System and method of real time detection of aerial vehicle flight patterns and insurance policy updates

• US 10,853,884 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Issued: 12/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackbird Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Blackbird Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Zentler, Erik T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US15/862,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system and method for providing real-time insurance coverage and updating the insurance coverage for an aerial vehicle based on current flight characteristics and an operator profile. A current flight pattern is generated from the current flight characteristics and is compared to a flight pattern of another aerial vehicle that was involved in an incident to generate a current risk profile of the aerial vehicle. The risk profile is adjusted based on an operator profile for the current operator of the aerial vehicle. As the operator operates the aerial vehicle, an insurance policy is automatically adjusted in real time as the risk profile changes in response to changes in the flight characteristics of the aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an aerial-vehicle monitoring system associated with an aerial vehicle, the aerial-vehicle monitoring system including a first plurality of sensors that are capable of capturing performance output data of the aerial vehicle as the aerial vehicle is being operated;

a remote-control monitoring system associated with a remote controller that communicates with the aerial vehicle, the remote-control monitoring system including a second plurality of sensors that are capable of capturing operator input data to the remote controller as a current operator is operating the aerial vehicle;

a computing device comprising;

a transceiver to receive the performance output data and the operator input data;

a memory that stores computer instructions and a set of previous flight characteristics of another aerial vehicle prior to the other aerial vehicle being involved in an incident; and

a processor that executes the computer instructions to perform actions, the actions including;

generating current flight characteristics of the aerial vehicle in response to the operator input data and the performance output data; and

generating a comparison of the current flight characteristics to the stored set of previous flight characteristics; and

automatically updating an insurance policy for the aerial vehicle in real time in response to the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

generating an operator profile for the current operator of the aerial vehicle in response to the current flight characteristics of the aerial vehicle; and

adjusting the insurance policy in response to the operator profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

generating a score for the current operator of the aerial vehicle in response to changes in the current flight characteristics of the aerial vehicle; and

changing at least one of a rate or coverage of the insurance policy in response to changes in the score while the current operator is operating the aerial vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the current flight characteristics of the aerial vehicle include at least one of a ground position of the aerial vehicle, an altitude of the aerial vehicle, a speed of the aerial vehicle, an acceleration of the aerial vehicle, a pitch of the aerial vehicle, a roll of the aerial vehicle, a yaw of the target aerial vehicle, a duration of operation of the aerial vehicle, a lifetime inflight duration of the aerial vehicle, known objects relative to the aerial vehicle, and a spatial relationship between the aerial vehicle and the current operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operator input data includes an operator reaction time to a change in the current flight characteristics, a type of input by the current operator in response to the change in the current flight characteristics, and a rate at which the current operator adjusts operation of the aerial vehicle in response to the change in the current flight characteristics.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

prior to operation of the aerial vehicle by a current operator;

obtaining operator information for the current operator of the aerial vehicle;

obtaining aerial vehicle information for the aerial vehicle; and

generating the insurance policy for the aerial vehicle in response to the operator information and the aerial vehicle information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the operator information for the current operator of the aerial vehicle includes at least one of a total number of hours that the current operator has operated the aerial vehicle, previous aerial vehicle incidents, total number of hours that the current operator has operated other aerial vehicles, and previously demonstrated ability to operate the aerial vehicle;

and wherein the aerial vehicle information for the aerial vehicle includes a type, a make, a model, and a total number of operating hours of the aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

obtaining at least one environmental characteristic while the aerial vehicle is being operated; and

adjusting at least one of a rate or coverage of the insurance policy in response to the obtained at least one environmental characteristic.

9. A computing device, comprising:

a memory that stores computer instructions and a set of previous flight characteristics of another aerial vehicle prior to the other aerial vehicle being involved in an incident; and

a processor that executes the computer instructions to perform actions as a current operator is operating a target aerial vehicle, the actions including;

receiving operator input data obtained by a first plurality of sensors on a remote control communicating with the target aerial vehicle;

receiving performance output data obtained by a second plurality of sensors mounted on the target aerial vehicle;

generating current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle in response to the operator input data and the performance output data;

generating a current risk profile in response to a comparison of the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle with the set of previous flight characteristics of the other aerial vehicle; and

