Route risk mitigation

• US 10,074,139 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• 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:
  US14/697,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20160189306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 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 memory;

detecting, by the at least one processor, a travel route being traveled by a vehicle, the travel route being traveled by the vehicle having a start location and an end location;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a first remote data source, historical accident information comprising an accident location and accident loss information associated with an accident occurrence on a road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle located between the start location and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

receiving, by the at least one processor, from a second remote data source, real-time traffic information identifying traffic volume along the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, calculating, by the at least one processor, a risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the historical accident information received from the first remote data source, based on the real-time traffic information received from the second remote data source, and based on a direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a first direction of travel, and

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a second value different from the first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a second direction of travel opposite to the first direction of travel;

determine that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to a low risk value;

based on determining that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to the low risk value, determine to provide a discount on an insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, sending, by the at least one processor, to a navigation device located in the vehicle, the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle,

wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display, while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, an indication of risk associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle based on the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and the information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises accident time information and accident date information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises vehicle direction information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises receiving, from the navigation device located in the vehicle, travel route information identifying the start location and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the road segment of the travel route in a red color when the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to a high risk value, and wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the road segment of the travel route in a green color when the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor does not correspond to a high risk value.

8. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

detect, by the at least one processor, a travel route being traveled by a vehicle, the travel route being traveled by the vehicle having a start location and an end location;

receive, by the at least one processor, from a first remote data source, historical accident information comprising an accident location and accident loss information associated with an accident occurrence on a road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle located between the start location and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

receive, by the at least one processor, from a second remote data source, real-time traffic information identifying traffic volume along the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, calculate, by the at least one processor, a risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the historical accident information received from the first remote data source, based on the real-time traffic information received from the second remote data source, and based on a direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a first direction of travel, and

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a second value different from the first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a second direction of travel opposite to the first direction of travel;

determine, by the at least one processor, that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to a low risk value;

based on determining that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to the low risk value, determine, by the at least one processor, to provide a discount on an insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, send, by the at least one processor, to a navigation device located in the vehicle, the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle,

wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display, while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, an indication of risk associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle based on the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and the information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises accident time information and accident date information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises vehicle direction information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the memory stores additional computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

receive, by the at least one processor, geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein detecting the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises receiving, from the navigation device located in the vehicle, travel route information identifying the start location and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the road segment of the travel route in a red color when the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to a high risk value, and wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the road segment of the travel route in a green color when the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor does not correspond to a high risk value.

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

detect, by the at least one processor, a travel route being traveled by a vehicle, the travel route being traveled by the vehicle having a start location and an end location;

receive, by the at least one processor, from a first remote data source, historical accident information comprising an accident location and accident loss information associated with an accident occurrence on a road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle located between the start location and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

receive, by the at least one processor, from a second remote data source, real-time traffic information identifying traffic volume along the travel route being traveled by the vehicle;

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, calculate, by the at least one processor, a risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the historical accident information received from the first remote data source, based on the real-time traffic information received from the second remote data source, and based on a direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a first direction of travel, and

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route to be a second value different from the first value when the direction of travel of the vehicle through the road segment of the travel route is a second direction of travel opposite to the first direction of travel;

determine, by the at least one processor, that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to a low risk value;

based on determining that the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor corresponds to the low risk value, determine, by the at least one processor, to provide a discount on an insurance policy associated with the vehicle; and

while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, send, by the at least one processor, to a navigation device located in the vehicle, the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle,

wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display, while the travel route is being traveled by the vehicle, an indication of risk associated with the travel route being traveled by the vehicle based on the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor and the information associated with the discount on the insurance policy associated with the vehicle.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises accident time information and accident date information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the historical accident information received from the first remote data source comprises vehicle direction information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, storing additional instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive, by the at least one processor, geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle,

wherein calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route comprises calculating the risk value for the road segment of the travel route based on the geographic information associated with the accident occurrence on the road segment of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein detecting the travel route being traveled by the vehicle comprises receiving, from the navigation device located in the vehicle, travel route information identifying the start location of and the end location of the travel route being traveled by the vehicle.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein sending the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor to the navigation device located in the vehicle causes the navigation device located in the vehicle to display the risk value for the road segment of the travel route calculated by the at least one processor.