SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSURANCE BASED ON MONITORED CHARACTERISTICS OF AN AUTONOMOUS DRIVE MODE SELECTION SYSTEM

• US 20130304513A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Tuckerman, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,037 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A property of an insurance policy may be determined, at least in part, upon characteristics of a vehicle autonomous drive mode selection system. The characteristics may pertain to any capability, configuration, and/or operating state of the autonomous drive mode selection system (and/or vehicle). For example, a property of the insurance policy may be based upon whether the autonomous drive mode selection system is enabled or disabled. In some embodiments, the property of the insurance policy may be based upon which of one or more autonomous driving modes is selected via an autonomous drive mode selection system. The property of the insurance policy may be dynamic, and may be updated in response to changes to the autonomous drive mode selection system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring a characteristic of an autonomous drive mode selection system of a vehicle via an electronic monitoring system;

electronically providing real-time advice to an operator suggesting a modification to the monitored characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system, wherein the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a property of an insurance policy; and

providing information pertaining to the characteristic to an insurer of the insurance policy in response to the operator implementing the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the information pertaining to the characteristic to the insurer via a communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the information pertaining to the characteristic.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring real-time information pertaining to the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system during vehicle operation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing the real-time information pertaining to the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system to the insurer.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the insurer uses the information pertaining to the characteristic to determine a property of an insurance policy.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the insurance policy comprises a vehicle insurance policy.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic relates to a selection of an autonomous driving mode selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least one selectable autonomous driving mode.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a remote manually-controlled mode.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a remote robotically-controlled mode.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises an indication of whether the autonomous drive mode selection system has been overridden by an operator of the vehicle.

80. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time advice comprises an instruction to select a remote manually-controlled mode via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

92. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time advice comprises an instruction to select a local robotically-controlled mode via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

103. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information pertaining to an operator condition associated with an operator of the vehicle to the insurer of the insurance policy.

113. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an external condition associated with the vehicle; and

providing information pertaining to the external condition to the insurer of the insurance policy.

119. The method of claim 113, wherein the external condition comprises a weather condition.

133. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises a history of characteristics of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

272. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a coverage amount of the insurance policy, such that the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a coverage amount of the insurance policy.

273. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a coverage scope of the insurance policy, such that the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a coverage scope of the insurance policy.

274. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a deductible of the insurance policy, such that the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a deductible of the insurance policy.

275. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a rider of the insurance policy, such that the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a rider of the insurance policy.

2. (canceled)

4-7. -7. (canceled)

9-11. -11. (canceled)

14-24. -24. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

28-50. -50. (canceled)

56-58. -58. (canceled)

60-79. -79. (canceled)

81-91. -91. (canceled)

93-102. -102. (canceled)

104-112. -112. (canceled)

114-118. -118. (canceled)

120-132. -132. (canceled)

134. (canceled)

135. (canceled)

136. A system, comprising:

a processor;

an electronic monitoring module in communication with the processor, the monitoring module configured to electronically monitor a characteristic of a drive mode selection system of a vehicle;

a notification module in communication with the processor, the notification module configured to provide real-time advice to an operator suggesting a modification to the monitored characteristic of the drive mode selection system, wherein the implementation of the suggested modification is configured to change a property of an insurance policy; and

a communication module in communication with the processor, the communication module configured to provide information pertaining to the characteristic to an insurer of the insurance policy in response to the operator implementing the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

138. The system of claim 136, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the information pertaining to the characteristic to the insurer via a communication network.

143. The system of claim 136, wherein the communication module is configured to encrypt the characteristic.

160. The system of claim 136, wherein the insurer uses the information pertaining to the characteristic to determine a property of an insurance policy.

180. The system of claim 160, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a premium for the insurance policy.

182. The system of claim 160, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a coverage limitation of the insurance policy.

189. The system of claim 136, wherein the characteristic relates to a selection of an autonomous driving mode selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system, and

wherein autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least one selectable autonomous driving mode, including a remote manually-controlled mode.

190. The system of claim 136, wherein the characteristic relates to a selection of an autonomous driving mode selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system, and

wherein autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least one selectable autonomous driving mode, including a remote robotically-controlled mode.

191. The system of claim 136, wherein the characteristic relates to which of a plurality of autonomous driving modes is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

192. The system of claim 191, wherein the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least two selectable autonomous driving modes.

193. The system of claim 192, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

194. The system of claim 192, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote manually-controlled mode.

195. The system of claim 192, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote robotically-controlled mode.

215. The system of claim 136, further comprising a notification system configured to provide information relating to a property of the insurance policy to an operator of the vehicle.

233. The system of claim 215, wherein the notification system is configured to provide an alert in order to indicate an effect on the property of an autonomous driving mode selection selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

137. (canceled)

139-142. -142. (canceled)

144-159. -159. (canceled)

161-179. -179. (canceled)

181. (canceled)

183-188. -188. (canceled)

196-214. -214. (canceled)

216-232. -232. (canceled)

234-236. -236. (canceled)

238-270. -270. (canceled)

271. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising program code that is configured to cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring a characteristic of a drive mode selection system of a vehicle via an electronic monitoring system;

electronically providing real-time advice to an operator suggesting a modification to the monitored characteristic of the drive mode selection system, wherein the implementation of the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic will change a property of an insurance policy; and

providing the information pertaining to the characteristic to an insurer of the insurance policy in response to the operator implementing the suggested modification to the monitored characteristic of the drive mode selection system.