COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REPORTING A CONFIDENCE SCORE IN RELATION TO A VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A WIRELESS-ENABLED USAGE REPORTING DEVICE

• US 20130018677A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imetrik Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Imetrik Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Chevrette, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method provides information about a financed, leased or insured vehicle having an onboard wireless-enabled usage reporting device for computing a risk associated with a financing, leasing or insurance obligation. The method entails receiving data from a remote computer to set parameters to be used by the device installed in the vehicle to measure real-time vehicle usage, computing on the device a confidence score based on the parameters and storing the confidence score in the device, the confidence score being indicative of a risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation of the vehicle, transferring the confidence score or information relating to the confidence score from the device to the remote computer in response to a command from the remote computer or automatically based on a predefined criterion, and displaying the confidence score to indicate the risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing information about a financed, leased or insured vehicle having an onboard wireless-enabled usage reporting device for computing a risk associated with a financing, leasing or insurance obligation, the method comprising:

receiving data from a remote computer to set parameters to be used by the wireless-enabled usage reporting device installed in the vehicle to measure real-time vehicle usage;

computing on the wireless-enabled usage reporting device a confidence score based on the parameters received from the remote computer and storing the confidence score in the wireless-enabled usage reporting device, the confidence score being indicative of a risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation of the vehicle;

transferring the confidence score or information relating to the confidence score from the wireless-enabled usage reporting device to the remote computer in response to a command from the remote computer or automatically based on a predefined criterion; and

displaying the confidence score or the information relating to the confidence score to indicate the risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing of the confidence score is based on historical location data obtained by the wireless-enabled usage reporting device indicating whether the vehicle is located at a place of employment associated with a user of the vehicle during predetermined workday hours.

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

displaying a list of vehicles equipped with respective wireless-enabled usage reporting devices on a transfer screen with an indication of the risk associated with the financial obligation relating to each vehicle;

receiving input to select which vehicles to transfer;

transferring the obligations relating to the vehicles that have been selected; and

displaying a confirmation that the obligations have been transferred.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting a leasing rate or an insurance rate based on the confidence score.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a vehicle disable signal to the wireless-enabled usage reporting device in response to the confidence score being below a predetermined minimal threshold.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving historical location data, identifying a potential change of address from the historical location data, and generating an address change alert for an account associated with the vehicle.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of wireless-enabled usage reporting devices installed in vehicles, each wireless-enabled usage reporting device comprising a vehicular data port for receiving data about the vehicle based on parameters received via a data network from a remote computer, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location sensor for determining a current position of the vehicle as one element of the data, a processor for processing the data to compute a confidence score based on the data, the confidence score being indicative of a risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation, a memory for storing the confidence score, and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the confidence score to the remote computer; and

wherein the remote computer comprises a memory operatively coupled to a processor for displaying the confidence score or information based on the confidence score to indicate the risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each wireless-enabled usage reporting device obtains historical location data to determine whether the vehicle is located at a place of employment associated with a user of the vehicle during predetermined workday hours.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to:

display a list of vehicles equipped with respective wireless-enabled usage reporting devices on a transfer screen with an indication of the risk associated with the financial obligation relating to each vehicle;

receive input to select which vehicles to transfer;

transfer the obligations relating to the vehicles that have been selected; and

display a confirmation that the obligations have been transferred.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer dynamically adjusts a leasing rate or an insurance rate based on the confidence score.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is further configured to transmit a vehicle disable signal to the wireless-enabled usage reporting device in response to the confidence score being below a predetermined minimal threshold and wherein the wireless-enabled usage reporting device is configured to disable the vehicle in response to receiving the disable signal from the computer.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer receives historical location data, identifies a potential change of address from the historical location data, and generates an address change alert for an account associated with the vehicle.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising code which when stored in a memory and executed by a processor of an onboard wireless-enabled usage reporting device causes the onboard wireless-enabled usage reporting device to perform acts of:

receiving data from a remote computer to set parameters to be used by the wireless-enabled usage reporting device installed in the vehicle to measure real-time vehicle usage;

computing on the wireless-enabled usage reporting device a confidence score based on the parameters received from the remote computer and storing the confidence score in the wireless-enabled usage reporting device, the confidence score being indicative of a risk associated with the financing, leasing or insurance obligation of the vehicle; and

transferring the confidence score or information relating to the confidence score from the wireless-enabled usage reporting device to the remote computer.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the code for computing the confidence score comprises code that computes the confidence score based on historical location data obtained by the wireless-enabled usage reporting device indicating whether the vehicle is located at a place of employment associated with a user of the vehicle during predetermined workday hours.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the code for computing the confidence score comprises code for computing the confidence score based on acceleration and deceleration parameters.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 comprising code to transfer the confidence score in response to a command from the remote computer.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 comprising code to transfer the confidence score automatically based on a predefined criterion.