Systems and methods for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to an autonomous vehicle

• US 10,796,371 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Floyd, Matthew L., Yu, Alvin Hon-Wai, Murphy, Antwuan, Benzio, Brittney, Brantley, Lindsi, Delaney, Matthew S., Vulich, Matthew, Rodriguez, Matthew S., Goel, Neha, Collins, Sabrina, Murillo, Annie Pudlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Monfeldt, Sarah M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gaw, Mark H
• Application Number:
  US15/624,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• 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 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0637 Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

Methods and systems for maintaining a distributed ledger and/or blockchain of transactions and/or events pertaining to autonomous vehicles and/or smart contracts are provided. One or more processors may monitor one or more sensors associated with an autonomous vehicle. Based upon the outputs of the sensors, a change in condition of the autonomous vehicle may be detected. The condition may relate to operation, or an operational state of the vehicle and/or a condition associated with a smart contract. The processors may generate a transaction describing the detected change in the condition of the vehicle. The transaction may be transmitted to an enforcement server. As a result, an up-to-date ledger of autonomous vehicle and/or smart contract transactions and/or events may be maintained.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a first autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring, by one or more processors, one or more sensors associated with a first autonomous vehicle;

receiving, from a server, a subscription request indicating a data feed associated with a condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

the condition of the first autonomous vehicle being associated with a smart contract that is recorded to the distributed ledger;

detecting, by the one or more processors, a change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle by detecting that an output of a sensor of the one or more sensors changed from a first expected range of values to a second expected range of values, the condition being associated with operation, or an operational state, of an autonomous vehicle system or technology mounted on the first autonomous vehicle;

associating, by the one or more processors, the condition of the first autonomous vehicle with a set of the one or more sensors associated with the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the smart contract indicates one or more expected ranges of values for outputs of the set of the one or more sensors, the expected ranges of values being associated with one or more states corresponding to the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

receiving, from a second vehicle, operating data generated by one or more sensors of the second vehicle;

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the operating data to determine that the first autonomous vehicle, and not the second vehicle, should generate the transaction;

in response to the analysis, generating, by the one or more processors, a transaction describing the detected change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

compiling, by the one or more processors, the transaction into a block of transactions, the block being an update to the distributed ledger; and

transmitting, to the server, the block that includes the transaction.

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

the change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle is indicative of a collision with the second vehicle.

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

analyzing, by the one or more processors, the operating data to determine a relative fault between a party associated with the first autonomous vehicle and a party associated with the second vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle system or technology is associated with or related to:

driver alertness monitoring;

driver responsiveness monitoring;

pedestrian detection;

artificial intelligence;

a back-up system;

a navigation system;

a positioning system;

a security system;

an anti-hacking measure;

a theft prevention system;

or

remote vehicle location determination.

5. A computer system for maintaining a distributed ledger of transactions pertaining to a first autonomous vehicle, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

a communication module adapted to communicate with one or more nodes of the distributed ledger; and

a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to;

monitor one or more sensors associated with a first autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a server, a subscription request indicating a data feed associated with a condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

the condition of the first autonomous vehicle being associated with a smart contract that is recorded to the distributed ledger;

detect a change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle by detecting that an output of a sensor of the one or more sensors changed from a first expected range of values to a second expected range of values, the condition being associated with operation, or an operational state, of an autonomous vehicle system or technology mounted on the first autonomous vehicle;

associate the condition of the first autonomous vehicle with a set of the one or more sensors associated with the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the smart contract indicates one or more expected ranges of values for outputs of the set of the one or more sensors, the expected ranges of values being associated with one or more states corresponding to the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a second vehicle, operating data generated by one or more sensors of the second vehicle;

analyze the operating data to determine that the first autonomous vehicle, and not the second vehicle, should generate the transaction;

in response to the analysis, generate a transaction describing the detected change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

compile the transaction into a block of transactions, the block being an update to the distributed ledger; and

transmit, to the server, the block that includes the transaction.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein:

the change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle is indicative of a collision with the second vehicle.

7. The computer system of claim 5, the computer system further configured to:

analyze the operating data to determine a relative fault between a party associated with the first autonomous vehicle and a party associated with the second vehicle.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the autonomous vehicle system or technology is associated with or related to:

driver alertness monitoring;

driver responsiveness monitoring;

pedestrian detection;

artificial intelligence;

a back-up system;

a navigation system;

a positioning system;

a security system;

an anti-hacking measure;

a theft prevention system;

or

remote vehicle location determination.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

monitor one or more sensors associated with a first autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a server, a subscription request indicating a data feed associated with a condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

the condition of the first autonomous vehicle being associated with a smart contract that is recorded to a distributed ledger;

detect a change in the condition of the vehicle by detecting that an output of a sensor of the one or more sensors changed from a first expected range of values to a second expected range of values, the condition being associated with operation, or an operational state, of an autonomous vehicle system or technology mounted on the first autonomous vehicle;

associating, by the one or more processors, the condition of the first autonomous vehicle with a set of the one or more sensors associated with the first autonomous vehicle, wherein the smart contract indicates one or more expected ranges of values for outputs of the set of the one or more sensors, the expected ranges of values being associated with one or more states corresponding to the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

receive, from a second vehicle, operating data generated by one or more sensors of the second vehicle;

analyze the operating data to determine that the first autonomous vehicle, and not the second vehicle, should generate the transaction;

in response to the analysis, generate a transaction describing the detected change in the condition of the first autonomous vehicle;

compiling, by the one or more processors, the transaction into a block of transactions, the block being an update to the distributed ledger; and

transmit, to the server, the block that includes the transaction.