State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Assigned Patent for Methods of Theft Prevention, Mitigation

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 20 -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, Bloomington, Illinois, has been assigned a patent (No. 10,351,097, initially filed April 27, 2018) developed by 10 co-inventors for "methods of theft prevention or mitigation." The co-inventors are Thomas Michael Potter, Normal, Illinois, Mark E. Clauss, Bloomington, Illinois, Dustin Ryan Carter, Normal, Illinois, Megan Michal Baumann, Bloomington, Illinois, Atlanta Bonnom, Denver, Colorado, Craig Cope, Bloomington, Illinois, Jennifer Luella Lawyer, Bloomington, Illinois, Curtis Simpson, Carlock, Illinois, Nathan W. Baumann, Bloomington, Illinois, and Douglas Albert Graff, Bloomington, Illinois.

The full-text of the patent can be found at 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=10,351,097.PN.&OS=PN/10,351,097&RS=PN/10,351,097

The abstract states: "In system and methods for theft prevention or mitigation, driver-related data associated with one or more authorized drivers of an insured vehicle may be collected over time. The authorized drivers and the insured vehicle may be covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider. Based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with the authorized drivers may be built. Current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the insured vehicle may be collected. It may be determined, using both the database and the current driver-related data, that the individual is not among the authorized drivers. A disablement of an operation of the insured vehicle may be caused, and/or the individual may be caused to be prevented from starting or otherwise operating the insured vehicle, to facilitate preventing or mitigating theft of the insured vehicle."

Written by Ranjan Behera; edited by Sudarshan Harpal.