Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Matching Drivers With Shared Vehicles To Optimize Shared Vehicle Services”, for Approval (USPTO 20190347582)

2019 NOV 28 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventors Allen, Rachel Edelshteyn (Chicago, IL); Labaschin, Benjamin (Chicago, IL), filed on May 14, 2019, was made available online on November 14, 2019.

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

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Aspects of the disclosure relate to matching drivers to one or more vehicles of a shared vehicle service, such as a car-share service. Shared vehicle services are becoming increasingly common as shared vehicle applications and services continue to improve. Autonomous vehicles may further increase the utility and appeal of shared vehicle services. Despite advances in various technologies, however, it may be difficult to effectively match drivers with shared vehicles in the most efficient way. Such effective matching is hampered by lack of data about drivers and vehicles, especially when a new driver first joins a shared vehicle service.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “Aspects of the disclosure provide effective, efficient, scalable, and convenient technical solutions that address and overcome the technical problems associated with operating shared vehicle services such as car-sharing services safely and effectively. Data regarding drivers and vehicles may be collected and managed in order to effectively match drivers with shared vehicles in a shared mobility context. Shared mobility services may include rideshare services, carpool services, bike sharing services, microtransit services (e.g., scooter-sharing services), autonomous taxi services, peer-to-peer services, and other shared mobility services.

“In accordance with one or more embodiments, a computing platform having at least one processor, a memory, and a communication interface may perform a method comprising receiving information indicating a driver requesting a shared vehicle; estimating, based on web browsing information associated with the driver, one or more characteristics of the driver; determining, based on the characteristics of the driver, a driver safety score indicating an estimated risk of an accident involving the driver; selecting, from a plurality of available vehicles, a subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the driver safety score; and causing the display of a user interface offering the subset of the plurality of available vehicles to the driver.

“In some embodiments, the method performed by the computing platform may further include determining, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating one or more safety features of the vehicle, wherein the selecting the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle. The information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle may be a safety score. The method may further comprise ranking the subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the corresponding safety score of each vehicle. The safety score may be further based on one or more dynamic conditions including weather, traffic, and/or time of day.

“In some embodiments, the method performed by the computing platform may further include determining, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating a repair cost of the vehicle, wherein the selecting the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating a repair cost of the vehicle. The information indicating a repair cost of the vehicle may be a repair cost score. The method may further comprise ranking the subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the corresponding safety score of each vehicle.

“In some embodiments, the method performed by the computing platform may further include determining a cost per distance associated with each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles, wherein causing the display of the user interface further comprises causing display of the cost per distance for each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles.

“In some embodiments, the method performed by the computing platform may further include collecting driving data associated with the driver’s use of a selected one of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles; and updating the driver safety score based on the driving data.

“In some embodiments, the estimated characteristics may be one or more of an age, gender, or zip code of the driver.

“These features, along with many others, are discussed in greater detail below.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method comprising: at a shared vehicle support platform: receiving information indicating a driver requesting a shared vehicle; estimating, based on web browsing information associated with the driver, one or more characteristics of the driver; determining, based on the one or more characteristics of the driver, a driver safety score indicating an estimated risk of an accident involving the driver; selecting, from a plurality of available vehicles, a subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the driver safety score; and causing display of a user interface offering the subset of the plurality of available vehicles to the driver.

“2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating one or more safety features of the vehicle, wherein the selecting the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle.

“3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle is a safety score.

“4. The method of claim 3, further comprising ranking the subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the corresponding safety score of each vehicle.

“5. The method of claim 3, where the safety score is further based on one or more dynamic conditions including weather, traffic, and/or time of day.

“6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating a repair cost of the vehicle, wherein the selecting the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating the repair cost of the vehicle.

“7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information indicating the repair cost of the vehicle is a repair cost score.

“8. The method of claim 6, further comprising ranking the subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the corresponding repair cost of each vehicle.

“9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a cost per distance associated with each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles, wherein causing display of the user interface further comprises causing display of the cost per distance for each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles.

“10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: collecting driving data associated with the driver’s use of a selected one of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles; and updating the driver safety score based on the driving data.

“11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more estimated characteristics are one or more of an age, gender, or zip code of the driver.

“12. A shared vehicle support platform comprising one or more processors and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to: receive information indicating a driver requesting a shared vehicle; estimate, based on web browsing information associated with the driver, one or more characteristics of the driver; determine, based on the one or more characteristics of the driver, a driver safety score indicating an estimated risk of an accident involving the driver; select, from a plurality of available vehicles, a subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the driver safety score; and cause display of a user interface offering the subset of the plurality of available vehicles to the driver.

“13. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to determine, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating one or more safety features of the vehicle, wherein the selection of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle.

“14. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 13, wherein the information indicating the one or more safety features of the vehicle is a safety score.

“15. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to determine, for each of the plurality of available vehicles, information indicating a repair cost of the shared vehicle, wherein the selecting the subset of the plurality of available vehicles is further based on the information indicating the repair cost of the vehicle.

“16. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 15, wherein the information indicating the repair cost of the vehicle is a repair cost score.

“17. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 16, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to rank the subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the corresponding repair cost score of each vehicle.

“18. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to determine a cost per distance associated with each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles, wherein causing display of the user interface further comprises causing display of the cost per distance for each of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles.

“19. The shared vehicle support platform of claim 12, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shared vehicle support platform to: collect driving data associated with the driver’s use of a selected one of the subset of the plurality of available vehicles; and update the driver safety score based on the driving data.

“20. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a shared vehicle service system, cause the shared vehicle service system to: receive information indicating a driver requesting a shared vehicle; estimate, based on web browsing information associated with the driver, one or more characteristics of the driver; determine, based on the one or more characteristics of the driver, a driver safety score indicating an estimated risk of an accident involving the driver; select, from a plurality of available vehicles, a subset of the plurality of available vehicles based on the driver safety score; and cause display of a user interface offering the subset of the plurality of available vehicles to the driver.”

For additional information on this patent application, see: Allen, Rachel Edelshteyn; Labaschin, Benjamin. Matching Drivers With Shared Vehicles To Optimize Shared Vehicle Services. Filed May 14, 2019 and posted November 14, 2019. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220190347582%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20190347582&RS=DN/20190347582

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