Patent Issued for Vehicle ignition control (USPTO 11676213): Allstate Insurance Company

2023 JUL 04 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Manzella, Matthew James (Glen Ellyn, IL, US), Srey, Rothana (Dekalb, IL, US), filed on April 5, 2021, was published online on June 13, 2023.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 11676213 is Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Insurance providers have an incentive to encourage their customers to engage in safe driving behaviors. By engaging in safe driving behaviors, customers are less likely to be involved in an accident. Unsafe driving behaviors may include exceeding the speed limit, taking hard and fast turns, making hard stops, and operating a mobile phone while driving.

“Software applications for blocking text messages at a mobile computing device are known but have drawbacks. For example, some text blocking applications may require a driver to voluntarily launch the application before driving. If the driver fails or chooses not to launch the text blocking application, the driver may have access to the text messaging features of the mobile computing device while driving. Therefore, a need exists for an approach to restricting communications at a mobile computing device during operation of the vehicle.

“Additionally, in conventional practice, insurance providers may provide insurance coverage for a vehicle rather than for a driver of the vehicle. This may be due, in part, to challenges in determining the individual presently driving the vehicle. If an insurance provider could accurately identify the driver of a vehicle, alternative approaches to providing vehicle insurance based on the driver rather than the vehicle are possible.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents 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 and is not intended to identify key or critical elements or to delineate the scope of protection sought. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description provided below.

“A method of encouraging safe driving of a vehicle using a remote starter device installed at a vehicle is provided. The remote starter device may determine whether it is in signal communication with a remote starter application operating at a mobile computing device separate from the remote starter device. When the remote starter device is in signal communication with the remote starter application, the remote starter device may permit ignition of the vehicle. When the remote starter device is not in signal communication with the remote starter application, the remote starter device may prevent ignition of the vehicle. During operation of the vehicle, one or more communication features at the mobile computing device may be restricted.

“Communication features may include text messaging features and phone calling features. Restricting communication features may include preventing access to such communication features at the mobile computing device as well as preventing the mobile computing device from indicating a communication has been received at the mobile computing device. Communications to and from emergency contacts may be permitted during operation of the vehicle. Upon ignition of the vehicle, an ignition confirmation message may be provided, and upon shutoff of the vehicle, a shutoff confirmation message may be provided.

“A remote starter device configured to encourage safe driving of a vehicle is also provided. The remote starter device may include an ignition interface configured for connection to an ignition system of the vehicle. The remote starter device may also be configured to automatically initiate vehicle ignition via the ignition interface. The remote starter device may include a communication module configured to exchange communications with a remote starter application operating at a mobile device. The remote starter device may further include a processing module connected to the ignition interface and the communication module.

“A memory module of the remote starter device may include instructions executable by a processor of the processing module. When executed, the instructions may cause the remote starter device to determine whether a connection has been established with the remote starter application, permit or prevent vehicle ignition based on whether the connection has been established, and provide an ignition confirmation message upon ignition of the vehicle. Receipt of the ignition confirmation message at the remote starter application may trigger restriction of communication features of the mobile computing device during operation of the vehicle.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method comprising: connecting, by a device and via an interface of the device, to an ignition system of a vehicle; determining, by the device, whether the device has received, from a mobile application at a mobile computing device, a communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle, wherein to generate the communication the mobile application is configured to: receive, from an insurance underwriting system, an insurance rate for insurance coverage for operating the vehicle; receive input indicating acceptance of the insurance rate; and transmit, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the acceptance of the insurance rate and corresponding purchase to generate the communication; preventing, by the device and via the interface, ignition of the vehicle until the device receives the communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle; permitting, by the device and via the interface, ignition of the vehicle based on the device receiving the communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle; sending, by the device to the mobile application and based on the vehicle achieving ignition, a message indicating the vehicle has achieved ignition; and sending, by the device to the mobile application and based on the vehicle shutting off, a message indicating the vehicle has shut off.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the insurance coverage for operating the vehicle is insurance coverage for operating the vehicle during a single trip in the vehicle.

“3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating, during operating of the vehicle, vehicle operation data characterizing one or more driving behaviors detected during operation of the vehicle, wherein the one or more driving behaviors comprise at least one of: a speed of the vehicle; a turning of the vehicle; a braking of the vehicle; or an acceleration of the vehicle; sending, to the insurance underwriting system, the vehicle operation data; wherein the insurance underwriting system is configured to: adjust, based on the vehicle operation data, the insurance rate; and send, to the mobile application, a message indicating an adjustment to the insurance rate; and wherein the mobile application is further configured to present the adjustment to the insurance rate.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the mobile application is further configured to: receive input indicating a destination; and send, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the destination; and the insurance underwriting system is configured to determine the insurance rate for insurance coverage based on the destination.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein: the mobile application is further configured to: present a plurality of routes for a trip in the vehicle; receive input indicating a route selected from the plurality of routes presented; and send, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the route selected; and the insurance underwriting system is configured to determine the insurance rate for insurance coverage based on the route selected.

