Assessing risk using vehicle environment information

• US 9,262,787 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Binion, Todd, Harr, Joe, Fields, Brian, Cielocha, Steven, Balbach, Steve J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAIRD, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US14/057,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method includes receiving first sensor data representing information collected, during a first time period, by a sensor located on or in a vehicle configured to sense an environment external to the vehicle, storing the data in a memory, processing the data to determine a first set of one or more characteristics of the external environment, and determining, based on the first set of characteristics, a first risk indicator representing a risk of loss during the first time period. The method also includes receiving second sensor data representing information collected, during a second time period, by the sensor, storing the data in the memory, and processing the data to determine a second set of one or more characteristics of the external environment. The method also includes determining, based on the second set of characteristics, a second risk indicator representing a risk of loss during the second time period.

Claims

1. A method of determining an insurance rating for an insurance policy associated with a first vehicle, the method comprising:

collecting, by a first sensor, first vehicle sensor data,

wherein the first sensor is located on or in the first vehicle, and

wherein the first sensor is configured to sense an environment external to the first vehicle;

receiving, at a communication interface of the first vehicle, second vehicle sensor data,

wherein the second vehicle sensor data is received from a second vehicle via one or more wireless signals, and

wherein the second vehicle sensor data is collected by a second sensor that is (i) located on or in the second vehicle and (ii) configured to sense an environment external to the second vehicle; and

receiving, at an electronic processing system comprising a memory and one or more processors, the first vehicle sensor data and the second vehicle sensor data;

storing (i) the first vehicle sensor data, and (ii) the second vehicle sensor data, in the memory;

determining a set of one or more characteristics of the environment external to the first vehicle by processing, via the one or more processors, (i) the stored first vehicle sensor data, and (ii) the stored second vehicle sensor data;

determining, via the one or more processors and based on the set of one or more characteristics, a risk indicator; and

determining, via the one or more processors and based on the risk indicator, the insurance rating for the insurance policy associated with the first vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle sensor data is collected by:

a camera device;

a radar device;

a lidar device;

or

a sonar device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving, at the electronic processing system, the first vehicle sensor data and the second vehicle sensor data includes receiving the first vehicle sensor data and the second vehicle sensor data at an electronic processing system located at a server remote from the first vehicle via one of (i) a wireless communication network, or (ii) a portable memory device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more characteristics includes an orientation of the first vehicle with respect to another object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the other object includes (i) the second vehicle, (ii) a third vehicle, or (iii) a traffic control indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the set of one or more characteristics includes at least one of (i) a condition of a driving surface, (ii) a closing speed between the first vehicle and another object, or (iii) visibility conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the risk indicator is further based on a duration of at least one characteristic of the set of one or more characteristics.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises

receiving, at the electronic processing system, operational data that is indicative of operation of the first vehicle, and

storing the operational data in the memory; and

determining the set of one or more characteristics is further based on processing the stored operational data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

receiving operational data includes receiving the operational data via at least one of (i) a controller area network (CAN) bus of the first vehicle, or (ii) an on-board diagnostics (OBD) port of the first vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving operational data includes receiving data indicative of at least one of:

velocity of the first vehicle;

acceleration of the first vehicle;

status of an automated driving system of the first vehicle;

or

diagnostics information associated with the first vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving operational data includes receiving data indicative of motion of the first vehicle with respect to six degrees of freedom.