Recommendations to an operator of vehicle based upon vehicle usage detected by in-car audio signals

• US 10,580,084 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Davis, Justin, Gaudin, Kristopher Keith, Cope, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US16/052,714
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/02 Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure hand-held tyre pressure gauges G01L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/74 Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

The systems and methods may transmit a plurality of locationing pulse requests from a mobile device in a vehicle to an audio system of the vehicle during a period of operation of the vehicle. The audio system may have an array of speakers disposed inside the vehicle, and the locationing pulse requests may include a request to emit a locationing pulse from the array of speakers. The systems and methods may further receive the locationing pulse at a microphone of the mobile device, and generate or update a vehicle usage profile based upon the receiving operation. The vehicle usage profile may include occupancy data of one or more seats inside the vehicle. The systems and methods may further transmit a recommendation to a person associated with the mobile device. The recommendation may be based upon the vehicle usage profile, and may relate to vehicle operation or insurance.

Claims

1. A system for providing recommendations regarding a vehicle operator comprising:

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor configured to interface with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to;

transmit a plurality of requests to a vehicle to emit a locationing pulse from an audio subsystem of the vehicle;

receive occupancy data from the vehicle in response to a transmission of the requests to emit the locationing pulse, wherein the occupancy data includes at least identities of one or more non-driver passengers inside the vehicle;

assemble or generate a vehicle usage profile based at least on the occupancy data; and

transmit a recommendation to a person associated with the vehicle based upon the vehicle usage profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of requests to the vehicle to emit the locationing pulse includes transmitting at least some of the plurality of requests to a mobile device inside the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle usage profile further includes telematics data received from the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a request to the vehicle to implement the recommendation automatically.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle usage profile further includes weight, planned vehicle route, vehicle configuration, vehicle fuel consumption, vehicle fuel level, tire pressure, and vehicle suspension tuning setting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is a recommendation to change autonomous navigation settings of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is a recommendation to alter insurance coverage of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the recommendation is a suggestion of the availability of a destination along a route of the vehicle if the person is a non-driver passenger.

9. A computer-implemented method of recommending insurance coverage adjustment for a vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of requests to a vehicle to emit a locationing pulse from an audio subsystem of the vehicle;

receiving occupancy data from the vehicle in response to transmitting the requests to emit the locationing pulse, wherein the occupancy data includes at least identities of one or more non-driver passengers inside the vehicle;

assembling or generating a vehicle usage profile based upon at least the occupancy data; and

transmitting a recommendation to alter insurance coverage of the vehicle based upon the vehicle usage profile.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the identities of the one or more non-driver passengers of the vehicle include at least one age of the one or more non-driver passengers of the vehicle;

and the recommendation is to increase insurance coverage of the vehicle if the at least one age satisfies an age threshold.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the occupancy data includes a number of non-driver passengers inside the vehicle;

and the recommendation is to increase insurance coverage of the vehicle if the number of non-driver passengers inside the vehicle satisfies an occupancy condition.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle usage profile satisfies an elevated risk condition;

and the recommendation is to increase insurance coverage of the vehicle based upon the elevated risk condition.