Methods and systems related to activating geo-fence boundaries and collecting location data

• US 8,686,841 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gordon Howard Associates Incorporated
• Inventors: Macheca, Christopher M., Chirico, Franco, Morgan, Gerald A., Schwarz, Stanley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/601,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.1, 340/426.2, 340/426.22, 340/426.36, 340/426.18, 340/426.19, 340/5.72, 340/686.6, 340/539.13, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 705/4, 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/426.19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

Activating geo-fence boundaries and collecting location data. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: activating a geo-fence for a pre-determined area responsive to an event related to a vehicle; receiving Global Positioning System (GPS) signals indicative of a location of the vehicle, the receiving by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle; detecting that the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence; creating a data set comprising data regarding locations of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence; determining a parameter associated with an existing insurance policy based on the data set.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a geo-fence for a pre-determined area responsive to an event related to a vehicle;

receiving Global Positioning System (GPS) signals indicative of a location of the vehicle, the receiving by an onboard device coupled to the vehicle;

detecting that the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence;

creating a data set comprising data regarding locations of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence; and

determining a parameter associated with an existing insurance policy based on the data set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to activating the geo-fence, establishing the geo-fence for the pre-determined area based on an area of actuarial interest.

3. The method of claim 1 where creating the data set further comprising:

determining a plurality of locations of the vehicle by the onboard device over a period of time; and

then

sending the data set to a remote operations center, the sending by way of a wireless transmission.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the data set further comprises:

determining a plurality of locations of the vehicle by the onboard device;

sending by the onboard an indication of location to a remote operations center, the sending in real-time with each location determination; and

creating the data set at the remote operations center.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein activating further comprises activating the geo-fence for a pre-determined area responsive to purchasing an insurance policy.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein activating the geo-fence for the pre-determined area further comprises activating at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a city boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a state boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a country boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high crime rate;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high volume of traffic; and

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area of business.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising loading an indication of the pre-determined area onto the onboard device, the loading by way of a wireless transmission from a wireless portable device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein activating further comprises activating multiple non-overlapping geo-fences.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein activating further comprises activating a smaller geo-fence within a larger geo-fence.

10. The method of claim 1:

wherein the geo-fence is a first geo-fence; and

activating further comprises activating a second geo-fence that at least partially overlaps the first geo-fence.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting further comprises detecting the vehicle has at least one selected from the group consisting of:

crossed out of an area bounded by the geo-fence; and

crossed into the area bounded by the geo-fence.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining further comprises changing the parameter associated with insurance based on whether the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein changing the parameter associated with insurance is based on at least one selected from the group consisting of:

changing a deductible;

changing an insurance premium;

changing policy limits; and

changing an indemnity agreement.

14. A system comprising:

an onboard device coupled to a vehicle comprising;

a processor;

a wireless interface coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

activate a geo-fence for a pre-determined area responsive to receiving an indication of a purchase of an insurance policy for the vehicle;

receive Global Positioning System (GPS) signals indicative of the location of the vehicle;

detect that the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence; and

create a plurality of indications of location of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the processor to create a data set comprising the plurality of indications of location.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

create a data set comprising the plurality of indications of locations of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence; and

then

send the data set to a remote operations center, the sending by way of a wireless transmission.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the processor to send each indication of location to a remote operations center in real-time with the creation of each indication of location.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein when the processor activates the geo-fence, the program further causes the processor to activate at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a city boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a state boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a country boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high crime rate;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high volume of traffic; and

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area of business.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the program further causes the processor to receive an indication of coordinates of a new pre-determined area onto the onboard device, the receiving by way of a wireless transmission from a wireless portable device.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein when the processor detects, the program further causes the processor to detect the vehicle has at least one selected from the group consisting of:

crossed out of an area bounded by the geo-fence; and

crossed into the area bounded by the geo-fence.

21. A system comprising:

a processor;

a wireless interface coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive indications of location of a vehicle from an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, the indications of location with respect to a geo-fence; and

change a parameter associated with an existing insurance policy associated with the vehicle, the change based on the indications of location.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein when the processor receives, the program further causes the processor to receive a data set comprising a plurality of indications of location of the vehicle.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein when the processor receives, the program further causes the processor to create a data set of locations of the vehicle by receiving a plurality of indications of location, each indication of location received in real-time with creation of the indication at the onboard device.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the program further causes the processor to:

activate a geo-fence for a pre-determined area responsive to receiving an indication of a purchase of the insurance policy;

detect that the vehicle has crossed the geo-fence; and

create a data set comprising data regarding locations of the vehicle with respect to the geo-fence.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein when the processor activates the geo-fence, the program further causes the processor to activates at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a city boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a state boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of a country boundary;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high crime rate;

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area with a high volume of traffic; and

a geo-fence corresponding to the size and shape of an area of business.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein when the processor detects, the program further causes the processor to detect that the vehicle has at least one selected from the group consisting of:

crossed out of an area bounded by the geo-fence; and

crossed into the area bounded by the geo-fence.