Route risk mitigation

• US 10,037,578 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Bogovich, Jason Brian, Jordan Peters, Julie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US14/697,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20160189307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• 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 21/3461 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: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096816 where the complete route is transmitted to the vehicle at once
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• 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 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A method is disclosed for mitigating the risks associated with driving by assigning risk values to road segments and using those risk values to select less risky travel routes. Various approaches to helping users mitigate risk are presented. A computing device is configured to generate a database of risk values. That device may receive accident information, geographic information, vehicle information, and other information from one or more data sources and calculate a risk value for the associated road segment. Subsequently, the computing device may provide the associated risk value to other devices. Furthermore, a personal navigation device may receive travel route information and use that information to retrieve risk values for the road segments in the travel route. An insurance company may use this information to determine whether to adjust a quote or premium of an insurance policy. This and other aspects relating to using geographically encoded information to promote and reward risk mitigation are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a location detection unit, information identifying a travel route being traveled by a vehicle in which the computing device is located, wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a first location and a second location detected by the location detection unit as the vehicle travels along the travel route, and wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

retrieving, by the at least one processor, a segment value for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle, wherein each segment value is determined based on accident information associated with the corresponding route segment, and wherein the accident information associated with the corresponding route segment comprises accident loss information and information identifying a direction of travel at an accident location;

aggregating, by the at least one processor, the segment values retrieved for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle to calculate a total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

adjusting, by the at least one processor, a cost of a vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on a balance of risk points corresponding to a difference between a total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle and the total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle; and

based on adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points, sending, by the at least one processor, information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to a navigation device located in the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, wherein sending the information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

designating, by the at least one processor, the vehicle into a predetermined class based on the total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle, wherein adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle comprises adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the predetermined class into which the vehicle is designated.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

causing, by the at least one processor, an output device to provide a notification of a credit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is reduced as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

causing, by the at least one processor, an output device to provide a notification of a debit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is increased as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

causing, by the at least one processor, an insurance provider computer system to deduct the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle from an account associated with the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein each segment value for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle is further determined based on road topology information associated with the corresponding route segment and weather condition information associated with the corresponding route segment, and

wherein the total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle indicates safety risk of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle independent of a specific driver of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first location corresponds to a start location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle and the second location corresponds to an end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location detection unit is a mobile location tracking device or a global positioning satellite unit.

9. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

receive, from a location detection unit, information identifying a travel route being traveled by a vehicle in which the computing device is located, wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a first location and a second location detected by the location detection unit as the vehicle travels along the travel route, and wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

retrieve a segment value for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle, wherein each segment value is determined based on accident information associated with the corresponding route segment, and wherein the accident information associated with the corresponding route segment comprises accident loss information and information identifying a direction of travel at an accident location;

aggregate the segment values retrieved for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle to calculate a total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

adjust a cost of a vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on a balance of risk points corresponding to a difference between a total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle and the total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle; and

based on adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points, send information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to a navigation device located in the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, wherein sending the information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

designate the vehicle into a predetermined class based on the total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle, wherein adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle comprises adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the predetermined class into which the vehicle is designated.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

cause an output device to provide a notification of a credit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is reduced as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

cause an output device to provide a notification of a debit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is increased as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

cause an insurance provider computer system to deduct the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle from an account associated with the vehicle.

14. The computing device of claim 9,

wherein each segment value for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle is further determined based on road topology information associated with the corresponding route segment and weather condition information associated with the corresponding route segment, and

wherein the total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle indicates safety risk of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle independent of a specific driver of the vehicle.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the first location corresponds to a start location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle and the second location corresponds to an end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

16. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the location detection unit is a mobile location tracking device or a global positioning satellite unit.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, cause the computing device to:

receive, from a location detection unit, information identifying a travel route being traveled by a vehicle in which the computing device is located, wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a first location and a second location detected by the location detection unit as the vehicle travels along the travel route, and wherein the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises a plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

retrieve a segment value for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle, wherein each segment value is determined based on accident information associated with the corresponding route segment, and wherein the accident information associated with the corresponding route segment comprises accident loss information and information identifying a direction of travel at an accident location;

aggregate the segment values retrieved for each route segment of the plurality of route segments associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle to calculate a total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

adjust a cost of a vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on a balance of risk points corresponding to a difference between a total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle and the total route risk value for the travel route being traveled by the vehicle; and

based on adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points, send information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to a navigation device located in the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, wherein sending the information identifying the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, storing additional instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:

designate the vehicle into a predetermined class based on the total risk score associated with the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle, wherein adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle comprises adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the predetermined class into which the vehicle is designated.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, storing additional instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:

cause an output device to provide a notification of a credit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is reduced as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, storing additional instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:

cause an output device to provide a notification of a debit if the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle is increased as a result of adjusting the cost of the vehicle insurance policy for the vehicle based on the balance of risk points.