Vehicular driver warnings

• US 10,163,350 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Fields, Brian Mark, Cielocha, Steven C., Alt, Jacob J., Uphoff, Laura A., Chan, Leo Nelson, Wazeer, Mohamed A., Gaudin, Kristopher Keith, Davis, Justin, Baumann, Nathan W., Roll, Giles
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/241,842
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 701117-119, 701300, 701301, 701414, 701423
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/214 Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 : Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 : characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 : Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing vehicular driver alerts. In various aspects a vehicle operating environment may be monitored by one or more sensors associated with a first vehicle operating within the vehicle operating environment. The first vehicle may be determined to be in proximity to a second vehicle based upon sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors. An identifier associated with the second vehicle may be determined based upon the sensor data and the identifier may be used to receive evaluation data associated with the second vehicle. The evaluation data may indicate a quality level associated with operation of the second vehicle. Based upon the evaluation data, it may be determined that the second vehicle is associated with a heightened risk of a vehicle accident. A warning regarding the heightened risk may be generated and presented, by an output device, to a vehicle operator of the first vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing driver alerts, comprising:

monitoring, using one or more sensors associated with a first vehicle, a vehicle operating environment in which the first vehicle is operating;

determining, by one or more processors, the first vehicle is operating in proximity to a second vehicle based upon sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors;

determining, by one or more processors, an identifier associated with the second vehicle based upon the sensor data;

receiving, at one or more processors, evaluation data associated with the second vehicle based upon the identifier, wherein the evaluation data indicates a quality level associated with operation of the second vehicle, and wherein the evaluation data originates from an occupant of the first vehicle;

determining, by one or more processors, that the second vehicle is associated with a heightened risk of a vehicle accident based upon the evaluation data;

generating, by one or more processors, a warning regarding the heightened risk; and

presenting, by an output device, the warning to a vehicle operator of the first vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, via a transceiver associated with the first vehicle, a warning message to a third vehicle operating within the vehicle operating environment to alert an operator of the third vehicle to the determined heightened risk associated with the second vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, an alternative route for the first vehicle to avoid the second vehicle; and

causing, by a navigation system of the first vehicle, the first vehicle to follow the alternative route.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining the first vehicle is operating in proximity to the second vehicle includes determining that the second vehicle is operating within a monitoring threshold distance, wherein the monitoring threshold distance depends upon environmental conditions of the vehicle operating environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining the identifier associated with the second vehicle is further based upon vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications transmitted by a transceiver of the second vehicle and received at a transceiver of the first vehicle.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the second vehicle is associated with the heightened risk includes determining that a score associated with the second vehicle exceeds an alert threshold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein:

the received evaluation data includes a profile associated with the second vehicle,

the score is selected from a plurality of scores within the profile, and

the selected score is associated with one or more environmental conditions of the vehicle operating environment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a driver of the second vehicle, and

wherein the received evaluation data is associated with the driver of the second vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation data is received from a remote server in response to a request from the first vehicle, wherein the request includes the identifier associated with the second vehicle.

10. A computer system for providing driver alerts, comprising:

one or more sensors associated with a first vehicle;

one or more processors associated with the first vehicle and communicatively connected to the one or more sensors;

an output device associated with the first vehicle and communicatively connected to the one or more processors;

a program memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to;

monitor a vehicle operating environment in which the first vehicle is operating using the one or more sensors;

determine the first vehicle is operating in proximity to a second vehicle based upon sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors;

determine an identifier associated with the second vehicle based upon the sensor data;

receive evaluation data associated with the second vehicle based upon the identifier, wherein the evaluation data indicates a quality level associated with operation of the second vehicle, and wherein the evaluation data originates from an occupant of the first vehicle;

determine that the second vehicle is associated with a heightened risk of a vehicle accident based upon the evaluation data;

generate a warning regarding the heightened risk; and

present the warning to a vehicle operator of the first vehicle using the output device.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a transceiver associated with the first vehicle, wherein the program memory further stores instructions that cause the computer system to transmit a warning message to a third vehicle operating within the vehicle operating environment via the transceiver to alert an operator of the third vehicle to the determined heightened risk associated with the second vehicle.

12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a navigation system associated with the first vehicle, wherein the program memory further stores instructions that cause the computer system to:

determine an alternative route for the first vehicle to avoid the second vehicle, and

adjust operation of the navigation system to cause the first vehicle to follow the alternative route.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to determine the first vehicle is operating in proximity to the second vehicle include instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the second vehicle is operating within a monitoring threshold distance, wherein the monitoring threshold distance depends upon environmental conditions of the vehicle operating environment.

14. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising a transceiver associated with the first vehicle, wherein the determination of the identifier associated with the second vehicle is further based upon vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications from the second vehicle received at the transceiver.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the second vehicle is associated with the heightened risk include instructions that cause the computer system to determine that a score associated with the second vehicle exceeds an alert threshold.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein:

the received evaluation data includes a profile associated with the second vehicle,

the score is selected from a plurality of scores within the profile, and

the selected score is associated with one or more environmental conditions of the vehicle operating environment.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the program memory further stores instructions that cause the computer system to determine a driver of the second vehicle, and, wherein the received evaluation data is associated with the driver of the second vehicle.

18. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the evaluation data is received from a remote server in response to a request from the first vehicle, wherein the request includes the identifier associated with the second vehicle.

19. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for providing driver alerts that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

monitor a vehicle operating environment in which a first vehicle is operating using one or more sensors associated with the first vehicle;

determine the first vehicle is operating in proximity to a second vehicle based upon sensor data obtained from the one or more sensors;

determine an identifier associated with the second vehicle based upon the sensor data;

receive evaluation data associated with the second vehicle based upon the identifier, wherein the evaluation data indicates a quality level associated with operation of the second vehicle, and wherein the evaluation data originates from an occupant of the first vehicle;

determine that the second vehicle is associated with a heightened risk of a vehicle accident based upon the evaluation data;

generate a warning regarding the heightened risk; and

present the warning to a vehicle operator of the first vehicle.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further storing instructions that cause the computer system to transmit a warning message to a third vehicle operating within the vehicle operating environment via a transceiver associated with the first vehicle to alert an operator of the third vehicle to the determined heightened risk associated with the second vehicle.