lookup in the database to identify, based upon time stamps including the first time stamp, telematics data corresponding to a time period; calculate, based upon the identified telematics data, a premium amount for insuring the user during the trips taken using the plurality of different types of transportation devices during the time period; periodically calculate a subscription amount based upon at least one of the premium amount or the identified telematics data, the subscription amount including at least the premium amount and indicating an amount to be transferred from the user to the transportation platform; and transfer the premium amount from a transportation platform account associated with the transportation platform to an insurer account associated with an insurer that provided insurance coverage for insuring the user during the time period.

“2. The TA computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transfer, in response to computing the premium amount, the premium amount from a user account associated with the user to an insurer account associated with an insurer.

“3. The TA computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to periodically transfer, in response to calculating the subscription amount, the subscription amount from a user account associated with the user to the transportation platform account.

“4. The TA computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transportation devices include at least one of a motor vehicle, a bicycle, or powered scooter.

“5. The TA computing device of claim 1, wherein the user mobile device is configured to be communicatively linked to the plurality of transportation devices via at least one of a physical coupling or a wireless coupling.

“6. The TA computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: in response to the user mobile device being communicatively linked to a second transportation device of a different type than the first transportation device of the plurality of transportation devices, receive telematics data from the user mobile device that is collected by the user mobile device, the telematics data identifying the type of the second transportation device that is currently communicatively linked to the user mobile device; identify a second trip associated with a second period of time that the user mobile device is communicatively linked to the second transportation device, the second trip defined as the second period of time from when the second transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device to when the first transportation device ceases to be communicatively linked to the user mobile device; and store the telematics data in the database in association with a second trip identifier corresponding to the second trip, a second identifier representing the type of the second transportation device that is associated with the second trip, and a second time stamp determined based on the period of time in which the first transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device.

“7. A computer-implemented method for transportation analytics performed by a transportation analytics (TA) computing device including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device and a user mobile device corresponding to a user, the user mobile device configured to communicatively link to a plurality of transportation devices of different types, the computer-implemented method comprising: in response to the user mobile device being communicatively linked to a first transportation device of the plurality of transportation devices, the first transportation device in communication with a transportation platform, receiving, by the TA computing device telematics data from the user mobile device that is collected by the user mobile device, the telematics data identifying the type of the first transportation device; identifying, by the TA computing device, a trip associated with a period of time that the user mobile device is communicatively linked to the first transportation device, the trip defined as the period of time from when the first transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device to when the first transportation device ceases to be communicatively linked to the user mobile device; storing, by the TA computing device, the telematics data in a database in association with a trip identifier corresponding to the trips, an identifier representing the type of the first transportation device that is associated with the trip, and a first time stamp determined based on the period of time in which the first transportation device is communicatively linked to the user mobile device; performing, by the TA computing device, a lookup in the database to identify, based upon time stamps including the first time stamp, telematics data corresponding to a time period; calculating, by the TA computing device, based upon the identified telematics data, a premium amount for insuring the user during the trips taken using the plurality of different types of transportation devices during the time period; periodically calculating, by the TA computing device, a subscription amount based upon at least one of the premium amount or the identified telematics data, the subscription amount including at least the premium amount and indicating an amount to be transferred from the user to the transportation platform; and transferring, by the TA computing device, the premium amount from a transportation platform account associated with the transportation platform to an insurer account associated with an insurer that provided insurance coverage for insuring the user during the time period.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising transferring, by the TA computing device, in response to computing the premium amount, the premium amount from a user account associated with the user to an insurer account associated with an insurer.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising periodically transferring, by the TA computing device, in response to calculating the subscription amount, the subscription amount from a user account associated with the user to the transportation platform account.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of transportation devices include at least one of a motor vehicle, a bicycle, or powered scooter.

“11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the user mobile device is configured to be communicatively linked to the plurality of transportation devices via at least one of a physical coupling or a wireless coupling.”

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

URL and more information on this patent, see: Cope, Craig. Transportation analytics systems and methods using a mobility device embedded within a vehicle. U.S. Patent Number 11810199, filed September 29, 2020, and published online on November 7, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11810199)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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