Systems and methods for alerting a driver to vehicle collision risks

• US 9,656,606 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Sanidas, Tim G., Vose, Matthew E., Mowery, Milton, Zimmer, Christopher, Bernico, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Timory, Kabir A
• Application Number:
  US14/702,150
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• 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 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09626 where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Methods and systems for displaying a user interface that warns a driver that a vehicle is located within or is near a geographical area (and/or intersection) associated with a higher than average risk of animal-vehicle and/or vehicle-vehicle collisions are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may access a database that identifies a plurality of high risk areas, including areas associated with prior vehicle accidents. The electronic device may display a virtual road map, as well as an icon indicating the vehicle'"'"'s current location and a plurality of visual indications of high-risk areas. When the electronic device detects that the current location of the vehicle is within and/or approaching a high-risk area, the electronic device may then warn the driver about the higher than average risk of experiencing a vehicle collision.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate safer driving and reduce vehicle accidents by alerting a driver of a vehicle about high-risk areas via an application executing on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the method comprising:

the application causing the one or more processors to access data detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents, wherein the data includes a plurality of prior vehicle accident locations;

causing the one or more processors to display a primary interface in the application executing on the electronic device, the primary interface displaying at least;

(i) a virtual road map,

(ii) a virtual representation of a current location for the vehicle, and

(iii) a plurality of virtual representations corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations;

the application causing the one or more processors to update the current location of the vehicle in response to the vehicle moving to a new location;

when the current location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of at least one of the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations, the application causing the one or more processors to generate a warning to alert the driver of the vehicle that the current location corresponds to a high-risk area indicating a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents

the application receiving, from the driver and at the one or more processors, an indication indicating an intended change to a zoom level of the virtual road map displayed in the primary interface;

based upon the intended change to the zoom level, the application causing the one or more processors to access a second set of data detailing a second plurality of prior vehicle accidents; and

the application causing the one or more processors to display in the primary interface a plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the second set of data detailing the second plurality of prior vehicle accidents.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the one or more processors to display a secondary interface in the application executing on the electronic device, the secondary interface displaying a plurality of selectable interface elements corresponding to a plurality of features of the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to display a plurality of selectable interface elements corresponding to a plurality of features of the application further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to display a selectable interface element corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an input at the one or more processors, from the driver, indicating a selection of the selectable interface element corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations; and

causing the primary interface to display the virtual road map without displaying the at least a portion of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting, from the electronic device to an insurance provider corresponding to the driver, an indication that the driver has disabled the feature of the application corresponding to the primary interface displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations, wherein transmitting the indication causes the insurance provider to adjust at least one of;

an insurance policy,

an insurance rate,

an insurance premium, or

an insurance discount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to generate a warning further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to generate a visual alert, wherein the visual alert comprises at least one of;

changing a portion of the primary interface to a color indicative of higher than average risk of vehicle accidents, or

displaying, via the primary interface, a textual warning indicating the higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to generate a warning further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to generate an audible alert indicating the higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to access data detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to access data detailing a plurality of prior vehicle accidents, wherein;

(i) a first set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents correspond to vehicle-animal collisions, and

(ii) a second set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents correspond to vehicle-vehicle collisions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein causing the one or more processors to display on the primary interface a plurality of visual representations corresponding to at least one of the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to display the virtual representations corresponding to prior vehicle accidents belonging to the first set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents in a first color; and

causing the one or more processors to display the virtual representations corresponding to prior vehicle accidents belonging to the second set of the plurality of prior vehicle accidents in a second color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more processors to access data display on the primary interface the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to at least one of the plurality of prior vehicle accident locations further comprises:

causing the one or more processors to display only the virtual representations corresponding to prior vehicle accidents that are within a temporal scope defined by at least one of (i) a time of day or (ii) a day of year.

11. A computer-implemented method of alerting a driver of a vehicle about high-risk areas, the method comprising:

displaying, via one or more processors;

(i) a virtual road map,

(ii) a virtual representation of a current location of the vehicle, and

(iii) at least a portion of a plurality of virtual representations corresponding to a plurality of high-risk areas, wherein the plurality of high-risk areas correspond to a plurality of prior vehicle accidents;

updating, via the one or more processors, the current location of the vehicle in response to the vehicle moving to a new location; and

displaying, via the one or more processors, the virtual representation of the updated current location of the vehicle on the virtual road map at a location representative of the new location

receiving, from the driver and at via one or more processors, an indication indicating an intended change to a zoom level of the virtual road map displayed in the primary interface;

based upon the intended change to the zoom level, accessing a second set of data detailing a second plurality of prior vehicle accidents; and

displaying on the virtual road map a plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the second set of data detailing the second plurality of prior vehicle accidents.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, via the one or more processors, that the updated current location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance of at least one of the plurality of high-risk areas; and

generating, via the one or more processors, a warning to alert the driver of the vehicle that the current location corresponds to a high-risk area indicating a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the driver, an indication to disable display of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas; and

in response to receiving the indication, displaying, via the one or more processors;

(i) the virtual road map, and

(ii) the virtual representation of the current location of the vehicle, but not

(iii) the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, to an insurance provider corresponding to at least one of the driver and the vehicle, an indication that the driver has disabled the display of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas, wherein transmitting the indication causes the insurance provider to adjust at least one of;

an insurance policy,

an insurance rate,

an insurance premium, or

an insurance discount.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein displaying the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas further comprises:

displaying, via the one or more processors, a first set of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas in a first color; and

displaying, via the one or more processors, a second set of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas in a second color, wherein;

(i) the first set of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas correspond to vehicle-animal collisions, or

(ii) a second set of the plurality of virtual representations corresponding to the plurality of high-risk areas correspond to vehicle-vehicle collisions.

16. A graphical user interface for alleviating a risk of a vehicle collision, the graphical user interface comprising:

a virtual road map;

an icon virtually representing a current location of a vehicle, the icon depicted on the virtual road map at the current location of the vehicle;

a first plurality of virtual danger zones representing past vehicle-animal collisions, each of the first plurality of virtual danger zones depicted on the virtual road map at a latitude and a longitude of the respective past vehicle-animal collision;

a second plurality of virtual danger zones representing a past vehicle-vehicle collisions, each of the plurality of second virtual danger zones depicted on the virtual road map at a latitude and a longitude of the respective past vehicle-animal collision;

when the current location of the vehicle is outside a threshold distance from at least one of either the first plurality of virtual danger zones or the second plurality of danger zones, a border region abutting the virtual road map depicted in a color indicative of an average or lower risk of vehicle accidents; and

when the current location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance from at least one of either the first plurality of virtual danger zones or the second plurality of danger zones, a border region abutting the virtual road map depicted in a color indicative of a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises:

the first plurality of virtual danger zones being depicted in a first color; and

the second plurality of virtual danger zones being depicted in a second color.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 16, further comprising:

when the current location of the vehicle is outside a threshold distance from at least one of either the first plurality of virtual danger zones or the second plurality of danger zones, a border region abutting the virtual road map depicted in a third color indicative of an average or lower risk of vehicle accidents; and

when the current location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance from at least one of either the first plurality of virtual danger zones or the second plurality of danger zones, a border region abutting the virtual road map depicted in a fourth color indicative of a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 16, further comprising,

when the current location of the vehicle is within a threshold distance from at least one of either the first plurality of virtual danger zones or the second plurality of danger zones, a textual alert indicating a higher than average risk of vehicle accidents.