Vehicular traffic alerts for avoidance of abnormal traffic conditions

• US 10,325,491 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Fields, Brian Mark, Cielocha, Steven C., Alt, Jacob J., Uphoff, Laura A., Chan, Leo Nelson, Wazeer, Mohamed A., Gaudin, Kristopher Keith, Davis, Justin, Baumann, Nathan W., Roll, Giles
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US15/995,183
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 340902
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/214 Generating training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/07 Controlling traffic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 : where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 : where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 : event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 : involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/14 : Traffic procedures, e.g. traffic regulations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/052 : characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 : Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 : Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for generating a vehicle-to-vehicle traffic alert and updating a vehicle-usage profile. Various aspects include detecting, via one or more processors associated with a first vehicle, that an abnormal traffic condition exists in an operating environment of the first vehicle. An electronic message is generated and transmitted wirelessly, via a vehicle-mounted transceiver associated with the first vehicle, to alert a nearby vehicle of the abnormal traffic condition and to allow the nearby vehicle to avoid the abnormal traffic condition. The first vehicle receives telematics data regarding operation of the nearby vehicle after the nearby vehicle received the electronic message, and transmits the telematics data to a remote server for updating a vehicle-usage profile associated with the nearby vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a vehicle traffic alert and updating a vehicle-usage profile, the method comprising:

detecting, via one or more processors, that an abnormal traffic condition exists in an operating environment of a first vehicle;

generating, via the one or more processors, an electronic message regarding abnormal traffic condition;

transmitting, via the one or more processors, the electronic message to a nearby vehicle, wherein the electronic message is transmitted via wireless communication to alert the nearby vehicle of the abnormal traffic condition and to allow the nearby vehicle to avoid the abnormal traffic condition;

receiving, via the one or more processors, telematics data regarding operation of the nearby vehicle after the nearby vehicle received the electronic message; and

updating, via the one or more processors, a vehicle-usage profile associated with the nearby vehicle based upon the received telematics data regarding operation of the nearby vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is one or more of the following:

an erratic vehicle, an erratic driver, road construction, a closed highway exit, slowed or slowing traffic, slowed or slowing vehicular congestion, or one or more other vehicles braking ahead of the first vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is bad weather and the electronic message indicates a GPS location of the bad weather.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the vehicle-usage profile causes an insurance premium adjustment to an insurance policy associated with an operator of the nearby vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the nearby vehicle comprises one or more of the following:

an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle or a self-driving vehicle, and wherein the nearby vehicle includes one or more processors for receiving the transmitted electronic message.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the electronic message to the nearby vehicle requires transmitting the electronic message to one or more remote processors.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is detected by analyzing vehicular telematics data.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the nearby vehicle travels to the operating environment of the first vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising transmitting the electronic message to a smart infrastructure component, wherein the smart infrastructure component:

analyzes the electronic message to determine a type of anomalous condition for the abnormal traffic condition; and

performs an action based upon the type of anomalous condition in order to modify the anomalous condition.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message contains location information of the abnormal traffic condition, and the nearby vehicle ignores the electronic message when the location information indicates that the abnormal traffic condition is beyond a threshold distance from the nearby vehicle.

11. A computer system configured to generate a vehicle traffic alert and update a vehicle-usage profile, the computer system comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors configured to:

detect that an abnormal traffic condition exists in an operating environment of a first vehicle;

generate an electronic message regarding the abnormal traffic condition;

transmit the electronic message to a nearby vehicle, wherein the electronic message is transmitted via wireless communication to alert the nearby vehicle of the abnormal traffic condition and to allow the nearby vehicle to avoid the abnormal traffic condition;

receive telematics data regarding operation of the nearby vehicle after the nearby vehicle received the electronic message; and

update a vehicle-usage profile associated with the nearby vehicle based upon the received telematics data regarding operation of the nearby vehicle.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is one or more of the following:

an erratic vehicle, an erratic driver, road construction, a closed highway exit, slowed or slowing traffic, slowed or slowing vehicular congestion, or one or more other vehicles braking ahead of the first vehicle.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is bad weather, and the electronic message indicates a GPS location of the bad weather.

14. The computer system of claim 11, the system further configured to generate an alternate route for the nearby vehicle to take to avoid the abnormal traffic condition.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein updating the vehicle-usage profile causes an insurance premium adjustment to an insurance policy associated with an operator of the nearby vehicle.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors include one or more of the following:

vehicle-mounted sensors or vehicle-mounted processors.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the nearby vehicle comprises one or more of the following:

an autonomous vehicle, a semi-autonomous vehicle or a self-driving vehicle, and the nearby vehicle includes one or more processors for receiving the transmitted electronic message.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the transmission of the electronic message to the nearby vehicle requires transmission of the electronic message to one or more remote processors.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the abnormal traffic condition is detected by analyzing vehicular telematics data.

20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the nearby vehicle travels to the operating environment of the first vehicle.