Dynamically controlling sensors and processing sensor data for issue identification

• US 10,388,089 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Civgin, Dogan, Manzella, Matthew James
• Primary Examiner(s): Kleinman, Lail A
• Application Number:
  US15/597,595
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

Systems and apparatuses for identifying a type of issue associated with a stopped vehicle are provided. The system may determine a current location of the vehicle and determine whether the vehicle is currently located on a highway. In some examples, the determined location of the vehicle may cause the system to transmit instructions controlling an amount or type of data collected by sensors and/or transmitted to the system. If the vehicle is on a highway, the system may then determine whether the vehicle is stopped. If so, the system may determine a reason for the vehicle stopping. Upon determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent reason, the system may transmit a request for roadside assistance to a service provider computing device and may generate a first type of notification. Upon determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, the system may generate and transmit a second type of notification for display.

Claims

1. A breakdown detection computing platform, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication interface; and

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the breakdown detection computing platform to;

receive, in real-time, first data associated with a vehicle;

analyze the first data to determine a location of the vehicle;

determine, based on the location of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is on a highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not on a highway, controlling one of an amount or type of data received by the breakdown detection computing platform to limit an amount or type of data received and analyzed to a first amount or type;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is on a highway, controlling one of an amount or type of data to increase an amount or type of data received by the breakdown detection computing platform to a second amount or type of data, the second amount being greater than the first amount;

receive, in real-time, second data associated with the vehicle;

analyze the second data to determine whether the vehicle is stopped;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not stopped, continue to receive the second amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped, determining whether the vehicle has exited the highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited the highway, controlling the amount or type of data received to limit the amount or type of data to the first amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has not exited the highway, determine whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generate and transmit a first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generate and transmit a second type of notification different from the first type of notification.

2. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the breakdown detection computing platform to:

receive, in real-time and via vehicle-to-vehicle communications, data related to a speed of other vehicles at the determined location of the vehicle;

analyze the received data related to the speed of the other vehicles to determine whether the other vehicles are stopped;

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are stopped, determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation and generating and transmitting the second type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are not stopped, determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason and generating and transmitting the first type of notification.

3. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the breakdown detection computing platform to:

scan diagnostic codes of the vehicle;

determine, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generate and transmit the first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generate and transmit the second type of notification.

4. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 3, wherein

determining, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason further includes:

determining, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes, that no diagnostic codes are activated; and

responsive to determining that no diagnostic codes have been activated, determining that the vehicle has stopped for a non-urgent situation reason.

5. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, wherein the urgent situation reason is at least one of:

low tire pressure, low fuel, low battery power, and low oil level.

6. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, wherein first type of notification includes an indication that a request for roadside assistance has been submitted.

7. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, wherein the second type of notification includes at least one of:

an option to request roadside assistance and information about an area surrounding the location.

8. The breakdown detection computing platform of claim 1, wherein determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason further includes transmitting a request for assistance to a service center computing device.

9. A method, comprising:

at a computing platform comprising at least one processor, memory, and a communication interface;

receiving, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface and in real-time, first data associated with a vehicle;

analyzing, by the at least one processor, the first data to determine a location of the vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the location of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is on a highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not on a highway, controlling, by the at least one processor, one of an amount or type of data received by the computing platform to limit an amount or type of data received and analyzed to a first amount or type;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is on a highway, controlling, by the at least one processor, one of an amount or type of data to increase an amount or type of data received by the computing platform to a second amount or type of data, the second amount being greater than the first amount;

receiving, by the at least one processor, via the communication interface and in real-time, second data associated with the vehicle;

analyzing, by the at least one processor, the second data to determine whether the vehicle is stopped;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not stopped, continuing to receive the second amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped, determining, by the at least one processor whether the vehicle has exited the highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited the highway, controlling, by the at least one processor, the amount or type of data received to limit the amount or type of data to the first amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has not exited the highway, determining, by the at least one processor, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generating and transmitting a first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generating and transmitting a second type of notification different from the first type of notification.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

receiving, in real-time and via vehicle-to-vehicle communications, data related to a speed of other vehicles at the determined location of the vehicle;

analyzing, by the at least one processor, the received data related to the speed of the other vehicles to determine whether the other vehicles are stopped;

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are stopped, determining, by the at least one processor, that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation and generating and transmitting the second type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are not stopped, determining, by the at least one processor, that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason and generating and transmitting the first type of notification.

11. The method of claim 9, further including:

scanning, by the at least one processor, diagnostic codes of the vehicle;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generating and transmitting the first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generating and transmitting the second type of notification.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason further includes:

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the scan of the diagnostic codes, that no diagnostic codes are activated; and

responsive to determining that no diagnostic codes have been activated, determining, by the at least one processor, that the vehicle has stopped for a non-urgent situation reason.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the urgent situation reason is at least one of:

low tire pressure, low fuel, low battery power, and low oil level.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein first type of notification includes an indication that a request for roadside assistance has been submitted.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second type of notification includes at least one of:

an option to request roadside assistance and information about an area surrounding the location.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason further includes transmitting a request for assistance to a service center computing device.

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

receive, in real-time, first data associated with a vehicle;

analyze the first data to determine a location of the vehicle;

determine, based on the location of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is on a highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not on a highway, controlling one of an amount or type of data received by the computing platform to limit an amount or type of data received and analyzed to a first amount or type;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is on a highway, controlling one of an amount or type of data to increase an amount or type of data received by the breakdown detection computing platform to a second amount or type of data, the second amount being greater than the first amount;

receive, in real-time, second data associated with the vehicle;

analyze the second data to determine whether the vehicle is stopped;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is not stopped, continue to receive the second amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped, determining whether the vehicle has exited the highway;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has exited the highway, controlling the amount or type of data received to limit the amount or type of data to the first amount or type of data;

responsive to determining that the vehicle has not exited the highway, determine whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generate and transmit a first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generate and transmit a second type of notification different from the first type of notification.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the computing platform to:

receive, in real-time and via vehicle-to-vehicle communications, data related to a speed of other vehicles at the determined location of the vehicle;

analyze the received data related to the speed of the other vehicles to determine whether the other vehicles are stopped;

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are stopped, determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation and generating and transmitting the second type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the other vehicles are not stopped, determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason and generating and transmitting the first type of notification.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the computing platform to:

scan diagnostic codes of the vehicle;

determine, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason;

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason, generate and transmit the first type of notification; and

responsive to determining that the vehicle is stopped for a non-urgent situation reason, generate and transmit the second type of notification.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein determining, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is stopped for an urgent situation reason or a non-urgent situation reason further includes:

determining, based on the scan of the diagnostic codes, that no diagnostic codes are activated; and

responsive to determining that no diagnostic codes have been activated, determining that the vehicle has stopped for a non-urgent situation reason.