Vehicle sharing tool based on vehicle condition assessments

• US 10,140,782 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Binion, Todd, Minter, Kelly S., Brown-McCreery, Heidi, Harris, Michael, Myers, Jeremy, Fields, Brian, Harr, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Fisher, Paul R
• Application Number:
  US14/047,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method for assessing an operator of a shared vehicle includes receiving a vehicle operator enrollment from a user, wherein the vehicle operator enrollment includes: (i) information identifying a vehicle operated by the user, and (ii) information identifying a shared vehicle. Further, the method includes retrieving condition data corresponding to the vehicle from a condition database, wherein a device inside the vehicle generates at least some of the condition data while the vehicle is being operated by the user, analyzing the condition data to determine a correlation between the user operating the vehicle and a change in a condition of the vehicle, wherein the condition of the vehicle relates to at least one of a quality or a value of the vehicle, and generating a report, wherein the report includes indications of the correlation between the user operating the vehicle and the change in the condition of the vehicle. In addition, the method includes communicating, via the computer network, the report to a remote computing device for presentation to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assessing potential operators of a shared vehicle comprising:

receiving, via a computer network, a vehicle operator enrollment from a user, wherein the vehicle operator enrollment includes;

(i) information identifying an operated vehicle, the operated vehicle operated by the user in the past, and (ii) information requesting future use of the shared vehicle, wherein the shared vehicle is different from the operated vehicle;

retrieving, by one or more processors, condition data corresponding to the operated vehicle from a condition database, the condition data including a plurality of points in time, a current condition of the operated vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time, and an indication of an operator of the operated vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time,

wherein a plurality of devices inside the operated vehicle generated at least some of the condition data while the operated vehicle was being operated by the user, the plurality of devices including a motion sensor;

wherein the condition data includes movement data within the operated vehicle collected by the motion sensor;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the condition data to identify a user operated cluster corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of points in time wherein the condition data indicates that the operated vehicle was operated by the user;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the movement data within the user operated cluster to determine that the user or a passenger was eating food in the operated vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors, a correlation between the user operating the operated vehicle and a change in a condition of the operated vehicle by identifying a change in the current condition of the operated vehicle over the first subset of the plurality of points in time within the user operated cluster, wherein the change in the condition of the operated vehicle includes;

(i) a depreciation of the operated vehicle based on a presence of food within the operated vehicle, wherein the depreciation indicates a change in at least one of a market value or a trade-in value of the operated vehicle, and

(ii) a change in interior condition of the operated vehicle based on the presence of food within the operated vehicle;

generating a report, by the one or more processors, wherein the report includes a visual representation of the correlation between the user operating the operated vehicle and the change in the condition of the operated vehicle; and

communicating, via the computer network, the report to a remote computing device for presentation to a party authorized to grant the requested future use of the shared vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the information identifying the operated vehicle includes at least one of a license plate number, license plate state, manufacturer name, year of manufacture, name of insurance company, model name or number, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), registered owner name, owner contact information, or insurance policy number.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the condition data includes one or more of indications of current or prior geographic locations, mileages of the operated vehicle, times, dates, behaviors of the user while operating the operated vehicle, collisions in which the operated vehicle was involved, repairs of the operated vehicle, information from a vehicle title corresponding to the operated vehicle, usage patterns of the operated vehicle, recalls corresponding to the operated vehicle, preferences of the user, or driving violations.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of devices inside the operated vehicle includes an on-board vehicle computer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the shared vehicle is a rental vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the shared vehicle is used as part of a car sharing, carpooling, or ride sharing service.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the condition data to determine a correlation between the user operating the operated vehicle and a change in a condition of the operated vehicle includes:

determining, by the one or more processors, the condition of the operated vehicle operated at a point in time for which the condition data is available; and

executing a simulation algorithm by the one or more processors to predict or simulate the condition of the operated vehicle at the current point in time or a future point in time.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein executing the simulation algorithm by the one or more processors to predict or simulate the condition of the operated vehicle at the current point in time or the future point in time includes at least one of:

(i) predicting a current or future market value of the operated vehicle,

(ii) predicting a current or future need for maintenance or repair of the operated vehicle, or

(iii) developing suggestions for improving a quality or a value of the operated vehicle.

