System and Method for Providing a User Interface for Vehicle Monitoring System Users and Insurers

• US 20090024273A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inthinc Technology Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: McClellan, Scott, Follmer, Todd, Capps, Eric, Eyre, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0137 for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle

Abstract

System and method for providing a website, portal and/or user interface adding, reviewing and editing street mapping data and speed-by-street information. The website, portal and/or user interface allows users to add, review and editing all or selected matters of safety data and street information in a street mapping database. The website, portal and/or user interface also allows the user to select any geographical area and/or any group of vehicles and adjust the system response for any reason, such as weather, traffic, road conditions, etc. The present invention also provides a website, portal and/or user interface that allows a user to register their vehicle and/or vehicle monitoring system hardware so that driver profile information and performance data may be stored on the site and viewed by insurance companies. The insurance companies may bid on drivers they wanted to insure.

Claims

1. A method for updating data in a street mapping database, comprising:

providing a user interface for communicating data between a user and a street mapping database;

receiving user inputs regarding current street mapping data in the street mapping database;

evaluating the user inputs for inclusion in the street mapping database; and

updating the street mapping database with the user inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a website or portal accessed via an Internet connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a website or portal accessed via a private data network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the user inputs further comprises:

physically observing a location identified in one or more user inputs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the user inputs further comprises:

evaluating street mapping data errors that have been submitted by at least a preset number of users.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the present number is one.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs comprise identifying errors in data selected from the group consisting of:

road hazards, construction zones, lane closures, rough roads, pot holes, steep grade, blind intersection, dangerous turns, speed traps, dangerous intersections, curvy streets, missing streets, new streets, slippery when wet streets, upgraded streets, erroneous street names, and traffic direction restrictions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user inputs comprise identifying errors in speed-by-street data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the errors in speed-by-street data further comprise errors in posted speed limits.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the errors in speed-by-street data further comprise actual vehicle speeds that exceed posted speed limits.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying one or more monitoring thresholds in a vehicle monitoring system based upon the user inputs.

12. A method for evaluating drivers for insurance coverage, comprising:

providing a user interface for communicating data between a user and one or more insurers;

creating a driver account using driver profile information received from the user via the user interface;

associating driver performance data with a driver account;

providing driver account data to the one or more insurers via the user interface; and

providing one or more insurance offers to the user via the user interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface is a website or portal accessed via an Internet connection.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface is a website or portal accessed via a private data network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user and the insurers access different user interfaces hosted by a same server.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the driver performance data comprises a graded evaluation of the driver'"'"'s skill.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the graded evaluation is performed using a vehicle monitoring system.

18. A system for Internet on-line communicating between an insurer and insured, of detected operating characteristics of a unit of risk for a selected period, and a cost of insuring the unit for the selected period, as decided by the insurer in consideration of the detected operating characteristics, the system comprising:

a Web site system for selectively communicating the operating characteristics and the cost between the insurer and the insured;

a vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the operating characteristics and for providing mentoring feedback to a driver;

a storage system for storing the operating characteristics, the storage system being accessible to the Web site system; and

a processing system for deciding the cost of insuring the unit for the period based upon the monitored operating characteristics, the processing system being accessible to the Web site system.

19. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the selected period comprises a prospective period for operating the unit of risk, the operating characteristics comprise estimated operating characteristics suggested by the insured, and the decided cost of insuring comprises an estimated cost for the estimated operating characteristics.

20. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the unit of risk comprises an operator.

21. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the unit of risk comprises an equipment item.

22. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising an on-line service interface providing an item from a group comprising usage projection estimates, maps, geofencing and automobile service diagnostics.

23. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising an on-line account statement interface providing cost information for the unit of risk and further selectively providing maps indicating unit usage, and service usage detail of the unit of risk.

24. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the monitored operating characteristics further comprise:

a driver performance evaluation.

25. The system as defined in claim 18, wherein the insured is a potential customer of the insurer and the cost is a bid to insure the unit for the selected period, and wherein the bid is communicated to a user via the Web site system.

26. A method for updating data in a street map database, comprising:

receiving street information data from a vehicle monitoring system;

activating a user interface on the vehicle monitoring system; and

sending vehicle location information to identify a location in which the street information data may be incorrect.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the user interface is a button on the vehicle monitoring system.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the street information data is data associated with a street speed limit.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the street information data that may be incorrect is a street speed limit.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

sending vehicle speed information.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

sending vehicle heading information.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving the vehicle location information; and

evaluating data associated with a vehicle location in the street map database.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

updating data associated with a vehicle location in the street map database.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the street information data that may be incorrect is a street condition.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the street condition is selected from the group consisting of:

a construction zone, a hazardous road, a road requiring repair, a dangerous intersection, a dangerous turn, and a closed road.

36. A method of evaluating vehicle speed, comprising:

determining a speed limit for a location from a speed-by-street database; and

comparing a vehicle'"'"'s speed at the location to a speed limit for the location.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the vehicle'"'"'s speed is determined by averaging a plurality of samples of the vehicle'"'"'s speed in an area approaching the location.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the speed limit for the location is determined by averaging speed limits for a plurality of streets at the location.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the speed limit for a location is determined based upon a vehicle heading.