Methods, devices, and mediums associated with risk management of vehicle operation

• US 8,686,844 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wine, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US13/171,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/439, 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A system may be configured to receive input indicating an operating condition associated with a vehicle. One or more environmental parameters of vehicle operation may be identified and compared with the operating condition to determine a safety rating of the vehicle operation based, at least in part, on the comparison. The safety rating may be assigned to an account associated with an operator of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, an input from a first vehicle indicating an operating condition associated with the first vehicle;

identifying, by the processing device, at least one environmental parameter of vehicle operation for the first vehicle;

comparing, by the processing device, the operating condition with the at least one environmental parameter;

determining, by the processing device, a safety rating of the vehicle operation for the first vehicle based, at least in part, on said comparing and on a safety evaluation selectively determined contemporaneously with the operating condition by a second operator operating a second vehicle within a local proximity of the first vehicle; and

assigning, by the processing device, the safety rating to a first operator of the first vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting, by the processing device, the safety rating to an insurance company associated with the first operator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting, by the processing device, the safety evaluation in determining the safety rating of the first vehicle based on a safety rating associated with the second operator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting, by the processing device, an indication of the safety rating from the first vehicle to one or more additional vehicles in proximity to the first vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processing device, the safety rating contemporaneously with receiving the safety evaluation determined by the second operator; and

adjusting, by the processing device, an account balance associated with the first operator based, at least in part, on the safety rating.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising adjusting, by the processing device, a second account balance associated with the second vehicle while the second vehicle is within the local proximity to the first vehicle based, at least in part, on the safety rating.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the account balance comprises redirecting at least some of the account balance into the second account balance contemporaneously with identifying the second vehicle within the local proximity of the first vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising evaluating, by the processing device, the safety rating with a second safety rating associated with the second vehicle, wherein the at least some of the account balance is transferred into the second account balance based, at least in part, on said evaluating.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processing device, a fine based, at least in part, on the safety rating.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, the safety evaluation in a vehicle-to-vehicle communication sent from the second vehicle to the first vehicle; and

displaying, by the processing device, the safety evaluation on a user interface within the first vehicle.

11. A memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input from a vehicle indicating an operating condition associated with the vehicle;

identifying one or more environmental parameters of vehicle operation;

comparing the operating condition with the one or more environmental parameters;

determining a safety rating of the vehicle operation based, at least in part, on said comparing and based on a safety evaluation provided contemporaneously with the operating condition by an additional operator operating an additional vehicle within a local proximity of the vehicle;

assigning the safety rating to an account associated with the vehicle; and

sending the safety rating from the vehicle to the additional vehicle.

12. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition comprises a travelling speed of the vehicle.

13. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise

weighting the safety evaluation in determining the safety rating of the vehicle based on a safety rating of the additional operator.

14. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the one or more environmental parameters comprises a time of day.

15. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the one or more environmental parameters comprises a weather condition.

16. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition comprises a following distance between the vehicle and the additional vehicle.

17. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition comprises a reaction time for braking the vehicle.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

sensing an object located in front of the vehicle; and

detecting a braking signal, wherein the reaction time comprises a measured time between said sensing and said detecting.

19. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition comprises an un-signaled lane change.

20. The memory device of claim 11, wherein the operating condition comprises a failure to stop at a traffic signal.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions; and

a processing device that, in response to executing the instructions stored in the memory device, is configured to;

receive an input indicating an operating condition associated with a first vehicle substantially contemporaneously with the operating condition;

identify one or more environmental parameters of vehicle operation;

compare the operating condition with the one or more environmental parameters;

determine a safety rating of the first vehicle operation based, at least in part, on said comparing; and

a safety evaluation received from a second operator operating a second vehicle within a vicinity of the first vehicle; and

assign the safety rating to a first operator associated with the first vehicle.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the safety evaluation comprises at least one of a good and/or bad safety determination selected by the second operator.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the input is received from at least one sensor located off of the first vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a radar gun.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one sensor is located on the second vehicle.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the input is received from the second vehicle.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

decrease a first account of the first operator by a first amount based on the safety rating; and

increase a second account of the second operator by a second amount proportional to the first amount.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the safety evaluation includes a text message, and wherein the processor is further configured to display the text message to the first operator.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processing device is further configured to weigh the safety evaluation in determining the safety rating of the first vehicle based on a safety rating of the second operator.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the input is received from a plurality of vehicles, and wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the operating condition based, at least in part, on the input.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an input indicating an operating condition associated with a vehicle substantially contemporaneously with the operating condition;

means for identifying one or more environmental parameters of vehicle operation;

means for comparing the operating condition with the one or more environmental parameters to determine a safety rating of the vehicle operation based, at least in part, on said comparing, wherein the safety rating is assigned to an account associated with an operator of the vehicle; and

means for sending an alert associated with the safety rating from the vehicle to a second vehicle within a local proximity of the vehicle.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for comparing comprises means for weighting the operating condition based on a driving record associated with the operator.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the driving record associated with the operator comprises a history of vehicle operations and associated levels of safety.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for disabling the vehicle based, at least in part, on the driving record associated with the operator.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the means for disabling comprises means for determining that a vehicle ignition is turned off, and wherein the vehicle ignition is disabled from turning back on.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the one or more environmental parameters comprises a driving record associated with a second operator, and wherein the means for comparing comprises means for weighting the one or more environmental parameters based on the driving record associated with the second operator.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the second operator is associated with the second vehicle within the local proximity to the vehicle.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for transferring at least some amount from the account associated with the operator to a second account associated with a second operator of the second vehicle based on the safety rating.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for sending the alert comprises means for transmitting a text message to the second vehicle.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the text message includes an identification of the vehicle.

41. A system, comprising:

a memory device configured to store vehicle operation data associated with a plurality of accounts; and

a processing device, configured to;

receive an input from a first vehicle indicating an operating condition associated with the first vehicle substantially contemporaneously with the operating condition;

identify a first account associated with the first vehicle;

identify a location of the first vehicle;

compare the operating condition with at least one environmental parameter associated with the location;

determine a safety rating of the first vehicle based, at least in part, on said comparing;

identify a location of a second vehicle as within a range of the first vehicle; and

transfer some amount of the first account into a second account associated with the second vehicle based on the safety rating of the first vehicle.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the at least one environmental parameter comprises a traffic law.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the traffic law comprises a speed limit.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the safety rating indicates a violation of the traffic law.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein an association of the at least one environmental parameter and the location of the first vehicle is stored in the memory device, and wherein, prior to comparing the operating condition with the at least one environmental parameter, the processor is further configured to select the at least one environmental parameter based on the identification of the location.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the input is transmitted from a device located on the first vehicle.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the input indicates a rate of travel of the first vehicle.

48. The system of claim 41, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the safety rating based on a safety evaluation of the first vehicle selectively input by an operator of the second vehicle.