Caravan management

• US 9,817,404 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Loo, William, Brandmaier, Jennifer A., Ramirez, Philip Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US14/826,581
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096866 where the complete route is shown to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a system for forming and managing a caravan of vehicles. The system may include computing devices in a plurality of vehicles belonging to a caravan. The computing devices participating in the caravan may communicate various information to each other. This information may be used to generate and manage a route for the caravan. The system may also be used to select a leader and/or order of the caravan for a particular trip. During the trip, the system may monitor the caravan and analyze inputs from participants and vehicles. Further, the system may modify the route based on such inputs and distribute the modified route to participating computing devices so that the caravan may be maintained.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first computing device in a first vehicle;

a second computing device in a second vehicle, the second computing device configured to communicate with the first computing device;

a third computing device in a third vehicle, the third computing device configured to communicate with the first computing device and the second computing device, wherein at least two of the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device, includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver for collecting GPS coordinates of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle, respectively; and

a fourth computing device configured to;

receive, from the first computing device via a wireless communication network, first information regarding a first driver of the first vehicle;

receive, from the second computing device via the wireless communication network, second information regarding a second driver of the second vehicle;

receive, from the third computing device via the wireless communication network, third information regarding a third driver of the third vehicle, wherein the third information comprises past driving behavior data indicating a past driving behavior of the third driver;

store, in memory, group information that associates the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle with a caravan;

determine, based at least on the first information, the second information, and the third information that comprises the past driving behavior data indicating the past driving behavior of the third driver, a recommended order of all vehicles in the caravan by applying a rule that prevents the recommended order from placing a driver, who is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light, at a rear of the caravan, wherein the recommended order recommends that the third vehicle be positioned between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the caravan because the past driving behavior of the third driver indicates that the third driver is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light;

transmit, via the wireless communication network, the recommended order to at least one of the first computing device, the second computing device, or the third computing device; and

monitor, at a time during a trip and based at least on GPS coordinates received from the first computing device, the second computing device, or the third computing device, an order of the caravan.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

generate a route for the caravan based at least on a driving score for each of the first driver, the second driver, and the third driver; and

determine the recommended order further based on the generated route.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to determine the recommended order based on an insurance rate of each of the first driver, the second driver, and the third driver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended order comprises determining the recommended order based on past driving behavior data for each of the first driver and the second driver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to determine the recommended order further based on at least one property of each of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to determine the recommended order further based on a stopping distance of each of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to generate a route for the caravan based on a first insurance rate associated with the first driver, a second insurance rate associated with the second driver, and a third insurance rate associated with the third driver.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

generate, for the caravan, a first candidate route to a destination, wherein the first candidate route is associated with a first safety rating;

generate, for the caravan, a second candidate route to the destination, wherein the second candidate route is associated with a second safety rating and wherein the second candidate route is estimated to take longer to travel than the first candidate route;

select, based on a first insurance rate associated with the first driver, a second insurance rate associated with the second driver, a third insurance rate associated with the third driver, the first safety rating, and the second safety rating, the second candidate route over the first candidate route even though the second candidate route is estimated to take longer to travel than the first candidate route; and

transmit, via the wireless communication network, the selected second candidate route to at least one of the first computing device, the second computing device, or the third computing device.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to generate a route for the caravan, and

wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to determine the recommended order based on a familiarity with the route of at least one of the first driver, the second driver, or the third driver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

transmit, to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device, information regarding the first driver, the second driver, and the third driver to poll the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device; and

receive one or more votes from the first computing device, the second computing device, or the third computing device,

wherein the recommended order is further determined based on the one or more votes.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

transmit, to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device, insurance rates associated with the first driver, the second driver, and the third driver; and

receive, from the first computing device, the second computing device, or the third computing device, one or more votes for a leader of the caravan,

wherein the recommended order is further determined based on the one or more votes.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

receive vehicle information regarding at least one of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, or the third vehicle;

determine, based on the vehicle information, whether to modify a route for the caravan;

in response to a determination to modify the route, modify the route to obtain a modified route; and

transmit, via the wireless communication network, the modified route to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle information comprises first information indicating a potential problem with at least one of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, or the third vehicle or comprises second information indicating that at least one of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, or the third vehicle needs fuel to complete the route.

