“Systems And Methods For Communicating With An Electric Vehicle” in Patent Application Approval Process (USPTO 20230334581): Patent Application

2023 NOV 03 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent application by the inventor Thurber, David W. (Sherman, IL, US), filed on June 7, 2023, was made available online on October 19, 2023, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx correspondents.

This patent application has not been assigned to a company or institution.

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Vehicle insurance providers typically seek to offer insurance policy premiums that take into account the likelihood of an event triggering a recognizable loss under the insurance policy (e.g., damage to the vehicle covered by the policy, damage to another vehicle or object, injury to the policy holder, injury to others, etc.). Past driving behavior of a policy holder may be useful in determining whether a recognizable loss will occur in the future. For example, an individual who routinely drives his or her vehicle above the speed limit may be more likely to incur a recognizable loss than an individual who generally does not exceed the speed limit. Other factors which may be useful in determining the risk of recognizable loss include the distance that the vehicle is driven on a daily, weekly, monthly and/or yearly basis, the general condition of the vehicle, and/or the locations in which the vehicle has been driven (e.g., urban, rural, off-road, etc.).

“Typically, individuals who demonstrate driving behaviors indicative of a low risk of recognizable loss may be assigned a more positive insurance rating, and accordingly, offered a lower insurance premium. On the other hand, individuals demonstrating driving behaviors associated with a high risk of loss may be assigned a more negative rating, and therefore, offered a higher insurance premium, for the same level of coverage.

“Insurance providers typically may not have access to very much information regarding the driving behavior and vehicle condition of their current and/or potential policy holders. Sources of such information may be limited to driving records and/or responses by the current and/or potential policy holder to questionnaires administered by the insurance provider. Moreover, some driving behaviors, particularly those that have a significant impact on the risk of recognizable loss, may be difficult, if not impossible, to assess based upon driving records, questionnaires, and/or other conventional techniques for learning driver behaviors. Consequently, insurance ratings and premiums may not accurately reflect the policy holder’s true risk of loss.”

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent application: “A system and method that may communicate data with an electric vehicle (such as either a fully electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle) over an electrical grid when the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging are provided. As a result, the electric vehicle may advantageously communicate insurance risk related data with an insurer and/or other remote entity over the electrical grid without having to connect to a wireless network (e.g., a cellular network). Additionally, the insurer may advantageously collect insurance risk related data from the electric vehicle on a relatively regular basis (e.g., whenever the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging).

“In one aspect, a computer-implemented method of communicating data with an electric vehicle may be provided. The method may include collecting insurance risk related data associated with use of the electric vehicle, such as via one or more vehicle-mounted processors. Additionally, the method may include storing, such as under the direction of the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, the insurance risk related data in one or more memories included in the electric vehicle. The method may further include receiving an indication (such as at or via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors) that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle. Furthermore, the method may include transmitting the insurance risk related data with or from a power-line communication unit (and/or under the control or direction of the one or more vehicle-mounted processors) over the electrical grid from the electric vehicle to one or more remote servers when the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery. The method may include receiving the insurance risk related data at an insurance provider remote processor, and/or generating, adjusting, or updating an insurance policy, premium, rate, risk, discount, or reward, and/or usage-based insurance, for the electric vehicle at the insurance provider remote processor based upon the insurance risk related data received from the electric vehicle to facilitate insurance product pricing that is more reflective of true or actual risk. The method may include additional, fewer, or alternate actions, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, a system of communicating data with an electric vehicle may be provided. The system may include one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the one or more processors (such as vehicle-mounted processors and memories). The one or more memories may include non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: collect insurance risk related data associated with use of the electric vehicle; store the insurance risk related data in the one or more memories; receive an indication that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle; and/or control a power-line communication unit to transmit the insurance risk related data over the electrical grid (from the electric vehicle) to one or more remote servers. The one or more remote servers may be associated with an insurance provider, and the insurance risk related data may be used to generate or adjust an insurance policy (and/or premium, discount, rate, usage-based insurance, etc.) for the electric vehicle. The system may include additional, fewer, or alternate components, including those discussed elsewhere herein.

“In another aspect, a tangible computer-readable medium including non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed at one or more processors of a communication system for an electric vehicle, cause the one or more processors to: collect insurance risk related data associated with use of the electric vehicle; store the insurance risk related data in one or more memories included in the electric vehicle; receive an indication that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle; and/or transmit the insurance risk related data with a power-line communication unit over the electrical grid to one or more remote servers when the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery such as adjustments to an insurance policy for the electric vehicle is facilitated. The computer-readable medium may include instructions that direct additional, less, or alternate functionality, including that discussed elsewhere herein.