9. A computer-implemented method for reporting vehicle ownership information to a customer via a computing device including a user interface and a display device, the method comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a request for a future use of a shared vehicle from a user who previously operated a monitored vehicle different from the shared vehicle;

generating, by one or more processors, an operator query, wherein the operator query includes information identifying the monitored vehicle;

sending, via a network interface at the computing device, the operator query to a server;

in response to sending the operator query, receiving, via the network interface at the computing device, a vehicle operator report indicating a correlation between the user operating the monitored vehicle and a change in a condition of the monitored vehicle,

wherein the change in the condition of the monitored vehicle includes;

(i) a depreciation of the monitored vehicle based on a presence of food within the monitored vehicle, wherein the depreciation indicates a change in at least one of a market value or a trade-in value of the operated vehicle, and (ii) a change in interior condition of the monitored vehicle based on the presence of food within the monitored vehicle,

wherein the vehicle operator report is based on a collective analysis of a plurality of condition data, the plurality of condition data including a plurality of points in time, a current condition of the monitored vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time, and an indication of an operator of the monitored vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time, wherein the plurality of condition data is analyzed to identify a user operated cluster corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of points in time wherein the condition data indicates that the monitored vehicle was operated by the user, and the correlation between the user operating the monitored vehicle and the change in the condition of the monitored vehicle is determined based on a change in the current condition of the monitored vehicle over the first subset of the plurality of points in time within the user operated cluster,

wherein a plurality of devices inside the monitored vehicle generated at least some of the plurality of condition data while the monitored vehicle was being operated by the user, the plurality of devices including a motion sensor

wherein the condition data includes movement data within the monitored vehicle collected by the motion sensor

wherein the movement data is analyzed within the user operated cluster to determine that the user or a passenger was eating food in the monitored vehicle;

rendering, by the one or more processors, an image of the vehicle operator report for presentation to the customer on the display device; and

in response to the presentation of the image on the display device, receiving, via the user interface, instructions regarding the sharing of the shared vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the information identifying the monitored vehicle includes at least one of a license plate number, license plate state, manufacturer name, year of manufacture, name of insurance company, model name or number, color, vehicle identification number (VIN), registered owner name, owner contact information, or insurance policy number.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the instructions regarding the sharing of the shared vehicle include a rejection or an acceptance of the user to operate the shared vehicle.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

when the instructions regarding the sharing of the shared vehicle include the rejection of the user to operate the shared vehicle, sending an indication of the rejection to the server; and

when the instruction regarding the sharing of the shared vehicle include the acceptance of the user to operate the shared vehicle, sending an indication of the acceptance to the server.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the instructions regarding the sharing of the shared vehicle include an indication of a specific rate for shared use of the shared vehicle for the user.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising sending an indication of the specific rate to the server.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a rate acceptance or counter rate offer in response to sending the indication of the specific rate to the server.

16. A computer device for assessing an operator of a shared vehicle, the computer device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions stored therein that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, via a computer network, a vehicle operator enrollment from a user, wherein the vehicle operator enrollment includes;

(i) information identifying an operated vehicle, the operated vehicle operated by the user in the past, and (ii) information requesting future use of the shared vehicle, wherein the shared vehicle is different from the operated vehicle;

retrieve condition data corresponding to the operated vehicle from a condition database, the condition data including a plurality of points in time, a current condition of the operated vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time, and an indication of an operator of the operated vehicle at each of the plurality of points in time,

wherein a plurality of devices inside the operated vehicle generated at least some of the condition data while the operated vehicle was being operated by the user, the plurality of devices including a motion sensor;

wherein the condition data includes movement data within the operated vehicle collected by the motion sensor;

analyze the condition data to identify a user operated cluster corresponding to a first subset of the plurality of points in time wherein the condition data indicates that the operated vehicle was operated by the user;

analyze the movement data within the user operated cluster to determine that the user or a passenger was eating food in the operated vehicle;

determine a correlation between the user operating the operated vehicle and a change in a condition of the operated vehicle by identifying a change in the current condition of the operated vehicle over the first subset of the plurality of points in time within the user operated cluster, wherein the change in the condition of the operated vehicle includes;

(i) a depreciation of the operated vehicle based on a presence of food within the operated vehicle, wherein the depreciation indicates a change in at least one of a market value or a trade-in value of the operated vehicle, and

(ii) a change in interior condition of the operated vehicle based on the presence of food within the operated vehicle;

generate a report, wherein the report includes a visual representation of the correlation between the user operating the operated vehicle and the change in the condition of the operated vehicle; and

communicate, via the computer network, the report to a remote computing device for presentation to a party authorized to grant the requested future use of the shared vehicle.