System and method for separating ambient gravitational acceleration from a moving three-axis accelerometer data

• US 9,360,322 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Menon, Sunish Shreenarayan, Dosher, David James, Christensen, Scott Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US14/277,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/905 the sensor being an xyz axis sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/16 for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/22 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/185 for gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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

Abstract

A method based on separating ambient gravitational acceleration from a moving three-axis accelerometer data for determining a driving pattern is presented. A server may receive telematics data originating from a client computing device and combine the telematics data. The server may estimate a gravitational constant to the combined telematics data and generate a function for pitch and a roll angle from the combined telematics data. The server may further determine a driving pattern using at least the pitch and the roll angle.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for determining a driving pattern, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computer network, telematics data corresponding to a trip of a moving vehicle and originating from a client computing device;

combining, by one or more processors, the telematics data;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a primary movement window from the telematics data, wherein the primary movement window is indicative of the client computing device being static with respect to the moving vehicle;

estimating, by the one or more processors, a gravitational constant from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window such that the gravitational constant is the only force acting on a Z-Axis of the moving vehicle according to a reference frame of the moving vehicle;

generating, by the one or more processors, a pitch angle and a roll angle from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window that aligns the gravitational constant with the Z-Axis of the moving vehicle; and

determining, by the one or more processors, the driving pattern using at least the pitch angle and the roll angle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying, by the one or more processors, a rotation matrix to the telematics data, wherein the rotation matrix accounts for the pitch angle and roll angle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the pitch angle and roll angle further comprises:

measuring, by the one or more processors, an acceleration in the direction of gravity from the telematics data;

maximizing, by the one or more processors, the measured acceleration in the direction of gravity; and

generating, by the one or more processors, a function for each of the pitch and the roll angles.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the driving pattern further comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, that the pitch angle and roll angle are indicative of at least one of;

an acceleration event, a braking event, a left turn event and a right turn event.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the pitch angle and the roll angle further comprises incorporating a rotation matrix definition.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

measuring, by the one or more processors, the effect of gravity from the telematics data;

minimizing, by the one or more processors, a squared error in the measured gravity in the primary movement window;

establishing, by the one or more processors, a function of the gravitational constant based at least on the measured gravity;

generating, by the one or more processors, a function for each of a second pitch angle and a second roll angle using the gravitational constant;

determining, by the one or more processors, a difference between the pitch angle and the second pitch angle;

determining, by the one or more processors, a difference between the roll angle and the second roll angle; and

determining, by the one or more processors, whether each difference is within a defined threshold limit.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein minimizing a squared error in the measured gravity includes a least squares solution.

8. A computer device for determining a driving pattern, the computer device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors;

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

receive telematics data corresponding to a trip of a moving vehicle and originating from a client computing device;

combine the telematics data;

identify a primary movement window from the telematics data, wherein the primary movement window is indicative of the client computing device being static with respect to the moving vehicle;

estimate a gravitational constant from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window such that the gravitational constant is the only force acting on a Z-Axis of the moving vehicle according to a reference frame of the moving vehicle;

generate a pitch angle and a roll angle from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window that aligns the gravitational constant with the Z-Axis of the moving vehicle; and

determine at the one or more processors, the driving pattern using at least the pitch angle and the roll angle.

9. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

apply a rotation matrix to the telematics data, wherein the rotation matrix accounts for the pitch angle and roll angle.

10. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

measure an acceleration in the direction of gravity from the telematics data;

maximize the measured acceleration in the direction of gravity; and

generate a function for each of the pitch and the roll angles.

11. The computer device of claim 8 wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the pitch angle and roll angle are indicative of at least one of an acceleration of an acceleration event, a braking event, a left turn event and a right turn event.

12. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions to generate a pitch angle and a roll angle further cause the one or more processors to:

incorporate a rotation matrix definition.

13. The computer device of claim 8, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

measure, by the one or more processors, the effect of gravity from the telematics data;

minimize a squared error in the measured gravity from the telematics data in the primary movement window;

establish a function of the gravitational constant based at least on the measured gravity;

generate a function for each of a second pitch angle and a second roll angle using the gravitational constant;

determine a difference between the pitch angle and the second pitch angle;

determine a difference between the roll angle and the second roll angle; and

determine whether each difference is within a defined threshold limit.

14. The computer device of claim 13, wherein the non-transitory computer executable instructions to minimize a squared error in the measured gravity includes a least squares solution.

15. A computer readable storage medium comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for determining a driving pattern, the instructions when executed on one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive, via a computer network, telematics data corresponding to a trip of a moving vehicle and originating from a client computing device;

combine the telematics data;

identify a primary movement window from the telematics data, wherein the primary movement window is indicative of the client computing device being static with respect to the moving vehicle;

estimate a gravitational constant from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window such that the gravitational constant is the only force acting on a Z-Axis of the moving vehicle according to a reference frame of the moving vehicle;

generate a pitch angle and a roll angle from the combined telematics data in the primary movement window that aligns the gravitational constant with the Z-Axis of the moving vehicle; and

determine the driving pattern using at least the pitch angle and the roll angle.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to:

apply a rotation matrix to the telematics data, wherein the rotation matrix accounts for the pitch angle and roll angle.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to:

measure an acceleration in the direction of gravity from the telematics data; and

maximize the measured acceleration in the direction of gravity.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to:

incorporate a rotation matrix definition.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, comprising further instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to:

measure the effect of gravity from the telematics data;

minimize a squared error in the measured gravity from the telematics data in the primary movement window;

establish a function of the gravitational constant based at least on the measured gravity;

generate a function for each of a second pitch angle and a second roll angle using the gravitational constant;

determine a difference between the pitch angle and the second pitch angle;

determine a difference between the roll angle and the second roll angle; and

determine whether each difference is within a defined threshold limit.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions stored thereon that cause the one or more processors to minimize a squared error in the measured gravity includes a least squares solution.