“The Figures depict preferred embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A computer-implemented method of communicating data with an electric vehicle, the method comprising: collecting, at or via one or more vehicle-mounted processors, data associated with use of the electric vehicle; determining, at or via the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle; and transmitting, the data with, or from, a communication unit, and/or under the direction or control of the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, over the electrical grid to one or more remote computer systems when the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery, wherein the transmission of data is triggered or caused by, or conditioned upon, at least in part, the determination that the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery.

“2. The method of claim 1, the data including at least one of: odometer information, steering information, acceleration information, braking information, velocity information, engine performance information, vehicle maintenance information, proximity information, drifting information, lane changing information, weather information, driver behavior information, passenger information, or geographic location information.

“3. The method of claim 1, comprising determining, with the one or more remote computer systems, insurance rating data based upon the data associated with use of the electric vehicle.

“4. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, with or via the communication unit and/or the one or more vehicle-mounted processors, insurance rating data transmitted over the electrical grid from the one or more remote computer systems.

“5. The method of claim 4, comprising displaying, to a driver of the electric vehicle, a notification based upon the insurance rating data.

“6. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, with the communication unit, a request to transmit the data transmitted over the electrical grid to an insurance provider.

“7. The method of claim 1, receiving, with the communication unit, a request to transmit the one or more risk indicators over the electrical grid, wherein the request is limited to one or more risk indicators generated by the one or more vehicle-mounted processors after a previous transmission of one or more risk indicators by the electric vehicle over the electrical grid.

“8. The method of claim 1, the communication unit being a broadband over power line (BPL) modem.

“9. A system of communicating data with an electric vehicle, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories connected to the one or more processors, the one or more memories including non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: collect data associated with use of the electric vehicle; determine that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle; and control a communication unit to transmit the data over the electrical grid to one or more remote computer systems, wherein the transmission of data is triggered or caused by, or conditioned upon, at least in part, the determination that the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery.

“10. The data communication system of claim 9, the data including at least one of: odometer information, steering information, acceleration information, braking information, velocity information, engine performance information, vehicle maintenance information, proximity information, drifting information, lane changing information, weather information, driver behavior information, passenger information, or geographic location information.

“11. The data communication system of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable instructions include instructions that cause the one or more processors to control the communication unit to receive insurance rating data transmitted over the electrical grid from the one or more remote computer systems.

“12. The data communication system of claim 11, wherein the insurance rating data is determined based upon the data associated with use of the electric vehicle.

“13. The data communication system of claim 9, the communication unit being included in a charging unit separate from the electric vehicle.

“14. The data communication system of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable instructions include instructions that cause the one or more processors to collect the data associated with use of the electric vehicle from one or more sensors included in the electric vehicle.

“15. The data communication system of claim 9, the communication unit being a broadband over power line (BPL) modem.

“16. A tangible computer-readable medium including non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed at one or more processors of a communication system for an electric vehicle, cause the one or more processors to: collect data associated with use of the electric vehicle; determine that the electric vehicle is connected to an electrical grid for charging a battery included in the electric vehicle; and transmit the data with a communication unit over the electrical grid to one or more remote computer systems when the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery, wherein the transmission of data is triggered or caused by, or conditioned upon, at least in part, the determination that the electric vehicle is connected to the electrical grid for charging the battery.

“17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, the data including at least one of: odometer information, steering information, acceleration information, braking information, velocity information, engine performance information, vehicle maintenance information, proximity information, drifting information, lane changing information, weather information, driver behavior information, passenger information, or geographic location information.

“18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable instructions include instructions that cause the one or more processors to control the communication unit to receive insurance rating data transmitted over the electrical grid from the one or more remote computer systems.

“19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the insurance rating data is determined based upon the data associated with use of the electric vehicle.

“20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable instructions include instructions that cause the one or more processors to collect the data from one or more sensors included in the electric vehicle.”

URL and more information on this patent application, see: Thurber, David W. Systems And Methods For Communicating With An Electric Vehicle. U.S. Patent Application Number 20230334581, filed June 7, 2023 and posted October 19, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(20230334581)&db=US-PGPUB&type=ids

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