automatically updating an insurance policy for the target aerial vehicle in real time as the current risk profile changes in response to changes in the current flight characteristics.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

generating an operator profile for the current operator of the target aerial vehicle based on the current operator'"'"'s control of the target aerial vehicle in response to changes in the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle; and

adjusting the current risk profile in response to the operator profile.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

generating a score for the current operator of the target aerial vehicle in response to the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle;

increasing the current risk profile when the score is below a first predetermined threshold; and

decreasing the current risk profile when the score is above a second predetermined threshold.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle include at least one of a ground position of the target aerial vehicle, an altitude of the target aerial vehicle, a speed of the target aerial vehicle, an acceleration of the target aerial vehicle, a pitch of the target aerial vehicle, a roll of the target aerial vehicle, a yaw of the target aerial vehicle, a duration of operation of the target aerial vehicle, a lifetime inflight duration of the target aerial vehicle, known objects relative to the target aerial vehicle, and a spatial relationship between the target aerial vehicle and the current operator.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the operator input data includes an operator reaction time to a change in the current flight characteristics, a type of input by the current operator in response to the change in the current flight characteristics, and a rate at which the current operator adjusts operation of the target aerial vehicle in response to the change in the current flight characteristics.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor executes the computer instructions to perform further actions, the further actions including:

prior to operation of the target aerial vehicle;

obtaining operator information for the current operator of the target aerial vehicle;

obtaining aerial vehicle information for the target aerial vehicle; and

generating the insurance policy for the target aerial vehicle based on the operator information and the target aerial vehicle information.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operator information for the current operator of the target aerial vehicle includes at least one from among a total number of hours that the current operator has operated the target aerial vehicle, previous aerial vehicle incidents, total number of hours that the current operator has operated other aerial vehicles, and previously demonstrated ability to operate the target aerial vehicle;

and wherein the aerial vehicle information for the target aerial vehicle includes a type, a make, a model, and a total number of operating hours of the target aerial vehicle.

16. A method, comprising:

generating, for each respective aerial vehicle of a plurality of aerial vehicles that were each involved in a respective incident, a set of previous flight characteristics that occurred prior to the respective incident;

sensing, by a first plurality of sensors on a remote control communicating with a target aerial vehicle, operator input provided by a current operator of the target aerial vehicle while the current operator is operating the target aerial vehicle;

sensing, by a second plurality of sensors on the target aerial vehicle, performance output of the target aerial vehicle while the target aerial vehicle is being operated by the current operator;

generating current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle in response to the operator input and the performance output; and

automatically updating an insurance policy for the target aerial vehicle in real time in response to changes in the current flight characteristics as the current operator operates the target aerial vehicle, wherein the updating is based on a comparison of the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle with each set of previous flight characteristics of the plurality of aerial vehicles.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating an operator profile for the current operator of the target aerial vehicle in response to the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle, the operator profile provides an indication of how well the current operator is operating the target aerial vehicle;

increasing a rate or decreasing coverage of the insurance policy in response to a decrease in the operator profile; and

decreasing the rate or increasing the coverage of the insurance policy in response to an increase in the operator profile.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the current flight characteristics of the target aerial vehicle include at least one of a ground position of the target aerial vehicle, an altitude of the target aerial vehicle, a speed of the target aerial vehicle, an acceleration of the target aerial vehicle, a pitch of the target aerial vehicle, a roll of the target aerial vehicle, a yaw of the target aerial vehicle, a duration of operation of the target aerial vehicle, a lifetime inflight duration of the target aerial vehicle, known objects relative to the target aerial vehicle, and a spatial relationship between the target aerial vehicle and the current operator.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operator input data includes an operator reaction time to a change in the current flight characteristics, a type of input by the current operator in response to the change in the current flight characteristics, and a rate at which the current operator adjusts operation of the target aerial vehicle in response to the change in the current flight characteristics.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

wherein generating the set of previous flight characteristics that occurred prior to the respective incidents of the plurality of aerial vehicles includes determining at least one previous environmental characteristic associated with each respective incident;

obtaining at least one current environmental characteristic while the target aerial vehicle is being operated; and

adjusting the insurance policy based on a comparison of the at least one current environmental characteristic with each of the at least one previous environmental characteristics associated with the respective incidents of the plurality of aerial vehicles.