Traffic information system

• US 20070027583A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insurance Services Office Incorporated (Verisk Analytics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sensomatix, Ltd. (Verisk Analytics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Topaz, Ido, Tamir, Asaf
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• 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: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• 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 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the 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: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/481 Insulating layers on insulating parts, with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4853 Connection or disconnection of other leads to or from a metallisation, e.g. pins, wires, bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49811 Additional leads joined to the metallisation on the insulating substrate, e.g. pins, bumps, wires, flat leads H01L23/49827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49822 : Multilayer substrates multilayer metallisation on monolayer substrate H01L23/498
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 : Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/08 : of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 : of an individual bump connector

Abstract

A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle. The method includes determining values of a plurality of parameters of the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment, determining values of the plurality of parameters for one or more second vehicles in a second road segment having similar properties to those of the first road segment, comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the one or more second vehicles and providing an evaluation of the driving behavior of the first vehicle, responsive to the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle, comprising:

determining values of a plurality of parameters of the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment;

determining values of the plurality of parameters for one or more second vehicles in a second road segment having similar properties to those of the first road segment;

comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the one or more second vehicles; and

providing an evaluation of the driving behavior of the first vehicle, responsive to the comparison.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least one parameter which relates to braking or decelerating of the first vehicle before a road point requiring deceleration.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least one parameter which relates to a time or distance before a road point requiring deceleration at which the first vehicle began to decelerate.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameters includes at least one parameter related to behavior at a road curve.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising generating warnings to a driver of the first vehicle responsive to the evaluation.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising calculating insurance rates for the first vehicle responsive to the evaluation.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing a report to a fleet manager responsive to the evaluation.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising providing a report to a parent of the driver responsive to the evaluation.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicles comprise at least 10 second vehicles.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second road segment comprises the first road segment.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second road segment is different from the first road segment.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining values of the plurality of parameters for the one or more second vehicles comprises determining at a different time from the determining of the parameters for the first vehicle.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more second vehicles comprises a plurality of vehicles.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the plurality of second vehicles comprises comparing the values of the first vehicle to a statistical analysis of values of the plurality of second vehicles.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the plurality of second vehicles comprises comparing in a manner which gives different weight to different ones of the second vehicles.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the plurality of second vehicles comprises comparing in a manner which gives more weight to second vehicles having a specific safety rating.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the plurality of second vehicles comprises comparing data determined under similar weather, light or time conditions.

18. A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle, comprising:

receiving sensor readings on the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment;

determining structural information on the first road segment; and

analyzing a behavior of the first vehicle responsive to the sensor readings and the structural information, by comparing to behavior of one or more vehicles under similar circumstances.

19. A method according to claim 18, comprising generating warnings to a driver of the first vehicle responsive to the analyzing.

20. A method according to claim 18, comprising calculating insurance rates for the first vehicle responsive to the analyzing.

21. A method according to claim 18, comprising generating a driving behavior report for a driver of the vehicle responsive to the analyzing.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein receiving sensor readings comprises receiving from an accelerometer.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein receiving sensor readings comprises receiving from a location sensor.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein determining structural information comprises determining a slope of the first road segment.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein determining structural information comprises determining a location of a curve or an intersection.

26. A method according to claim 18, wherein determining structural information comprises determining a parameter of a curve or an intersection.

27. A method according to claim 18, wherein comparing to behavior of one or more vehicles under similar conditions comprises comparing to acts of the first vehicle at a different time.

28. A method according to claim 18, wherein comparing to behavior of one or more vehicles under similar conditions comprises comparing to acts of the vehicles other than the first vehicle.

29. A method according to claim 18, wherein comparing to behavior of one or more vehicles under similar conditions comprises comparing to acts performed at different times than represented by the sensor readings.

30-79. -79. (canceled)

80. A method of handling vehicle monitoring information, comprising:

accumulating data on the driving of a vehicle, which data identifies at least two of driving time, driving locations and driving dynamic parameters with the vehicle; and

storing the accumulated data in a memory unit, with instructions to destroy at least identification information which may link the accumulated data to the vehicle, within a predetermined time.

81-125. -125. (canceled)

126. A method of analyzing vehicle behavior, comprising:

collecting information on the driving behavior of the vehicle;

identifying topographical attributes of roads traversed by the vehicle; and

analyzing the collected information so as to determine information on the driving behavior of the vehicle with relation to topographical road attributes.

127. A method according to claim 126, wherein the analyzing is performed responsive to a location of a steep slope.

128. A method according to claim 126, wherein the analyzing is performed responsive to an angle of a steep slope.

129. A method of assigning a safety score to a vehicle, comprising:

collecting information on the driving behavior of the vehicle;

determining the location of a curve;

analyzing the collected information so as to determine a plurality of parameters of the behavior of the vehicle with relation to the curve; and

assigning a score to the vehicle responsive to the analysis.

130. A method according to claim 129, wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one of lateral deceleration in the curve, the vehicle speed on approaching the curve, frontal deceleration of the vehicle upon approaching the curve and distance or time at which the vehicle began to decelerate before the curve.