Broadcasting information related to hazards impacting vehicle travel

• US 9,842,496 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Hayward, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Yuen
• Application Number:
  US14/990,228
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/006 indicating risk of collision between vehicles or with pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/10 related to vehicle motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• 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 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/47 the supplementary measurement being an inertial measurement, e.g. tightly coupled inertial
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/50 whereby the position solution is constrained to lie upon a particular curve or surface, e.g. for locomotives on railway tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0285 using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/225 : operated by off-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/229 : Command input data, e.g. waypoints
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/24 : Arrangements for determining position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 : Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 : from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 : from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0125 : Traffic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 : for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 : for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 : with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 : Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/093 : Data selection, e.g. prioritizing information, managing message queues, selecting the information to be output
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 : responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 : where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 : where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096855 : where the output is provided in a suitable form to the driver details on I/O arrangements for onboard navigation computers G01C21/36
• 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 1/127 : to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 : Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 7/02 : Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 : for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 : using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 : Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A system of broadcasting information related to hazards impacting vehicle travel may include a mobile device configured to: (1) mount within a vehicle dashboard cradle so that the mobile device is positioned to take images forward of a vehicle; (2) collect telematics data, with customer permission or affirmative consent, when the vehicle is moving, including GPS location, speed, heading, lane, braking, cornering, acceleration, and/or route data of the vehicle; (3) generate an alert based upon the telematics data and the images, and/or broadcast data including the images and the telematics data; and/or (4) broadcast the alert and/or the data collected to (a) a nearby vehicle(s) and/or (b) a smart infrastructure component(s) to facilitate warning of hazards upon the nearby vehicle(s) and/or the smart infrastructure component(s) receiving and processing the alert and/or the broadcasted data. Insurance discounts may be generated based upon the risk mitigation or prevention functionality.

Claims

1. A system of broadcasting information related to hazards impacting vehicle travel, the system comprising:

a mobile computing device configured to;

mount within a vehicle dashboard cradle so that the mobile computing device is positioned to take images forward of a vehicle;

collect telematics data of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving and the mobile computing device is mounted within the vehicle dashboard cradle, the telematics data including Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, speed data, at least one of direction data or heading data, braking data, cornering data, and at least one of acceleration data or deceleration data of the vehicle;

generate at least one of (1) an alert based upon the telematics data and the images, or (2) broadcasting data including the images and the telematics data;

broadcast the at least one of the alert or the broadcasting data to at least one of (1) at least one nearby vehicle or (2) at least one smart infrastructure component via wireless communication or data transmission to warn at least one of drivers or smart vehicles of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents upon the at least one of the at least one nearby vehicle or the at least one smart infrastructure component receiving and processing the at least one of the alert or the broadcasting data; and

cause an insurance provider remote server to at least one of adjust or generate an insurance discount associated with the vehicle for display to an insured customer associated with the vehicle via the mobile computing device in response to the mobile computing device being configured to (1) determine a relevance of an identified anomaly based upon whether a location of the identified anomaly as determined based upon the telematics data and the images is within a threshold distance of a current location of the vehicle, and (2) generate and broadcast the at least one of (i) the alert based upon the telematics data and the images, or (ii) the broadcasting data including the images and the telematics data so as to incentivize the insured customer to facilitate warning at least one of drivers or smart vehicles of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents.

2. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

the at least one nearby vehicle, wherein the at least one nearby vehicle is configured to generate at least one local alert at the at least one nearby vehicle to warn at least one of drivers or smart vehicles of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents upon receiving and processing the at least one of the alert or the broadcasting data from the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

the at least one smart infrastructure component, wherein the at least one smart infrastructure component is configured to generate at least one local alert at the at least one smart infrastructure component to warn at least one of drivers or smart vehicles of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents upon receiving and processing the at least one of the alert or the broadcasting data that includes the telematics data from the vehicle.

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

analyze the telematics data and the images to detect a hazard on a road on which the vehicle is being driven, and

generate the alert based upon the hazard detected.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the hazard is detected by identifying at least one of an animal, a pedestrian, or a vehicle accident using an object recognition technique on the images taken forward of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to:

broadcast the alert via wireless communication or data transmission to the at least one of the at least one nearby vehicle or the at least one smart infrastructure component only after the hazard is detected from at least one of computer analysis or object recognition techniques being performed on the telematics data and the images.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the insurance provider remote server, wherein the insurance provider remote server is configured to at least one of adjust or generate the insurance discount for the vehicle.

8. A mobile computing device for facilitating safer vehicle travel, the mobile computing device comprising:

a controller configured to;

determine whether the mobile computing device is mounted in a vehicle;

collect, when it is determined that the mobile computing device is mounted in the vehicle, (1) telematics data associated with the vehicle, the telematics data including Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, speed data, at least one of direction data or heading data, braking data, cornering data, and at least one of acceleration data or deceleration data of the vehicle, and (2) digital data including at least one of digital image, digital audio, or digital video data associated with at least one of an interior or exterior of the vehicle; and

analyze the telematics data and digital data collected to determine whether a hazard is associated with a road on which the vehicle is being driven; and

at least one of a communication unit or a transceiver configured to;

broadcast the telematics data and the digital data when the hazard is detected from the analysis of the telematics data and the digital data; and

