Methods of theft prevention or mitigation

• US 9,896,062 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Potter, Thomas Michael, Clauss, Mark E., Carter, Dustin Ryan, Baumann, Megan Michal, Bonnom, Atlanta, Cope, Craig, Lawyer, Jennifer Luella, Simpson, Curtis, Baumann, Nathan W., Graff, Douglas Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US15/676,460
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• Field of Search: 3404261, 34042611, 340667
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/082 Vehicle operation after collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/00 Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems

Abstract

In system and methods for theft prevention or mitigation, driver-related data associated with one or more authorized drivers of an insured vehicle may be collected over time. The authorized drivers and the insured vehicle may be covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider. Based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with the authorized drivers may be built. Current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the insured vehicle may be collected. It may be determined, using both the database and the current driver-related data, that the individual is not among the authorized drivers. A disablement of an operation of the insured vehicle may be caused, and/or the individual may be caused to be prevented from starting or otherwise operating the insured vehicle, to facilitate preventing or mitigating theft of the insured vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of vehicle theft prevention or mitigation, the method comprising:

collecting, by one or more processors of (i) a vehicle controller or (ii) one or more remote servers, driver-related data associated with one or more authorized drivers of a vehicle;

building, by the one or more processors, a database associated with the authorized drivers of the vehicle and based upon the collected driver-related data;

collecting, by the one or more processors, current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors and using both the database and the current driver-related data, that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle;

verifying, by the one or more processors, that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is sitting in a driver seat of the vehicle by (i) identifying a signal from a mobile device associated with the individual, (ii) determining a location within the vehicle of the mobile device by triangulation using the signal, and (iii) determining the location of the mobile device is associated with the driver seat; and

causing, by the one or more processors, one or both of (i) operation of the vehicle to be disabled or (ii) operation of the vehicle to be prevented.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle includes:

comparing electronic signatures or signals of mobile devices of the authorized drivers with an unknown electronic signature or signal of the mobile device associated with the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle; and

determining that the unknown electronic signature or signal does not match any of the electronic signatures or signals of the mobile devices of the authorized drivers.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle further includes:

comparing a visual image or a weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle with one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers; and

determining that the visual image or the weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle does not match any of the one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing operation of the vehicle to be prevented includes preventing the vehicle from starting.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing operation of the vehicle to be disabled includes controlling the vehicle to slow, stop at a side of a road, and shut down.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider associated with the one or more remote servers and the authorized drivers are drivers authorized under the insurance policy.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein collecting the driver-related data includes collecting data generated by one or more mobile devices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein collecting the driver-related data includes collecting data associated with one or more of the following:

(i) a vehicle other than the vehicle, (ii) vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or (iii) roadside equipment or infrastructure.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

upon determining that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers;

generating a message indicating presence of the individual; and

transmitting the message to one or more of the following to facilitate vehicle recapture or safety;

a mobile device of one of the authorized drivers or a computing device associated with a law enforcement agency.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising one or both of:

tracking a plurality of GPS locations of the vehicle; and

transmitting a present GPS location of the plurality of GPS locations of the vehicle to one or more of the following;

a mobile device of one of the authorized drivers or a third party remote server.

11. A system for vehicle theft prevention or mitigation, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

collect driver-related data associated with one or more authorized drivers of a vehicle;

build, based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with the authorized drivers of the vehicle and based upon the collected driver-related data;

collect current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle;

determine, using both the database and the current driver-related data, that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle;

verify that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is sitting in a driver seat of the vehicle by (i) identifying a signal from a mobile device associated with the individual, (ii) determining a location within the vehicle of the mobile device by triangulation using the signal, and (iii) determining the location of the mobile device is associated with the driver seat; and

cause one or both of (i) operation of the vehicle to be disabled or (ii) operation of the vehicle to be prevented.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle further cause the computer system to:

compare electronic signatures or signals of mobile devices of the authorized drivers with an unknown electronic signature or signal of the mobile device associated with the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle; and

determine that the unknown electronic signature or signal does not match any of the electronic signatures or signals of the mobile devices of the authorized drivers.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle further cause the computer system to:

compare a visual image or a weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle with one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers; and

determine that the visual image or the weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle does not match any of the one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to cause one or both of (i) operation of the vehicle to be disabled or (ii) operation of the vehicle to be prevented further cause the computer system to (i) prevent the vehicle from starting or (ii) control the vehicle to slow, stop at a side of a road, and shut down.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider associated with the computer system and the authorized drivers are drivers authorized under the insurance policy.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions for vehicle theft prevention or mitigation that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

collect driver-related data associated with one or more authorized drivers of a vehicle;

build, based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with the authorized drivers of the vehicle and based upon the collected driver-related data;

collect current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle;

determine, using both the database and the current driver-related data, that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle;

verify that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is sitting in a driver seat of the vehicle by (i) identifying a signal from a mobile device associated with the individual, (ii) determining a location within the vehicle of the mobile device by triangulation using the signal, and (iii) determining the location of the mobile device is associated with the driver seat; and

cause one or both of (i) operation of the vehicle to be disabled or (ii) operation of the vehicle to be prevented.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle further cause the computer system to:

compare electronic signatures or signals of mobile devices of the authorized drivers with an unknown electronic signature or signal of the mobile device associated with the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle; and

determine that the unknown electronic signature or signal does not match any of the electronic signatures or signals of the mobile devices of the authorized drivers.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to determine that the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle is not among the authorized drivers of the vehicle further cause the computer system to:

compare a visual image or a weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle with one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers; and

determine that the visual image or the weight of the individual currently driving, attempting to start, or sitting in a seat of the vehicle does not match any of the one or more visual images or weights of the authorized drivers.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions that cause the computer system to cause one or both of (i) operation of the vehicle to be disabled or (ii) operation of the vehicle to be prevented further cause the computer system to (i) prevent the vehicle from starting or (ii) control the vehicle to slow, stop at a side of a road, and shut down.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider associated with the computer system and the authorized drivers are drivers authorized under the insurance policy.