Roadside reporter system

• US 10,679,300 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Owens, Theresa A., Ismaili, Alinawaz, Gee, Brennan, Lowry, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US15/972,889
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for processing notifications regarding issues with nearby vehicles. A roadside reporter receives notifications from individuals or computing devices reporting problems or violations associated with nearby vehicles, and the notification for uniqueness and authenticity. Upon determining that the notification is unique and authentic, the roadside reporter system notifies the driver of the nearby vehicle and other relevant parties about the problem or violation. The roadside reporter may issue rewards to the reporting user. The roadside reporter system further allows the driver of the nearby vehicle to respond to the notification, and subsequently provides the driver with incentives to address the problem or violation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via an antenna of a mobile user device, a notification associated with an issue of a first vehicle, wherein the notification originated from a device in a second vehicle;

determining, based on second notifications stored by a notification information database, whether the notification is unique;

determining, based on a quantity of one or more awards associated with the second vehicle, a reliability of the notification;

displaying, on a display of the mobile user device, based on determining that the notification is unique, and based on the reliability of the notification, an indication of the issue of the first vehicle;

receiving, via an interface of the mobile user device and within a predetermined duration of time, an acknowledgment of the issue of the first vehicle, wherein the acknowledgement indicates a condition of the first vehicle;

transmitting, to a server, the acknowledgement of the issue of the first vehicle; and

receiving, via the antenna and based on determining that the issue has been addressed, a second indication of one or more rewards.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via the antenna and based on determining that the issue has been addressed, a third indication of a repaired condition of the first vehicle, wherein receiving the second indication of the one or more rewards is further based on the repaired condition of the first vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, via the antenna, a request to address the issue at an automobile repair shop; and

receiving, via the antenna and based on the request, a list including one or more automobile repair shops.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request includes a current location of the first vehicle, and wherein the list comprises information associated with one or more automobile repair shops within a second predetermined distance of the current location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the notification is unique comprises:

determining whether one or more of the second notifications indicate the issue of the first vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the reliability of the notification comprises:

determining, using the notification information database, that the one or more of the second notifications have not been flagged as unreliable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reliability of the notification is based on one or more of:

a first location of the first vehicle, or a second location of the second vehicle.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the reliability of the notification is based on a distance between the first location and the second location.

8. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

receive, from a second device associated with a second vehicle, a notification of an issue associated with a first vehicle;

determine that the notification is unique by determining, using second notifications stored by a notification information database, that the one or more of the second notifications have not been flagged as unreliable;

output, based on determining that the notification is unique and after a predetermined time, the notification to a first device associated with the first vehicle;

receive, from the first device and within a second predetermined duration of time, an acknowledgment of the issue associated with the first vehicle, wherein the acknowledgement indicates a condition of the first vehicle; and

transmit, to the first device and based on determining that the issue has been addressed, an indication of one or more rewards.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

determine, based on a quantity of one or more awards associated with the second vehicle, a reliability of the notification, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to output the notification further based on the reliability of the notification.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine that the notification is unique by:

determining whether one or more of the second notifications correspond to the issue of the first vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

receive, from the first device, a request to address the issue at an automobile repair shop; and

transmit, based on the request and to the first device, a list comprising data associated with one or more automobile repair shops.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request comprises a location of the first vehicle, and wherein the list comprises one or more automobile repair shops within a predetermined distance of the location of the first vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the list further comprises an estimated cost of addressing the issue at the one or more automobile repair shops.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine that the issue has been addressed based on receiving a verified confirmation that the issue has been addressed.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the issue comprises a violation of a rule, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

cause the first device to display a tutorial corresponding to the violation.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a contestation of the notification, wherein the contestation comprises a confirmation that the notification is invalid; and

cancel, based on the confirmation, one or more second rewards associated with the second device.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first device associated with a first vehicle and from a second device associated with a second vehicle, a notification of an issue associated with the first vehicle, wherein the notification comprises an indication of a predetermined time period associated with the notification;

determining, based on second notifications stored by a notification information database, whether the notification is unique;

determining, based on one or more second rewards associated with the second vehicle, a reliability of the notification;

outputting, based on the reliability and based on whether the notification is unique, the notification to a display associated with the first device;

receiving, from an interface associated with the first device and within the predetermined time period, an acknowledgement of the issue associated with the first vehicle, wherein the acknowledgement indicates a condition of the first vehicle; and

transmitting, to the first device and based on determining that the issue has been addressed, a second indication of a number of rewards.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the notification is unique comprises:

determining whether one or more of the second notifications indicate the issue of the first vehicle; and

determining, using the notification information database, that the one or more of the second notifications have not been flagged as unreliable.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, from the first device, a request to address the issue at an automobile repair shop; and

transmitting, to the first device, a list of one or more automobile repair shops.