cause an insurance provider remote server to at least one of adjust or generate an insurance discount associated with the vehicle for display to an insured customer associated with the vehicle via the mobile computing device in response to the mobile computing device being configured to (1) determine a relevance of an identified anomaly based upon whether a location of the identified anomaly as determined based upon the telematics data and the digital data is within a threshold distance of a current location of the vehicle, and (2) analyze the telematics data and the digital data to determine whether the hazard is associated with the road on which the vehicle is being driven so as to incentivize the insured customer to facilitate warning at least one of drivers or smart vehicles of hazards,

wherein the telematics data and the digital data are received by at least one of (1) a second mobile computing device located in a second vehicle that issues, in response to the telematics data and the digital data, an alert notifying a driver of the second vehicle of the hazard, or (2) at least one smart infrastructure component that transmits, in response to the telematics data and the digital data, at least one of (a) an alert or (b) the telematics data and the digital data onto at least one of the second vehicle or at least one other vehicle in the vicinity of the hazard.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8,

wherein the telematics data and the digital data included in the broadcast further include an indication of (1) a GPS location of the hazard or a vicinity of the hazard and (2) a description of the hazard.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to analyze the telematics data and the digital data collected to determine whether the hazard is associated with the road on which the vehicle is being driven by performing object recognition techniques on digital images captured by the mobile computing device in a vicinity of the vehicle to detect at least one object, including at least one of a pedestrian, an animal, or another vehicle.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to monitor an amount of time or mileage that the vehicle was driven with risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with analyzing the telematics data and the digital data associated with the vehicle to generate driving alerts for at least one of a driver of the vehicle or nearby vehicles.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to broadcast the amount of time or an amount of mile-based usage of the risk mitigation or prevention functionality to the insurance provider remote server to cause the insurance provider remote server to at least one of adjust or generate the insurance discount based upon usage of the risk mitigation or prevention functionality by a driver of the vehicle.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to at least one of generate or display the insurance discount based upon an amount of usage of the risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with the analysis of the telematics data and the digital data by at least one of a driver of the vehicle or the mobile computing device.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a driving alert when the hazard is detected, and wherein the mobile computing device further comprises:

a display configured to issue the driving alert to notify a driver of the vehicle of the hazard when the hazard is detected.

15. A computer-implemented method of broadcasting information related to hazards impacting vehicle travel, the method comprising:

collecting images forward of a vehicle, via at least one of a mobile device camera or one or more mobile device processors of a mobile device that is mounted within a vehicle dashboard cradle and positioned to take the images forward of the vehicle;

collecting, via at least one of the one or more mobile device processors or a telematics app, telematics data, including Global Positioning System (GPS) location data, speed data, at least one of direction data or heading data, braking data, cornering data, and at least one of acceleration data or deceleration data of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving;

generating, via the one or more mobile device processors, at least one of (1) an alert based upon the images forward of the vehicle and the telematics data or (2) a broadcast including the images forward of the vehicle and the telematics data;

broadcasting, via at least one of the one or more mobile device processors, a communication unit, or a transceiver, the at least one of the alert or the broadcast via wireless communication or data transmission to at least one of (1) at least one nearby vehicle or (2) at least one smart infrastructure component to warn at least one of other vehicles or drivers of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents; and

causing an insurance provider remote server to at least one of adjust or generate an insurance discount associated with the vehicle for display to an insured customer associated with the vehicle via the mobile device in response to the mobile device being configured to (1) determine a relevance of an identified anomaly based upon whether a location of the identified anomaly as determined based upon the images forward of the vehicle and the telematics data is within a threshold distance of a current location of the vehicle, and (2) generate and broadcast the at least one of (i) the alert based upon the images forward of the vehicle and the telematics data, or (ii) the broadcast including the images forward of the vehicle and the telematics data so as to incentivize the insured customer to facilitate warning at least one of other vehicles or drivers of at least one of hazardous conditions or vehicle accidents.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the method further comprising broadcasting, via the communication unit or the transceiver, the telematics data and the images forward of the vehicle when a hazard is detected, the telematics data and the images forward of the vehicle included in the broadcast further including an indication of (1) a GPS location of the hazard or a vicinity of the hazard and (2) a description of the hazard, and wherein the broadcast (1) is received by a second mobile device located in a second vehicle and (2) causes the second mobile device to issue an alert notifying a driver of the second vehicle of the hazard.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the method further comprising at least one of displaying, adjusting, or generating the insurance discount based upon an amount of usage of risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with the collection of the telematics data and the images forward of the vehicle and analysis of the telematics data and the images forward of the vehicle by at least one of a driver of the vehicle or the mobile device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the method further comprising monitoring or determining an amount of time or mileage that the vehicle was driven with risk mitigation or prevention functionality associated with analyzing the telematics data and the images forward of the vehicle to generate driving alerts for at least one of a driver of the vehicle or nearby vehicles.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the method further comprising identifying a hazard including or associated with at least one of an animal or a pedestrian, the at least one of the animal or the pedestrian at least one of forward of or in a vicinity of the vehicle, by using an object recognition technique on at least one of the images forward of the vehicle or images in the vicinity of the vehicle.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, the method comprising identifying a hazard including or associated with at least one of a vehicle accident or congestion, the at least one of the vehicle accident or the congestion at least one of forward of or in a vicinity of the vehicle, by using an object recognition technique on at least one of the images forward of the vehicle or images in the vicinity of the vehicle.