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

• US 20130304514A1
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Tuckerman, David B.
• Application Number:
  US13/466,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304514A1
• 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:

receiving, via an electronic receiver, information pertaining to a characteristic of an autonomous drive mode selection system of a vehicle;

determining, via a processor, a property of an insurance policy using the received information pertaining to the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system of the vehicle;

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

adjusting the property of the insurance policy in response to the implementation of the suggested modification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the insurance policy comprises a vehicle insurance policy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the insurance policy insures a provider of a robotic control system associated with the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a premium for the insurance policy.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the property of the insurance policy is based upon a history of characteristics of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

34. 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.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a remotely manually-controlled mode.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises remote robotically-controlled mode.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication of an average amount of time an autonomous driving mode is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

62. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information pertaining to the determined property of the insurance policy to an operator of the vehicle.

74. The method of claim 62, wherein providing the information pertaining to the property of the insurance policy to the operator of the vehicle comprises providing real-time advice associated with an effect on the property of an autonomous driving mode selection selectable via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein the real-time advice comprises an instruction to disable the autonomous drive mode selection system, thereby switching to a local manually-controlled mode.

85. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system during vehicle operation;

monitoring an external condition; and

dynamically adjusting the property of the insurance policy based upon the monitored characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system and the monitored external condition.

86. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system during vehicle operation; and

dynamically adjusting the property of the insurance policy based upon the monitored characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

115. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving external condition information; and

adjusting the property of the insurance policy using the received external condition information.

121. The method of claim 115, wherein the external condition comprises a weather condition.

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141. A system, comprising:

a communication module configured to receive information pertaining to a characteristic of an autonomous drive mode selection system of a vehicle;

an insurance module configured to determine a property of an insurance policy using the received information pertaining to the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system of the vehicle; and

an advice module configured to provide real-time advice for a modification to the autonomous driving mode selection system, wherein the implementation of the suggested modification will change the property of the insurance policy,

wherein the insurance module is configured to adjust the property of the insurance policy in response to the implementation of the suggested modification.

161. The system of claim 141, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a coverage amount of the insurance policy.

163. The system of claim 141, wherein the property of the insurance policy comprises a deductible of the insurance policy.

168. The system of claim 141, wherein the property of the insurance policy is based on a comparison of a vehicle operating time in a first autonomous driving mode and a vehicle operating time in a second autonomous driving mode.

169. The system of claim 168, wherein the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least two selectable autonomous driving modes.

170. The system of claim 169, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

171. The system of claim 169, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote manually-controlled mode.

172. The system of claim 169, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote robotically-controlled mode.

173. The system of claim 169, wherein the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises an indication that autonomous drive mode selection system has been disabled.

174. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication that an autonomous driving mode is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

175. The system of claim 174, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

176. The system of claim 174, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a remotely-controlled manual mode.

177. The system of claim 174, wherein the autonomous driving mode comprises a remote robotically-controlled mode.

178. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication of which of a plurality of autonomous driving modes is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

179. The system of claim 178, wherein the autonomous drive mode selection system comprises at least two selectable autonomous driving modes.

180. The system of claim 179, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a local robotically-controlled mode.

181. The system of claim 179, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote manually-controlled mode.

182. The system of claim 179, wherein one of the at least two selectable autonomous driving modes comprises a remote robotically-controlled mode.

189. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication of an average amount of time an autonomous driving mode is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

190. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication of a minimum amount of time an autonomous driving mode is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

191. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises an indication of a maximum amount of time an autonomous driving mode is selected via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

192. The system of claim 141, wherein the characteristic comprises a certification of the autonomous drive mode selection system.

202. The system of claim 141, wherein the communication module is further configured to provide information pertaining to the determined property of the insurance policy to an operator of the vehicle.

220. The system of claim 202, wherein providing the information pertaining to the property of the insurance policy to the operator of the vehicle comprises providing an alert to the operator of the vehicle indicating an effect on the property of an autonomous driving mode selection selectable via the autonomous drive mode selection system.

234. The system of claim 141, further comprising a verification module configured to verify the characteristic.

237. The system of claim 141, further comprising formalization module configured to formalize the insurance policy.

245. The system of claim 141, wherein the insurance module is configured to dynamically adjust the property of the insurance policy using operator condition information of an operator of the vehicle.

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283. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving information pertaining to a characteristic of an autonomous drive mode selection system of a vehicle;

determining a property of an insurance policy using the received information pertaining to the characteristic of the autonomous drive mode selection system of the vehicle;

providing real-time advice suggesting a modification to the autonomous driving mode selection system, wherein the implementation of the suggested modification will change the property of the insurance policy; and

adjusting the property of the insurance policy in response to the implementation of the suggested modification.