Patent Issued for Vehicle telematics based driving assessment (USPTO 11945448): Allstate Insurance Company

2024 APR 18 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Chang, Craig (Menlo Park, CA, US), Chou, Anna Yum-Wai-Shan (Palo Alto, CA, US), Daly, Aaron D. (Belmont, CA, US), Ferguson, Dana (Chicago, IL, US), Polisson, Jr., William F. (Vernon Hills, IL, US), Snyder, Jared S. (Chicago, IL, US), filed on November 24, 2021, was published online on April 2, 2024.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 11945448 is Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, Illinois, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “People and organizations are interested in collecting vehicle telematics data. Vehicle telematics data includes various data from measurements related to a vehicle’s operation. For example, vehicle telematics data may include global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of an automobile that allow the location of the automobile to be tracked. Also, for example, vehicle telematics data may include acceleration data of an automobile that allow the speed of the automobile to be tracked. Vehicle telematics data may include other vehicle operational data as well. Auto-insurance companies are interested in this information because they would like to evaluate the risk associated with customers and potential customers. Other organizations may also be interested in such information to determine a person’s behavior. Moreover, parents or other guardians may also be interested in monitoring a vehicle carrying their children or other dependents.

“Some vehicles have been equipped with devices for collecting some vehicle telematics data. However, this vehicle telematics data might not be obtained by people and/or organizations remote from the vehicle in real time or while a vehicle is moving. Moreover, vehicle telematics data might not be evaluated in real time or while the vehicle is moving so it may be difficult for people and organizations to take action in response to the vehicle telematics data in a timely manner. In some cases, people or organizations wishing to monitor a vehicle may be unaware that the vehicle is in use (e.g., moving).

“As technology advances and adoption of such technology increases, more and more vehicle telematics data may be collected and more and more people may desire access to this data. As such, challenges for making this vehicle telematics data user-friendly and readily accessible may emerge. Specifically, challenges may include implementing a manner for regulating an amount of vehicle telematics data collected, for organizing this data, and for controlling when, how, and what data is reported. Different people and different organizations may want different information reported to them. As more vehicle telematics data becomes available, it becomes more difficult to strike a balance between providing too much information and too little information. On one hand, reporting too much information may cause people and organizations to ignore desired information, and therefore, may be detrimental to the effectiveness of monitoring vehicle behavior. On the other hand, reporting too little information may cause false alarms or unnecessary concern for people and organizations that are monitoring a vehicle.

“Accordingly, new systems, devices, methodologies, and the like are desired to collect and communicate vehicle telematics data. Further, new systems, devices, methodologies, and the like are desired to evaluate and share the vehicle telematics data in real time or while a vehicle is moving. In particular, new systems, devices, methodologies, and the like are desired to provide people and organizations with the ability to monitor vehicle behavior and respond to vehicle behavior in a timely manner (e.g., in real time or while the vehicle is moving). For example, parents may desire a tool for monitoring a vehicle carrying their teenage son or teenage daughter. Further, as mentioned above, different people and different organizations may want different information, and thus, new systems, devices, methodologies, and the like are desired to allow people and organizations control over when, how, and what information is reported.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Aspects of the disclosure address these and/or other technological shortcomings by using vehicle telematics data to assess parameters associated with vehicle operation. In particular, one or more aspects of the disclosure provide effective, efficient, scalable, and convenient technical solutions that address and overcome the technical problems associated with driving assessment systems.

“In accordance with one or more embodiments, a driving assessment system may include a first computing device associated with a user in a vehicle and a second computing device located remotely from the first computing device. The first computing device having at least a first processor, first long-range communication interface, first accelerometer, first global positioning system (GPS), and first memory may collect, by one or more of the first accelerometer and the first GPS, vehicle operational data and vehicle locational information associated with the vehicle and corresponding to a trip of the vehicle. The first computing device may transmit, by the first long-range communication interface to the second computing device, the vehicle operational data and vehicle locational information associated with the vehicle. The second computing device having a second processor, second communication interface, and second memory may receive the vehicle operational data and vehicle locational information from the first computing device via the second communication interface. The second computing device may identify, based on the vehicle operational data and vehicle locational information, one or more of destination information corresponding to the trip, a time range of the trip, velocity events that occurred during the trip, and braking events that occurred during the trip. The second computing device may determine a type of location associated with the destination information and calculate, based on one or more of the type of location, the time range, velocity events, and braking events, a behavior score for the trip.

“In some embodiments, the first computing device of the driving assessment system may further include a first short-range communication interface and may pair with a communication interface associated with the vehicle via the first short-range communication interface. The first computing device may receive, by the first short-range communication interface and from the vehicle, an indication of a positive vehicle ignition event. Responsive to receiving the indication of the positive vehicle ignition event, the first computing device may activate a driving assessment application on the first computing device and may collect, by one or more of the first accelerometer and the first GPS, vehicle operational data and vehicle locational information associated with the vehicle and corresponding to the trip of the vehicle via the driving assessment application.

“In some embodiments, the first computing device of the driving assessment system may receive, by the first short-range communication interface and from the vehicle, an indication of a negative vehicle ignition event and may deactivate the driving assessment application.

“In some embodiments, the first computing device of the driving assessment system may identify, from the collected vehicle operational data, one or more periods in which the vehicle had a velocity greater than a first predetermined velocity threshold, determine a number of unlocking events of the first computing device during the one or more periods, and transmit, by the first long-range communication interface to the second computing device, the number of unlocking events of the first computing device during the one or more periods.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A driving assessment system, comprising: a computing device comprising: a processor; and memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device associated with a user in a vehicle to: receive, from the another computing device, a quantity of unlocking events of the another computing device during a first period and based on vehicle operational data associated with the first period of operating the vehicle collected by one or more sensors devices of the vehicle; and calculate, based on the quantity of unlocking events and the vehicle operational data, a behavior score for the first period.

