Providing transit alternatives based on monitored vehicle characteristics

• US 10,810,675 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 10/20/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Esurance Insurance Services Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Esurance Insurance Services Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Erickson, John Andrew, Madia, Eric Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Fu, Hao
• Application Number:
  US14/985,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20160189311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

Performance parameters of a vehicle can be measured by an on-board performance parameter measuring device. The performance parameters can be measured while the vehicle is being used. The measured performance parameters of the vehicle can be transmitted to a computing device. The computing device can be configured to generate a user cost that reflects a cost for insuring the vehicle based on the measured performance parameters of the vehicle. A graphical user interface can be generated by the computing device for presentation to a user via a display device, that graphical user interface can include the user cost. An alternative transportation route for the journey and an alternative transportation cost for the journey can be determined and presented to the user through the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring, by a vehicle performance measuring device, performance parameters of a vehicle while the vehicle is being used by a user, the vehicle performance measuring device being coupled, via a first wireless link, to a mobile computing device of the user;

receiving, at a server, the measured performance parameters of the vehicle, the measured performance parameters being transmitted by the mobile computing device to the server over a second wireless link;

updating, based on the measured performance parameters, a route parameter of a first route, the route parameter comprising a historical driving characteristic of the user along the first route;

receiving, from the mobile computing device, an indication of a trigger event including the mobile computing device having arrived at a location;

in response to the trigger event,

determining, based at least on the route parameter, a first transport cost for completing a journey from the location using the vehicle and a second transport cost for completing the journey from the location without the vehicle, the first transport cost including a first cost for insuring the vehicle if the first route is used for completing the journey, and

generating, by the server, a graphical user interface for display at the mobile computing device, the graphical user interface including a notification of the first transport cost and the second transport cost;

deducting, fr om a balance of funds of the user, the first cost of insuring the vehicle in response to the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the first route; and

updating the graphical user interface to at least display, at the mobile computing device, the balance of funds of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, a difference between the first transport cost and the second transport cost; and

,

updating the graphical user interface to at least display, at the mobile computing device, an indication of the difference between the first transport cost and the second transport cost.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based at least on the route parameter and information for the journey, a third transport cost for using the vehicle to complete the journey from the location via a second route, the third transport cost including a second cost for insuring the vehicle if the second route is used for completing the journey;

generating, by the server, the graphical user interface to further display, at the mobile computing device, the third transport cost; and

deducting, from the balance of funds of the user, the second cost of insuring the vehicle in response to the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the second route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport cost and/or the second transport cost further reflect a cost of a fuel consumed by the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport cost and/or the second transport cost further reflect a cost of wear and tear of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a distance driven by the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include one or more of an acceleration of the vehicle, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a g-force experienced by the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a speed of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a location of the vehicle during usage of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include one or more of a time of day, a day of the week, or a date, of usage of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server further updates the route parameter of the first route based on a road condition information associated with the first route.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the user, an invoice generated based at least on the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the first route.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event further includes a time of day and/or a current time approaching a scheduled time of a meeting.

14. A system, comprising:

at least one data processor; and

at least one memory instructions, which when executed by the at least one data processor, result in operations comprising;

measuring, by a vehicle performance measuring device, performance parameters of a vehicle while the vehicle is being used by a user, the vehicle performance measuring device being coupled, via a first wireless link, to a mobile computing device of the user;

receiving, at a server, the measured performance parameters of the vehicle, the measured performance parameters being transmitted by the mobile computing device to the server over a second wireless link;

updating, based on the measured performance parameters, a route parameter of a first route, the route parameter comprising a historical driving characteristic of the user along the first route;

receiving, from the mobile computing device, an indication of a trigger event including the mobile computing device having arrived at a location,

in response to the trigger event,

determining, based at least on the route parameter, a first transport cost for completing a journey from the location using the vehicle and a second transport cost for completing the journey from the location without the vehicle, the first transport cost including a first cost for insuring the vehicle if the first route is used for completing the journey, and

generating, by the server, a graphical user interface for display at the mobile computing device, the graphical user interface including a notification of the first transport cost and the second transport cost;

deducting, from a balance of funds of the user, the first cost of insuring the vehicle in response to the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the first route; and

updating the graphical user interface to at least display, at the mobile computing device, the balance of funds of the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a difference between the first transport cost and the second transport cost; and

,

updating the graphical user interface to at least display, at the mobile computing device, an indication of the difference between the first transport cost and the second transport cost.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based at least on the route parameter and information for the journey, a third transport cost for using the vehicle to complete the journey from the location via a second route, the third transport cost including a second cost for insuring the vehicle if the second route is used for completing the journey;

generating, by the server, the graphical user interface to further display, at the mobile computing device, the third transport cost; and

deducting, from the balance of funds of the user, the second cost of insuring the vehicle in response to the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the second route.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first transport cost and/or the second transport cost further reflect a cost of power usage of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first transport cost and/or the second transport cost further reflect a cost of wear and tear of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a distance driven by the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include one or more of an acceleration of the vehicle, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a g-force experienced by the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a speed of the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance parameters of the vehicle include a location of the vehicle during usage of the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the route parameter is further updated based on a road condition information associated with the first route.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending, to the user, an invoice generated based at least on the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the first route.

25. A non-transitory computer program product storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor forming part of at least one computing system, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

measuring, by a vehicle performance measuring device, performance parameters of a vehicle while the vehicle is being used by a user, the vehicle performance measuring device being coupled, via a first wireless link, to a mobile computing device of the user;

receiving, at a server, the measured performance parameters of the vehicle, the measured performance parameters being transmitted by the mobile computing device to the server over a second wireless link;

updating, based on the measured performance parameters, a route parameter of a first route, the route parameter comprising a historical driving characteristic of the user along the first route;

receiving, from the mobile computing device, an indication of a trigger event including the mobile computing device having arrived at a location;

in response to the trigger event,

determining, based at least on the route parameter, a first transport cost for completing a journey from the location using the vehicle and a second transport cost for completing the journey from the location without the vehicle, the first transport cost including a first cost for insuring the vehicle if the first route is used for completing the journey, and

generating, by the server, a graphical user interface for display at the mobile computing device, the graphical user interface including a notification of the first transport cost and the second transport cost;

deducting, from a balance of funds of the user, the first cost of insuring the vehicle in response to the user selecting to use the vehicle to complete the journey via the first route; and

updating the graphical user interface to at least display, at the mobile computing device, the balance of funds of the user.