AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY EFFECTIVENESS DETERMINATION FOR INSURANCE PRICING

• US 20180075538A1
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Konrardy, Blake, Christensen, Scott T., Hayward, Gregory, Farris, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,748,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0095 Automatic control mode change
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0096 Control during transition between modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 : Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 : Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 : Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 : Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 : Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 : using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 : indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 : using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 : including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 : where the received information generates 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 1/096758 : where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 : where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 : where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 : where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 : inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/147 : where the parking area is within an open public zone, e.g. city centre
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 : Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 : Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 : for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining the effectiveness of one or more autonomous (and/or semi-autonomous) operation features of a vehicle are provided. According to certain aspects, information regarding autonomous operation features of the vehicle may be used to determine an effectiveness metric indicative of the ability of each autonomous operation feature to avoid or mitigate accidents or other losses. The information may include operating data from the vehicle or other vehicles having similar autonomous operation features, test data, or loss data from other vehicles. The determined effectiveness metric may then be used to determine part or all of an insurance policy, which may be reviewed by an insured and updated based upon the effectiveness metric.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating effectiveness of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies for controlling a vehicle to avoid or mitigate vehicle accidents, the method comprising:

implementing, by one or more processors of a test computing system, the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment configured to simultaneously test multiple autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies;

presenting, by the one or more processors of the test computing system, virtual test sensor data to the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment;

generating, by the one or more processors of the test computing system, test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment in response to the virtual test sensor data;

generating, by the one or more processors of the test computing system, an effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies based upon the test responses, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies;

receiving, by one or more processors of a computing system, an indication of the vehicle having the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

updating, by the one or more processors of the computing system, an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based upon the effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

generating the effectiveness metric includes determining an update to the effectiveness based at least in part upon the compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining the update to the effectiveness metric includes determining a change in accident avoidance effectiveness for the updated version of the at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of the following:

a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the effectiveness metric includes generating a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types;

the indication of the vehicle includes an indication of a vehicle type of the vehicle; and

updating the insurance policy associated with the vehicle is further based upon a corresponding effectiveness metric of the plurality of effectiveness metrics that is associated with the vehicle type of the vehicle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions; and

the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies in mitigating damage during the virtual vehicle collisions.

8. A computer system for evaluating effectiveness of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies for controlling a vehicle to avoid or mitigate vehicle accidents, comprising:

a test computing system including one or more processors and a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the test computing system to;

implement the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment configured to simultaneously test multiple autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies;

present virtual test sensor data to the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment;

generate test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment in response to the virtual test sensor data; and

generate an effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies based upon the test responses, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

a computing system including one or more processors and a non-transitory program memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the test computing system to;

receive an indication of the vehicle having the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

update an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based upon the effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to generate the effectiveness metric cause the test computing system to determine an update to the effectiveness based at least in part upon the compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to determine the update to the effectiveness metric cause the test computing system to determine a change in accident avoidance effectiveness for the updated version of the at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of the following:

a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the executable instructions that cause the test computing system to generate the effectiveness metric cause the test computing system to generate a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types;

the indication of the vehicle includes an indication of a vehicle type of the vehicle; and

the executable instructions that cause the computing system to update the insurance policy associated with the vehicle cause the computing system to update the insurance policy further based upon a corresponding effectiveness metric of the plurality of effectiveness metrics that is associated with the vehicle type of the vehicle.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions; and

the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies in mitigating damage during the virtual vehicle collisions.

15. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for evaluating effectiveness of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies for controlling a vehicle to avoid or mitigate vehicle accidents that, when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:

implement the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies within a virtual test environment of a test computing system configured to simultaneously test multiple autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies;

present virtual test sensor data to the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment, wherein the virtual test sensor data simulates sensor data for operating conditions associated with a plurality of test scenarios within the virtual test environment;

generate test responses of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies implemented within the virtual test environment in response to the virtual test sensor data;

generate an effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies based upon the test responses, wherein the effectiveness metric indicates combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies;

receive an indication of the vehicle having the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

update an insurance policy associated with the vehicle based upon the effectiveness metric associated with the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies includes an updated version of at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies; and

the executable instructions that cause the computer system to generate the effectiveness metric cause the computer system to determine an update to the effectiveness based at least in part upon the compatibility of the updated version of the at least one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies with at least another one of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the virtual test sensor data includes virtual test communication data simulating autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle communication data.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operating conditions are associated with one or more of the following:

a road type, a time of day, or a weather condition.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

the executable instructions that cause the computer system to generate the effectiveness metric cause the computer system to generate a plurality of effectiveness metrics associated with a plurality of vehicle types;

the indication of the vehicle includes an indication of a vehicle type of the vehicle; and

the executable instructions that cause the computer system to update the insurance policy associated with the vehicle cause the computer system to update the insurance policy further based upon a corresponding effectiveness metric of the plurality of effectiveness metrics that is associated with the vehicle type of the vehicle.

20. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

the plurality of test scenarios include test scenarios associated with points of impact during virtual vehicle collisions;

and

the effectiveness metric further indicates the combined reliability of the plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle technologies in mitigating damage during the virtual vehicle collisions.