“2. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: pair with a vehicle control computer associated with the vehicle; receive, from the vehicle control computer, an indication of a positive vehicle ignition event; and responsive to receiving the indication of the positive vehicle ignition event, activate a driving assessment application on the computing device, wherein collecting the vehicle operational data is performed via the driving assessment application.

“3. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: receive, from a vehicle control computer associated with the vehicle, an indication of a negative vehicle ignition event; and responsive to receiving the indication of the negative vehicle ignition event, deactivate a driving assessment application executing on the computing device to collect the vehicle operational data.

“4. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: determine whether the vehicle operational data indicates an occurrence of velocity of the vehicle exceeding a velocity threshold during the first period, wherein the quantity of unlocking events is determined in response to the indication of the occurrence of the velocity of the vehicle exceeding the velocity threshold.

“5. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions of the another computing device, when executed by the another processor of the another computing device, cause the another computing device to: collect, using the one or more sensor devices, vehicle location data associated with the first period of operating the vehicle; and transmit, to the computing device, the vehicle location data.

“6. The driving assessment system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: receive, from the another computing device, the vehicle location data; and identify, based on the vehicle operational data and the vehicle locational data, at least one of: a time of day associated with the first period, a day of week associated with the first period, and a number of miles traveled during night, wherein calculating the behavior score further is further based on the time of day, the day of week, and the number of miles traveled during night.

“7. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: identify, based on the vehicle operational data, an amount of time the vehicle traveled at a velocity greater than a velocity threshold during the first period, wherein calculating the behavior score is further based on the amount of time the vehicle traveled at the velocity greater than the velocity threshold during the first period.

“8. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: identify, based on the vehicle operational data, a quantity of braking events exceeding a deceleration threshold and occurring when velocity of the vehicle was greater than a velocity threshold during the first period, wherein calculating the behavior score is further based on the quantity of braking events that exceeded the deceleration threshold and that occurred when the velocity of the vehicle was greater than the velocity threshold during the first period.

“9. The driving assessment system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: receive, from the another computing device, the vehicle location data; determine, based on the vehicle locational data, one or more roads the vehicle travelled on during the first period; determine speed limits associated with each of the one or more roads; and compare velocity data of the vehicle operational data with the speed limits associated with each of the one or more roads to determine a percentage of miles driven by the vehicle where a velocity of the vehicle was greater than a velocity threshold over a corresponding speed limit during the first period, wherein calculating the behavior score is further based on the percentage of miles driven by the vehicle where the velocity of the vehicle was greater than the velocity threshold over the corresponding speed limit during the first period.

“10. The driving assessment system of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: receive, from the another computing device, the vehicle location data; determine, based on the vehicle locational data, a starting location and an ending location of the vehicle during the first period; determine a straight-line distance between the starting location and the ending location; determine, based on the vehicle locational data, a total distance travelled by the vehicle during the first period; and calculate a ratio of the straight-line distance to the total distance travelled, wherein calculating the behavior score is further based on the ratio of the straight-line distance to the total distance travelled.

“11. The driving assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to: categorize the user of the vehicle based on the behavior score.

“12. A method comprising: collecting, by a first computing device and using one or more sensor devices associated with the first computing device, vehicle operational data associated with a first period of operating a vehicle; determining a quantity of unlocking events of the first computing device during the first period; transmitting, to a second computing device, the quantity of unlocking events and the vehicle operation data; receiving, by the second computing device and from the first computing device, the quantity of unlocking events of the first computing device occurring during the first period of operating the vehicle and the vehicle operational data associated with the first period of operating the vehicle; and calculating, based on the quantity of unlocking events occurring during the first period of operating the vehicle and based on one or more events indicated by the vehicle operational data, a behavior score for a user of the vehicle for the first period.

“13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: pairing, by the first computing device, with a vehicle control computer associated with the vehicle; receiving, from the vehicle control computer, an indication of a positive vehicle ignition event; and responsive to receiving the indication of the positive vehicle ignition event, activating a driving assessment application on the first computing device, wherein collecting the vehicle operational data is performed via the driving assessment application.

“14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving, from a vehicle control computer associated with the vehicle, an indication of a negative vehicle ignition event; and responsive to receiving the indication of the negative vehicle ignition event, deactivating a driving assessment application executing on the first computing device to collect the vehicle operational data.

“15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether the vehicle operational data indicates an occurrence of velocity of the vehicle exceeding a velocity threshold during the first period, wherein the quantity of unlocking events is determined in response to the indication of the occurrence of the velocity of the vehicle exceeding the velocity threshold.

“16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more events indicated by the vehicle operational data comprise a velocity event greater than a velocity threshold.

“17. The method of claim 12, further comprising: identifying, based on the vehicle operational data, at least one of an amount of time the vehicle traveled at a velocity greater than a first velocity threshold during the first period, or a quantity of braking events exceeding a deceleration threshold and occurring when the velocity of the vehicle was greater than a second velocity threshold during the first period, wherein calculating the behavior score is further based on at least one of the amount of time the vehicle traveled at the velocity greater than the first velocity threshold during the first period, or the quantity of braking events that exceeded the deceleration threshold and that occurred when the velocity of the vehicle was greater than the second velocity threshold during the first period.”

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For additional information on this patent, see: Chang, Craig. Vehicle telematics based driving assessment. U.S. Patent Number 11945448, filed November 24, 2021, and published online on April 2, 2024. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11945448)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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