“6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, to the insurance underwriting system and based on determining that a trip in the vehicle deviated from a selected route for the trip, a message indicating a deviation from the selected route; and wherein the insurance underwriting system is configured to: adjust, based on the deviation from the selected route, the insurance rate; and send, to the mobile application, a message indicating an adjustment to the insurance rate; and wherein the mobile application is further configured to present the adjustment to the insurance rate.

“7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, to the insurance underwriting system, vehicle operation data characterizing one or more driving behaviors detected during operation of the vehicle; wherein the insurance underwriting system is configured to: determine, based on a driving behavior of the one or more driving behaviors being a first type of driving behavior, an increase to the insurance rate; determine, based on a driving behavior of the one or more driving behaviors being a second type of driving behavior, a decrease to the insurance rate; determine, based on at least one of the increase or the decrease, an adjustment to the insurance rate; and send, to the mobile application, a message indicating the adjustment to the insurance rate; and wherein the mobile application is further configured to present the adjustment to the insurance rate.

“8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is further configured to, based on receiving the message indicating the vehicle has shut off, present a vehicle operation summary comprising: an indication of one or more driving behaviors detected during operation of the vehicle; and an indication of an adjustment to the insurance rate.

“9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle operation summary further comprises, for at least one driving behavior of the one or more driving behaviors, an indication that the at least one driving behavior caused an increase or a decrease to the insurance rate.

“10. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing vehicle ignition comprises blocking a signal from an ignition switch of a vehicle.

“11. A system comprising: a device connected, via a first interface of the device, to an ignition system of a vehicle; and a mobile application of a mobile computing device, wherein the mobile application is in signal communication with the device via a second interface of the device; and and insurance underwriting system in signal communication with the mobile application; wherein the insurance underwriting system is configured to determine an insurance rate for insurance coverage for operating the vehicle; wherein the mobile application is configured to: receive, from the insurance underwriting system, the insurance rate; receive input indicating acceptance of the insurance rate; and transmit, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the acceptance of the insurance rate and corresponding purchase; and wherein the device is configured to: determine whether the device has received, from the mobile application, a communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle based on transmission of the message indicating the acceptance of the insurance rate and corresponding purchase by the mobile application; prevent, via the first interface, ignition of the vehicle until the device receives the communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle; permit, via the first interface, ignition of the vehicle based on the device receiving the communication indicating that insurance has been purchased for operating the vehicle; send, to the mobile application and based on the vehicle achieving ignition, a message indicating the vehicle has achieved ignition; and send, to the mobile application and based on the vehicle shutting off, a message indicating the vehicle has shut off.

“12. The system of claim 11, wherein the insurance coverage for operating the vehicle is insurance coverage for operating the vehicle during a single trip in the vehicle.

“13. The system of claim 11, wherein: the insurance underwriting system is further configured to: receive vehicle operation data generated during operation of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle operation data characterizes one or more driving behaviors detected during operation of the vehicle, and wherein the one or more driving behaviors comprise at least one of: a speed of the vehicle; a turning of the vehicle; a braking of the vehicle; or an acceleration of the vehicle; adjust, based on the vehicle operation data, the insurance rate; and send, to the mobile application, a message indicating an adjustment to the insurance rate; and the mobile application is further configured to present the adjustment to the insurance rate.

“14. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle operation data is generated by at least one of the mobile application, the mobile computing device, or a vehicle telematics device installed at the vehicle.

“15. The system of claim 11, wherein: the mobile application is further configured to: receive input indicating a destination; and send, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the destination; and the insurance underwriting system is further configured to determine the insurance rate for insurance coverage based on the destination.

“16. The system of claim 11, wherein: the mobile application is further configured to: present a plurality of routes for a trip in the vehicle; receive input indicating a route selected from the plurality of routes presented; and send, to the insurance underwriting system, a message indicating the route selected; and the insurance underwriting system is further configured to determine the insurance rate for insurance coverage based on the route selected.

“17. The system of claim 11, wherein: the insurance underwriting system is further configured to: receive a message indicating a deviation from a selected route for a trip in the vehicle; adjust, based on the deviation from the selected route, the insurance rate; and send, to the mobile application, a message indicating an adjustment to the insurance rate; and wherein the mobile application is further configured to present the adjustment to the insurance rate.”

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

For additional information on this patent, see: Manzella, Matthew James. Vehicle ignition control. U.S. Patent Number 11676213, filed April 5, 2021, and published online on June 13, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11676213)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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