Methods of theft prevention or mitigation

• US 10,017,153 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• 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:
  US15/859,854
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: 3404261, 34042611
• 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, wherein the driver-related data includes telematics data regarding vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers over a period of time including multiple vehicle trips;

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

collecting, by the one or more processors, current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving the vehicle, wherein the current driver-related data includes telematics data regarding current vehicle operation by the individual currently driving the vehicle;

determining, by the one or more processors, a current vehicle operation pattern based upon the current driver-related data;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle based upon the current vehicle operation pattern and the typical operation patterns by the authorized drivers in the database; and

causing, by the one or more processors, operation of the vehicle to be disabled.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

verifying, by the one or more processors, that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers based upon additional information in the database, wherein the additional information is associated with (i) physical characteristics of the one or more authorized drivers or (ii) mobile devices associated with the one or more authorized drivers,

wherein causing operation of the vehicle to be disabled occurs in response to verifying that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the physical characteristics of the one or more authorized drivers include one or more of the following:

visual images or weights of the one or more authorized drivers.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the typical vehicle operation patterns indicate typical acceleration, braking, and cornering behavior associated with vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

presenting, via a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle or associated with the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle, a notification of a potential unauthorized use of the vehicle; and

receiving, via the mobile device, a verification that the potential unauthorized use of the vehicle is an unauthorized use of the vehicle,

wherein causing operation of the vehicle to be disabled occurs in response to receiving the verification.

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

tracking one or more GPS locations of the vehicle; and

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

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

7. 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.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is covered by an insurance policy issued by an insurance provider and the authorized drivers are drivers authorized under the insurance policy.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein collecting the telematics data includes collecting telematics data regarding movements of the vehicle generated by one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more authorized drivers.

10. 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, wherein the driver-related data includes telematics data regarding vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers over a period of time including multiple vehicle trips;

build, based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with typical vehicle operation patterns by the authorized drivers of the vehicle based upon the collected driver-related data;

collect current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving the vehicle, wherein the current driver-related data includes telematics data regarding current vehicle operation by the individual currently driving the vehicle;

determine a current vehicle operation pattern based upon the current driver-related data;

determine that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle based upon the current vehicle operation pattern and the typical operation patterns by the authorized drivers in the database; and

cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

verify that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers based upon additional information in the database, wherein the additional information is associated with (i) physical characteristics of the one or more authorized drivers or (ii) mobile devices associated with the one or more authorized drivers,

wherein the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further include executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled in response to verifying that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the typical vehicle operation patterns indicate typical acceleration, braking, and cornering behavior associated with vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computer system to, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

transmit a notification of a potential unauthorized use of the vehicle to a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle or associated with the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle for presentation; and

receive a verification that the potential unauthorized use of the vehicle is an unauthorized use of the vehicle from the mobile device,

wherein the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further include executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled in response to receiving the verification of the unauthorized use of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, where in the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further cause the computer system to control the vehicle to slow, stop at a side of a road, and shut down.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more authorized drivers, wherein the one or more mobile devices are configured to generate the telematics data regarding vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers as data regarding movements of the vehicle.

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, wherein the driver-related data includes telematics data regarding vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers over a period of time including multiple vehicle trips;

build, based upon the collected driver-related data, a database associated with typical vehicle operation patterns by the authorized drivers of the vehicle based upon the collected driver-related data;

collect current driver-related data associated with an individual currently driving the vehicle, wherein the current driver-related data includes telematics data regarding current vehicle operation by the individual currently driving the vehicle;

determine a current vehicle operation pattern based upon the current driver-related data;

determine that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle based upon the current vehicle operation pattern and the typical operation patterns by the authorized drivers in the database; and

cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further storing executable instructions that cause the computer system to, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

verify that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers based upon additional information in the database, wherein the additional information is associated with (i) physical characteristics of the one or more authorized drivers or (ii) mobile devices associated with the one or more authorized drivers,

wherein the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further include executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled in response to verifying that the individual currently driving is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the typical vehicle operation patterns indicate typical acceleration, braking, and cornering behavior associated with vehicle operation by the one or more authorized drivers.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further storing executable instructions further cause the computer system to, upon determining that the individual currently driving the vehicle is not one of the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle:

transmit a notification of a potential unauthorized use of the vehicle to a mobile device associated with an owner of the vehicle or associated with the one or more authorized drivers of the vehicle for presentation; and

receive a verification that the potential unauthorized use of the vehicle is an unauthorized use of the vehicle from the mobile device,

wherein the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further include executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled in response to receiving the verification of the unauthorized use of the vehicle.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, where in the executable instructions that cause operation of the vehicle to be disabled further cause the computer system to control the vehicle to slow, stop at a side of a road, and shut down.