Systems and methods to identify and profile a vehicle operator

• US 10,078,871 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Sanchez, Kenneth J., Chan, Aaron Scott, Baker, Matthew R., Zettinger, Matthew, Fields, Brian Mark, Nepomuceno, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/268,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method for assessing risk associated with a driver of a vehicle includes receiving a plurality of risk variables associated with a driver, the plurality of risk variables being gathered when the driver operates the vehicle. A driver is then identified based on the plurality of risk variables, and a risk profile is developed for the driver. The development of the risk profile involves determining the risk associated with at least some of the risk variables and generating a risk index, the risk index being a collective measure of risk associated with the driver.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assessing risk associated with a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating, by one or more devices disposed in the vehicle and while the driver operates the vehicle, a plurality of risk variables, wherein the one or more devices include an on-board computer of the vehicle, and wherein the plurality of risk variables includes a first risk variable indicative of braking characteristics of the driver and a second risk variable indicative of speed-related characteristics of the driver;

receiving, by a network interface at a computing device, the plurality of risk variables,

wherein at least the first risk variable is gathered by a device disposed in the vehicle when the driver operates the vehicle;

determining the driver from a plurality of drivers by an application specifically configuring the computing device, wherein, when executed by one or more processors of the computing device, the application causes the computing device to determine the driver based on the plurality of risk variables at least by

clustering the plurality of risk variables into a plurality of groups of risk variables such that each group of the plurality of groups is associated with a different level of risk, wherein clustering the plurality of risk variables into the plurality of groups includes comparing the plurality of risk variables to reference data associated with known risk levels, and

associating at least one of the plurality of groups of risk variables with the driver; and

developing a risk profile for the driver by the application specifically configuring the computing device, wherein, when executed by the one or more processors of the computing device, the application causes the computing device to develop the risk profile based on at least the first risk variable at least by;

determining a risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable, and

generating a collective measure of risk for the driver based on the risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable.

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

creating, by the one or more processors, a report of the risk profile for an insurance customer, the report of the risk profile including at least one of risk indices, estimated insurance costs, insurance rates, or payment instructions;

communicating, via the network interface, the report of the risk profile to the insurance customer.

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

generating, by the one or more processors, insurance rates for an insurance product consistent with one or more risk profiles associated with the driver;

communicating, via the network interface, insurance costs for the insurance product according to the generated insurance rates; and

receiving, via the network interface, payment for the insurance product.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising periodically adjusting, by the one or more processors, the risk profile based on newly accumulated or updated risk variables.

5. A computer device specifically configured to assess risk associated with a driver of a vehicle, the computer device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more memories include computer executable instructions specifically configuring the computing device such that, when executed by the one or more processors, the computer executable instructions cause the computer device to;

receive, via a network interface, a plurality of risk variables including a first risk variable indicative of braking characteristics of the driver and a second risk variable indicative of speed-related characteristics of the driver,

wherein at least the first risk variable is gathered by a device disposed in the vehicle when the driver operates the vehicle,

determine the driver from a plurality of drivers based on the plurality of risk variables, at least by

clustering the plurality of risk variables into a plurality of groups of risk variables such that each group of the plurality of groups is associated with a different level of risk, wherein clustering the plurality of risk variables into the plurality of groups includes comparing the plurality of risk variables to reference data associated with known risk levels, and

associating at least one of the plurality of groups of risk variables with the driver, and

develop a risk profile for the driver, at least by generating a collective measure of risk for the driver based on at least the first risk variable.

6. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the computer device to:

generate insurance rates for an insurance product consistent with one or more risk profiles associated with the driver;

communicate, via the network interface, insurance costs for the insurance product according to the generated insurance rates; and

receive, via the network interface, payment for the insurance product.

7. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the risk profile is a current risk profile, and wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the computer device to replace a previously generated risk profile with the current risk profile, the previously generated risk profile generated based on historic risk variables received at a time prior to the time at which at least some of the plurality of risk variable is received.

8. The computer device of claim 5, wherein developing the risk profile for the driver includes:

determining a risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable, and

generating a collective measure of risk for the driver based on the risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable.

9. A computer readable storage medium comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon that specifically configure a computing device to assess risk associated with a driver of a vehicle, the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed on one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive, via a network interface, a plurality of risk variables including a first risk variable indicative of braking characteristics of the driver and a second risk variable indicative of speed-related characteristics of the driver,

wherein at least the first risk variable is gathered by a device disposed in the vehicle when the driver operates the vehicle,

determine the driver from a plurality of drivers based on the plurality of risk variables, at least by

clustering the plurality of risk variables into a plurality of groups of risk variables such that each group of the plurality of groups is associated with a different level of risk, wherein clustering the plurality of risk variables into the plurality of groups includes comparing the plurality of risk variables to reference data associated with known risk levels, and

associating at least one of the plurality of groups of risk variables with the driver, and

develop a risk profile for the driver based on at least the first risk variable, wherein developing a risk profile for the driver includes;

determining a risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable, and

generating a collective measure of risk for the driver based on the risk corresponding to at least the first risk variable.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instruction further cause the one or more processors to:

generate insurance rates for an insurance product consistent with one or more risk profiles associated with the driver;

communicate, via the network interface, insurance costs for the insurance product according to the generated insurance rates; and

receive, via the network interface, payment for the insurance product.