Systems and methods for dynamic insurance premiums

• US 10,657,597 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Billman, Bradly Jay, Grantham, Jr., Ewan Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US13/768,692
• Time in Patent Office: 2,650 Days
• Field of Search: 705 3- 44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

In an example, an insurance premium for a driverless vehicle is calculated by monitoring an amount of time a first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle during a period and modifying an insurance rate for a subsequent period based on the amount of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle. In another example, an insurance premium for an intelligent vehicle is calculated by receiving at a computerized insurance system, from the intelligent vehicle, an indication of the intelligent vehicle'"'"'s condition and calculating the insurance premium for an insurance policy that covers the intelligent vehicle based at least in part on the indication of the intelligent vehicle'"'"'s condition.

Claims

1. A method of calculating an insurance premium for a driverless vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a first occupant of the driverless vehicle;

establishing data communication, utilizing a processor based machine, between an insurance premium calculator and an onboard vehicle system of the driverless vehicle, the insurance premium calculator hosted by an insurance company and remote to the onboard vehicle system;

causing, by the processor based machine, the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a first amount of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle to the insurance premium calculator during a period;

causing, by the processor based machine, the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a second amount of time that the vehicle is operated without a driver to the insurance premium calculator during the period; and

modifying an insurance rate for a subsequent period based on the first amount of time and the second amount of time using the insurance premium calculator;

the first amount of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle; and

the second amount of time that the vehicle is operated without a driver.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by the processor based machine, the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of the first occupant; and

wherein modifying the insurance rate is further based on the identity of the first occupant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by the processor based machine, the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of a second occupant during the period; and

wherein modifying the insurance rate for the subsequent period comprises modifying the insurance rate based on the identities of the first and second occupants who were in active control during the period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the period is a 6-month period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing, by the processor based machine, the onboard vehicle system to detect that the first occupant is at least one of steering, braking, and accelerating the driverless vehicle;

and wherein the at least one signal indicative of the first amount of time comprises a notification that the first occupant is at least one of steering, braking, and accelerating the driverless vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the first occupant to override a driverless mode; and

aggregating the amount of time the first occupant is in active control while the first occupant is overriding the driverless mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the insurance rate comprises:

accessing a first percentage of active driving time of the driverless vehicle;

calculating a second percentage of active drive time of the driverless vehicle, which is based on the amount of time the first occupant was in active control of the driverless vehicle during the period; and

increasing or decreasing the insurance rate based on a corresponding increase or decrease of the second percentage in comparison to the first percentage.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium hosted by an insurance company comprising instructions for calculating an insurance premium for a driverless vehicle, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

detect a first occupant of the driverless vehicle;

establish data communication with an onboard vehicle system of the driverless vehicle remote to the computer;

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a first percentage of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle to the computer during a period;

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a second percentage of time that the vehicle is operated without a driver to the computer during the period; and

modify an insurance rate for a subsequent period based on the first percentage of time and the second percentage of time using the computer,

the first percentage of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle, and

the second percentage of time that the vehicle is operated without a driver.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of the first occupant; and

wherein modifying the insurance rate is further based on the identity of the first occupant.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of a second occupant during the period; and

wherein the instructions to modify the insurance rate for the subsequent period comprise instructions to modify the insurance rate based on the identities of the first and second occupants who were in active control during the period.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the period is a 6-month period.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to cause the onboard vehicle system to detect when the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle when the first occupant is performing at least one of steering, braking, and accelerating the driverless vehicle and wherein the at least one signal indicative of the first percentage of time comprises a notification that the first occupant is at least one of steering, braking, and accelerating the driverless vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

receive a command from the first occupant to override a driverless mode; and

aggregate an amount of time the first occupant is in active control while the first occupant is overriding the driverless mode.

14. A system for calculating an insurance premium for a driverless vehicle and hosted by an insurance company, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

establish data communication with an onboard vehicle system of the driverless vehicle remote to the system;

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a first amount of time a first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle to the system during a period;

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide at least one signal indicative of a second amount of time a first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle to the system during the period;

modify an insurance rate for a subsequent period based on both;

the first amount of time the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle; and

the second amount of time the vehicle is operated without a driver.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory includes instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of the first occupant; and

wherein modification of the insurance rate is further based on the identity of the first occupant.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory includes instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

cause the onboard vehicle system to provide an identity of a second occupant during the period; and

wherein the instructions to modify the insurance rate for the subsequent period is configured to modify the insurance rate based on the identities of the first and second occupants who were in active control during the period.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the period is a 6-month period.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system cause the onboard vehicle system to detect when the first occupant is in active control of the driverless vehicle when the first occupant is performing at least one of steering, braking, or accelerating the driverless vehicle and wherein the at least one signal indicative of the first amount of time comprises a notification that the first occupant is at least one of steering, braking, and accelerating the driverless vehicle.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory includes instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

receive a command from the first occupant to override a driverless mode; and

aggregate the amount of time the first occupant is in active control while the first occupant is overriding the driverless mode.