14. The system of claim 1,

wherein the first computing device comprises a speaker and is configured to receive, through the speaker from the first driver, voice data and to convert the voice data to user information regarding at least one participant of the caravan, and

wherein the fourth computing device is further configured to:

receive, from the first computing device, the user information;

determine, based on the user information, whether to modify a route for the caravan;

in response to a determination to modify the route, modify the route to obtain a modified route; and

transmit, via the wireless communication network, the modified route to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user information comprises first information indicating that a participant of the caravan wants to stop to eat or comprises second information indicating that a participant of the caravan wants to stop to use a bathroom.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with a first device in a first vehicle, a second device in a second vehicle, and a third device in a third vehicle;

a memory; and

a processor configured to;

receive, via the network interface and from the first device, first information regarding a first driver of the first vehicle and first GPS coordinates collected from a first GPS receiver of the first device;

receive, via the network interface and from the second device, second information regarding a second driver of the second vehicle and second GPS coordinates collected from a second GPS receiver of the second device;

receive, via the network interface and from the third device, third information regarding a third driver of the third vehicle, wherein the third information comprises past driving behavior data indicating a past driving behavior of the third driver and third GPS coordinates collected from a third GPS receiver of the third device;

associate the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle with a caravan;

determine, based at least on the first information, the second information, and the third information that comprises the past driving behavior data indicating the past driving behavior of the third driver, a recommended order of all vehicles in the caravan by applying a rule that prevents the recommended order from placing a driver, who is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light, at a rear of the caravan, wherein the recommended order recommends that the third vehicle be positioned between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the caravan because the past driving behavior of the third driver indicates that the third driver is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light;

transmit, via the network interface and over a wireless communication network, the recommended order to at least one of the first device, the second device, or the third device; and

monitor, at a time during a trip and based at least on the first GPS coordinates, the second GPS coordinates, or the third GPS coordinates, an order of the caravan.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a first route and a second route;

receive a selection of one of the first route and the second route; and

determine the recommended order further based on the selection.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server via a wireless communication network from a first device in a first vehicle, first information regarding a first driver of the first vehicle;

receiving, by the server via the wireless communication network from a second device in a second vehicle, second information regarding a second driver of the second vehicle;

receiving, by the server via the wireless communication network from a third device in a third vehicle, third information regarding a third driver of the third vehicle, wherein the third information comprises past driving behavior data indicating a past driving behavior of the third driver;

associating the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and the third vehicle with a caravan;

determining, based at least on the first information, the second information, and the third information that comprises the past driving behavior data indicating the past driving behavior of the third driver, a recommended order of all vehicles in the caravan by applying a rule that prevents the recommended order from placing a driver, who is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light, at a rear of the caravan, wherein the recommended order recommends that the third vehicle be positioned between the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the caravan because the past driving behavior of the third driver indicates that the third driver is more likely than other drivers in the caravan to drive through a red traffic light;

transmitting, via the wireless communication network, the recommended order to at least one of the first device, the second device, or the third device; and

monitoring, at a time during a trip and based at least on first GPS coordinates collected from a first GPS receiver of the first device, second GPS coordinates collected from a second GPS receiver of the second device, or third GPS coordinates collected from a third GPS receiver of the third device, an order of the caravan.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein the determining the recommended order comprises determining the recommended order based on past driving behavior data for each of the first driver and the second driver, and

wherein the transmitting the recommended order comprises transmitting, to the first device, the second device, and the third device, a message that recommends that the first vehicle go ahead of the second vehicle and the third vehicle because the past driving behavior data for the first driver indicates that the first driver is a safer driver than the second driver and third driver.